//------------------------------// // Chapter 11- Equestria Girls vs Equestrian Dream-Eating Parasite From Another Timeline // Story: Friendship Games: Friendship Makes Magic // by ImNoPony //------------------------------// Pain. Disoriented. Blurred vision due to lack of glasses. Moondancer was feeling these sensations and she wasn't sure why. The last thing that she could recall is that everyone was confronting Principal Cinch because of her actions and cornered her by Canterlot High's statue. She remembers yelling, Cinch hissing back, slamming her fist against the statue and a great explosion all of a sudden. Now she was down on the ground and regaining her senses. "Moondancer...?" says a voice that sounded like Twilight. Hearing her name called out (however faintly) made Moondancer pick herself up a little quicker. When she found her glasses and finally could see properly again, she notices Twilight right beside her who was also still reeling because of the explosion. "Twilight... What happened?" After regaining her senses, Twilight was about to tell Moondancer what she thinks happened. But as soon she opened her mouth, both girls suddenly heard a loud cackle that made them both jump. "AH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Moondancer and Twilight look for where that twisted laughter came from. They first saw their friends in front of them. Rainbow, Indigo, Fluttershy, Sour Sweet, the two Sunset and the other were also picking themselves up and looking for the laughter. And then, like some radiating evil, they all felt a presence above them all. When they all look up, they all saw a sight that none of them could believe is happening. Abacus Cinch was floating in the air. Her body, wrapped around in some dark, phantasmic essence, was being twisted into something villainous. Wearing a dark ethereal, her hands became claws and her eyes became animalistic. Cinch sprouted wings of plasma and her unpinned, waving hair... it was like the night sky. You could see stars within it and no strand of hairs could be seen. However, Cinch was not scared or herself. As she was getting a better look at