//------------------------------// // Chapter 62 - The Other Side of Rainbow // Story: The Pony Dreadfuls // by No one is home //------------------------------// “Wow, I didn’t expect lot of things, but a giant, anatomically accurate pony was definitely something I expected least.” Kai stood between the massive horse and his fleeing… what? What was she to him? It seemed very cut and dried, when the alien creature that called herself Diane had been standing beside him. Now he was left with a mix of confused and confusing emotions, and a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. He was brought out of his moment of contemplation when the yellow horse before him spoke. “I don’t have any quarrel with wayward colts.” Despite it’s size, the horse’s face looked young. “You are not a little pony.” The blue pegasus pointed out less-than-helpfully. “You are a full on horse-pony. I want to say ‘earth pony’ to denote a pony from earth, but that’s actually it’s own thing.” “Get out of my way runt! I have to stop Alice!” The giant horse-pony growled. “Alice? Nice, cream colored filly? The one who’s NOT trying to lobotomize Diane’s sister?” Ki clumsily attempted to take an approximation of a quadrupedal fighting stance. “I’m afraid she’s busy right now saving semi-innocent fillies from really questionable brain surgery. But hey, if you just gotta fight someone, I’m right here.” “You have no idea where you even are do you?” The Giant face-hoofed i frustrated embarrassment. “That’s how she gets you, just like she got my step-mom. ‘Celestia’s School for Special Foals’, what a joke!” “Well, I’m here to buy time, you explaining what’s what will do as good as you pounding my skull with your hoof. Less fun, yes, but also less head-achey. Do you have a name? I’m Ki, but I should probably pick something more cartoon horsey. Maybe you could start by telling me where we are, if this isn’t some juvenile reform school, what is it?” He replied easily. “My Name is Beanpole.” The giant shook his head sadly. “I’m Beanpole Jackson Nimblehooves. And this is Tartarus.” -=-=-=-=- “Where is everypony?” Diane looked around nervously. “Charlie was right, this isn’t at all right.” “Why do you keep calling him that?” Dorothy’s voice was oddly hollow. “He’s repeatedly asked you not too. It’s clearly not his name.” “Jeez! Into my business much?” The young queen snapped. “We only, like, just met, like five minutes ago. Me and Charlie have a complicated relationship… but he loves me! Nd I love him! That’s all that matters…” “Of course he loves you.” Alice smiled kindly. “After all he loves you because you said so… that’s what you said, right?” “Alice!” Diane blinked in surprise. “Why are you being like this?” “It’s alright Diane, I’m not going to judge you.” Alice nuzzled into the changelings side. “It’s me and you against the world.” “It’s a brave new wonderland.” Again Dorothy’s voice rang hollow. “I’m sorry.” Ozwell rung his hooves sorrowfully. “I’m so very, very sorry.” “Where are we going? I thought the we were going to save my sister!” Diane protested as the shadows grew tight around her, like a snug, itchy blanket. “It’s too late for that.” Dorothy laughed absently. “It’s too late for story time and happy endings.” “The roles have been cast, the heroes and the villains.” Ozwell nodded. “What are you talking about? We have to save my sister!” Diane shouted. “You can’t save her, I’m sorry.” Dorothy’s hollow voice rang with sincere regret. “She was a very understanding friend.” “But you never even met Thirteen!” Diane argued. “My Full name is Dorothy Gale. I was swept for my world in a powerful…” For the first time, Diane noticed, not the filly’s grey shaded coat and mane, but her pudginess… the way she ruffled her wings… “Stormy Gale.” Diane’s eyes went wide. “It hurts to fail, Diane.” Alice whispered softly. “It hurts to be failed. But it makes us stronger.” “NO! I’m not going to fail! I’m not going to lose another sister! I won’t!” Diane ran aimlessly, her only destination was away. “Do we have to do this Alice?” Dorothy looked sorrowfully to her friend. “I liked Thirteen. She’s so… innocent…” “Like you used to be?” Alice glared at nothing in particular. “She’s a killer. Just like you. Just like me. Just like Diane. We were all innocent once. Until somepony poisons us with hope. Isn’t that right, Ozwell?” “The former human is going to be a problem.” The older stallion’s head sunk in resignation. “That… thing… calling itself Westwitch warned us about a human Diane called Charlie.” “Westwitch will play her part. Just like the Scarlet Hearts plays our Red Queen, Westwitch was made to play the wicked. I should know. I made her.” “And what about Jack? The Red Queen can’t just keep him locked up forever.” Dorothy Gale’s face became stern. “He’s one of us, we can’t just forget about him.” “That’s why we need Diane. Look what she did to that colt.” Alice smiled fondly. “She can make ponies do the one thing I can’t. She can make them love her.” -=-Missing Reel-=- “Welcome.” The Goat smiled coldly. “You are hardly a stranger to my mother’s cards.” “Do not involve my guards in your schemes, Mister Solitaire.” Celestia glared across the table at the blind, cloven hooved fortune-teller. “So very forceful, it’s such a… human… trait.” The Goat swung his bottle back with undisguised mirth. “The influence of your new husband… no… I think not…” “With one decree, I could have this den of disharmony wiped from the face of Canterlot.” The Sun Princess did nothing to hide or disguise her disgust, or the threat behind it. “Mr. Shield came to me, they all come to me.” Tarotius chuckled. “Just like you came to my mother. Burn this place to the ground if you like. But we both know you won’t. Why are you really here?” -=-Video Unavailable-=- “I told her sister you would treat Diane Pastel with mercy!”, ---. “I am granting as much mercy as is possible.” ---. “She killed a changeling in the royal court, in front of witnesses. What do you expect me to do?” “Sister, you’ve seen what this process does to ponies.” “You saw what it did to Silver! The only other creature it was ever used on was a human who died! Night, help me out here!” ---. “Their right.” ---. “How can you say that? She’s just a little filly. You wouldn’t do this if she was a pony!” ---. “Fast, you know it’s not like that.” ---. “Sadly, my little ponies, it is. It is exactly like that. Diane Pastel is not a pony. At this point I don’t think she’s even a changeling anymore…”