Casey sighed as he laid down on the grass. "So, O Wise One, where exactly am I?"
Well, this is what some people would call "limbo" - nothing but complete emptiness that can be filled with your imagination.
The Earth Pony groaned, and said, "I guess I could find a way to enjoy myself since I'm practically living here."
No one ever said this was your permanent home, Casey.
"What do you mean?" He said, a frown on his face. "The others were able to find a way... there isn't one for me."
Maybe in regards to this place and my portal, yes, but as Twilight said, there is always a way...
Casey looked at the area where his necklace would have been, and said, "I just hope she's going to be okay."
The villainous pony's frustration was continuing to grow more. "When I am done with all of you ponies, you'll wish you'd never came back at all."
Twilight opened her wings, preparing to take flight, and said, "We'll just see about that."
Whoosh!
She took off to the skies, heading up to be face-to-face with the cloaked pony, while Spike said, "Um, wouldn't it be easier to beat him if everypony worked together?"
"We'll help her out whenever Mr. Cloak decides to start fighting dirty," replied Rainbow Dash. "Twilight can hold up her own."
Spike looked at Applejack, who nodded in agreement. "If she could survive a battle against Tirek, Twi can surely take care of this pony."
Also, while Twilight was beginning her fight against the cloaked pony, Starlight had decided to take Sunburst back to his house, hoping that he had a First Aid Kit there.
"You never should have returned, princess," said the cloaked pony. "Now you just made things worse for your friends."
He fired an energy beam that flew towards one of her wings, but Twilight used magic from her horn to deflect it.
"My friends mean everything to me," said Twilight, determined to put a stop to this pony's plans. "And I'll do anything to keep them safe."
Down below, Rainbow Dash was munching on some popcorn, and loving the fight between her friend and-
"Ooh, can I have some, too?"
Rainbow rolled her eyes, but she nodded her head, and replied, "Sure, Pinkie."
Back in the sky, the cloaked pony was starting to laugh. "Is that why the noble princess of Friendship left a pony behind in limbo?"
"That has nothing to do with this," exclaimed Twilight as she narrowly dodged another one of his attacks.
"Oh? So, you're okay living with the fact that you'll never see your friend again?"
The purple alicorn couldn't think of a response to give, but that moment of hesitation allowed the cloaked unicorn to power up his silver staff, and send a surge of electricity that went straight into her body.
As Twilight began screaming in pain, Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in anger, saying, "Alright, that pony's fighting dirty!"
The blue-colored Pegasus pony took off, heading straight for the evil pony, and she crashed into him, causing the hooded pony to lose concentration, as well as allowing the staff to fall from his hooves.
"I got it, I got it!" Pinkie Pie shouted, as she bounced up into the air, hoping to grab the staff.
"No!" The sinister pony cried, and all of a sudden, a pair of wings appeared on the side of his body.
Twilight and Rainbow both gasped in surprise, saying, "He's a Pegasus?"
Right as Pinkie was about to grab onto it, the hooded pony yelled, "I don't think so, idiotic pony!"
With a strong flap of his wings, he was able to create a strong gust of wind that caused the staff to fly away from Pinkie...
... and into the mouth of Applejack, who began running away from the hooded pony.
"You okay, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, looking over her friend to try and find any injuries.
She nodded her head, saying, "Yeah, just... wish we hadn't left Casey behind."
As for the cloaked pony, he was about to retrieve the staff back from Applejack, but then, the hard-working Earth Pony tossed it behind the evil pony, and they watched as it was caught by Rarity.
"You!" The hooded pony, now filled with rage, started racing towards the white unicorn.
"Eeep!" Rarity quickly handed it over to Sunset, just as the hooded pony was about to reach the both of them.
With a grin, Sunset jumped into the air, flipping herself right over the winged and villainous pony, and she safely landed on the ground.
"Fluttershy, catch!" Sunset yelled, throwing it over to the pony who represented the Element of Kindness.
Taking a small gulp, Fluttershy flew over to the staff, and quickly caught it in her hooves.
"Nice catch right there, sugarcube!" called out Applejack.
The animal-loving pony looked down at the staff in her hands, and then, up to see the hooded pony flying straight towards her!
"I will not be defeated by-"
BOOM! SPLAT!
Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Thank you, Pinkie."
"No problem!" Pinkie Pie replied, giving her friend a salute.
Twilight and Rainbow landed by Shining Armor, and the alicorn used her magic to break the four pieces of ice.
"Thank you, Twily," said Shining, giving his sister a hug. "Looks like I owe you another one."
Twilight chuckled, and shook her head, saying, "That's fine, Shining... just go and make sure Cadence and Flurry Heart are okay."
Shining nodded, and went towards the castle while Twilight and Rainbow caught up to their friends.
"Here you go, Twilight," said Fluttershy, handing her the staff.
"Thanks, Fluttershy," replied Twilight, who carefully took the magical object from her.
Then, they walked over to where the hooded pony was, except he was now stuck to the ground because his body was covered in some sort of gooey substance.
"Um, what exactly is that, Pinkie?" Rarity asked, not recognizing what it was.
Pinkie Pie smiled, and said, "I used a special type of sticky cheese on him!"
"You're lucky I can't get my hooves on you right now," growled the hooded pony.
With the staff floating above her head, Twilight frowned, and said, "Tell us how to bring back Casey before I send you to another world."
The hooded pony let out a sarcastic laugh. "Fat chance, your Highness... I still can't believe that you all probably think you've won."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure we're about to," replied Rainbow. "I mean, you're trapped in Pinkie Pie's cheese net, and Twilight is about ready to send you to one of the places you sent us to."
"You moronic pony, there's still a lot that you all know nothing about," replied the hooded pony. "There's a reason for everything."
Rarity rolled her eyes, and she said, "You've already said that before."
"And none of you have yet to understand what I mean by that," exclaimed the hooded pony. "Why else would Rainbow Dash be the one pony that could successfully pull off a Sonic Rainboom, as well as having the fate of all Equestria be depended upon it?"
He then looked over at Twilight, saying, "You may have defeated me today, your Highness, but there's still a lot you don't know about."
Twilight frowned, and said, "I don't care about whatever it is you're saying... how do we bring back Casey?"
The hooded pony let out a dry laugh, and he said, "There's only one way, but you won't hear it from me. So, you might as well-"
ZAP! BOOM!
Twilight had used the staff to send a black-and-blue energy beam at the hooded pony, and once it struck him, he was gone.
"Awww..." said Pinkie Pie, suddenly looking a bit sad. "He took the cheese with him!"
Applejack looked at her friend, and asked, "You okay there, Twi?"
The alicorn sighed, not knowing what to say, but she nodded her head, and looked at the staff in her hooves.
I'm going to bring you back, Casey... I promise.