After dealing with the Pinklettes in the kitchen, Shining Armor followed after Rainbow Dash as they made their way to the candy shop. Shining had not even known that there was a candy shop in Ponyville. Whenever he wanted to get something sweet, he normally just went to Sugarcube Corner. Yes, some of the treats had candies on them, but Shining just figured they were made at the bakery when needed.
Once he knew where this place was, he would have to remember it. Maybe he could pick up some things.
"Too bad there wasn't a threat to Ponyville sooner," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle as she floated in the air along-side the stallion.
"Why do you say that?" Shining asked, not really looking at the flying mare.
"Because you left the library?" Rainbow answered. Shifting her body, she moved to face him, flying backwards. "Because you're finally doing something other than moping around?"
"Well... I just... liked having Twily around," Shining said.
"I know," Rainbow sighed out. "But it's not like she's dead, or all the way on the other side of Equestria, or something. Just up in Canterlot. You can take a train and spend time with her and your parents."
"Yeah, but it's not the same."
"No. It's like way better!" Rainbow cried out, grinning. "You get to do all sorts of fun stuff that makes you the cool big brother, and don't have to worry about being the bad guy by acting like a responsible adult. Plus, you said your folks are pregnant, right? That means she'll get to be a big sister too."
A small hum escaped Shining Armor as he thought about that. Especially the last part. Twilight living in Canterlot did mean he would see her less, but it mean that she would be there for their new brother or sister when they were born. So, while he would be around less, their new sibling would have a pony to look up to.
Twiley would make a great big sister.
Shining and Rainbow continued on in silence for a while before stopping again.
"Am... am I seeing this right?" Rainbow Dash asked, getting no answer as Shining continued to stare.
The two of them had reached a cross-street where a large number of the Pinklettes were gathered, wearing costumes. Standing in the road on the pair's left side was a Pinklette in green spandex wearing a red beret as she bounced in place. On their right was... Sonata Dusk? It looked like her, dressed in a black gi with a red belt and headband. She was also bouncing in place, ears pulled back and a serious look on her face.
A pinklette in a referee shirt stepped forward, raising a flag.
"Ready?" it called out. "Fight!" It just jumped back out of the way.
The spandex clad Pinklette jumped up into the air, spinning before coming down with one hind leg stretched out in a kick toward Sonata. At the same time, Sonata darted forward, slipping under her high flying opponent. As the Pinklette landed, Sonata kicked out, bucking the opponent in the flank with both hind hooves. The impact knock the Pinklette away three free, but was able to land on its hooves, facing Sonata, who simultaneously turned to face her opponent again.
Lunging toward her opponent, Sonata threw a quick jab, which was blocked. The Pinklette then threw a punch of her own, which hit Sonata, followed by another, then a third, and finally a jump kick that knocked Sonata back.
As soon as she landed, Sonata bounced back up, and charged for the Pinklette again. This time, she jumped up above her opponent, turned in mid-air and kicked it in the face with a back leg. Landing, she then did a sweep, which somehow knocked the Pinklette back instead of knocking her down. This was immediately followed up by a jump and spin-kick, striking the side of the opponent's head.
Yet, the Pinklette was still standing and did not even seem that dazed. It charged forward, threw two punches that were blocked, and one that made it through, hitting Sonata in the chest. The Pinklette then dropped low jumping up, throwing a forehoof upward and spinning in the process.
With a back-flip, Sonata dodged the spinning uppercut. She then lunged forward, driving a hoof into her opponent's back. This was quickly followed up by an uppercut of her own.
A cry escaped from the Pinklette as it fell to the ground, bouncing once before stopping.
"Sonata wins!" the referee announced.
After spinning in place, Sonata raised a hoof, closing one eye while sticking out her tongue as she did.
The pose was held for five seconds before Sonata broke from it. With a wide grin, she ran over to the pair, skidding to a stop.
"Hey, guys! Are you here to deal with all the weird extra Pinkie Pies around?"
"Yeah," Rainbow answered. "What are you doing though?"
"Well, I decided I wanted to make some cups of dirt -- the dessert with gummy worms, chocolate pudding, and crushed up sandwich cookies, not actual cups of real dirt -- so I was on my way to the candy store to get the gummy worms, but when I got there, the place was surrounded by a lot of Pinkie Pies. Like, something from one of those zombie movies, but not one of the good ones, and with all the zombies somehow played by the same pony, and being hyper sugar addicts instead of shambling, rotting, flesh-eaters. Anyways, when I saw all the Pinkies--"
"We're calling them 'Pinklettes,'" Rainbow interjected.
"Aaaawwww," Sonata squealed out. "That's so cute! When I saw the Pinklettes! I figured you would want to know, so I started for the library, but before I could, I got pulled into this thing that was like straight out of one of those fighting video games."
"Speaking of," one of the Pinklettes said as it popped out from behind the pair of new arrivals, "looks like we got a new challenger!" It then grabbed a hold of Rainbow Dash and went across the street in a blur of pink and rainbow.
When they came to a stop, Rainbow Dash was now dressed in a sailor school girl outfit. A yelp of surprise escaped the pegasus at the sight of the outfit, her hooves reaching down to grab the skirt and pull it down. As she did, her tail and the back of the outfit lifted up, exposing a pair of golden-yellow panties with red lightning bolts.
Shining looked away as a blush formed on his cheeks, and adjusted how he was standing.
Sonata used the sleeve of her outfit to wipe the blood from her nose.
Across from Rainbow, one of the Pinklettes stepped up. It was dressed in a blue dress with some sort of gold fabric worked across it, and its hair was set in a pair of buns near the top of her head. Pointing a hoof at Rainbow, its mouth moved several times without any sound coming out.
"Rainbow-chan!" a deep, masculine voice called out (and not matching the motion of the Pinklette's mouth). "For the honor of our senseis and dojos, I challenge you to hoof-to-hoof combat!"
Tilting her head, Rainbow looked at the Pinklette striking a move. The pegasus' mouth opened and closed.
"What?" her voice asked even though her mouth stopped moving. Eyes wide with a gasp, she brought her hooves up to her mouth. Lowering them, she spoke again. "How is this happening?"
"Ready?" the referee Pinklette asked. "Fight!"
"Ki-yaaaaaaa!" the fighting Pinklette cried out as it charged forward. Getting in close, it jumped up and kicked out with both its hind legs.
With a gasp, Rainbow put her wings in front of her, blocking the attack. She then kept them in place as she continued to block kick after kick, slowly being pushed backwards.
When the attack stopped, Rainbow darted forward and threw a punch, which was aimed from the Pinklette's nose, but somehow hit her in the chest instead. This was followed up by another punch, then a swing of her wing to hit the Pinklette in the side. Somehow, despite being the weakest, the last blow was enough to knock the Pinklette back and onto her back. Although not enough to keep her down as she quickly got back up.
Not wanting to lose the advantage, Rainbow Dash chased after her to keep attacking. So caught up in the act, she did not even realize she made a mistake. The Pinklette kicked out, smacking Rainbow in the face. It was followed up by another and another. Dozens of kicks hit Rainbow Dash, faster than she could even keep track of, much less block. Although, strangely, none of them really hurt. When the barrage ended, threw another punch, again hitting her opponent. She then spun around, struck out with a wing, then continued on into a kick.
A rainbow glow engulfed Rainbow. With a yell of her own, she charged at the Pinklette. Once close enough, Rainbow throw an uppercut, hitting her opponent and knocking her up into the air. Jumping up, Dash followed after the Pinklette, hitting her with another punch. It was followed up by another and another. With each strike, Rainbow Dash knocked the Pinklette higher and higher. A warrior scream tore from Rainbow's throat as she delivered an especially hard blow, sending her opponent far into the air.
Flying up above the Pinklette -- that somehow stopped in mid-air -- Rainbow turned and started flying downward, picking up speed. Just as she was reaching her opponent, Rainbow's front hooves shot out, slamming into the Pinklette's back. The air around them glowed as Rainbow Dash flew downward, pushing the Pinklette with her.
There was a thundering boom as the Pinklette hit the ground with Rainbow driving her into it. Yet there was no shock wave, no dust, not even a sign of serious injury to the Pinklette after being driven into the ground at what had to be around three hundred miles an hour. No blood, no signs of broken bones, just a yell from the Pinklette as it bounced up and away from the landing spot.
"Rainbow Dash wins!" the referee announced.
Rainbow bounced in place as she cheered, each jump causing her skirt to rise and show off her Element of Loyalty panties.
After about the third bounce, Rainbow Dash stopped, eyes wide.
"What the hay am I doing?!" she cried out. "And what the buck was that?"
"Oh-oh!" Sonata called out. "I can answer that second part. See, in many fighting games, there are special moves that can be used. Not all the time, because some requirement normally has to be fulfilled first. Most often, the player has to fill a special attack bar then hit a certain combination of buttons. Plus, they can do a butt-load of damage. You must have somehow done something that allowed you to use a special move."
While all of this was being explained, Rainbow Dash was quickly tearing off the schoolgirl outfit and throwing it to the ground. Once free of it -- panties included -- she gave it a couple of stomps for good measure. With a snort, she gave it one last kick.
"Whatever," she huffed. "Let's just deal with these things already."
Shining turned his attention from Rainbow, looking at the Pinklettes still gathered. Two of them were now facing off against each other: one in a yellow ninja costume, and the other in blue.
"We need a better way to keep them distracted, though," he said as he looked at them. "We want to get as many as we can, and I don't think they'll all be fully preoccupied with their fights."
"What if we distracted them with another game?" Sonata suggested. "Like Hide-and-Seek."
"That would keep them from realizing what was happening," Shining admitted, "but it would also mean they would be hiding, which would make finding them harder."
"What about a sleep spell? They can't run away or anything if they're asleep, right?"
"That could work, right?" Rainbow asked.
With a groan, Shining Armor smacked himself for not thinking of something so obvious. It was such an easy way to stop a large number of Pinklettes, that he felt stupid for not having thought of it himself. Or sooner.
"Yeah," he said. "That would work. You two get behind me so I don't accidentally hit you with it."
With a nod, Sonata and Rainbow both moved behind Shining Armor. After checking to make sure they should be safe, Shining closed his eyes as he drew on his magic. He focused on a sleeping spell, one that would act quickly, but only last about ten minutes. He only needed it for a short duration to discorporate the simulacrums, and keep waste of his magic minimal since he was not sure how many of them he would have to eliminate over all. It would be a problem if he wore himself out too quickly.
Unleashing the spell, the area in front of Shining glowed a bright rose color as his magic covered the area.
Before he had even finished, Pinklettes were already falling asleep.
Now came the slower part: discorporating them one at a time.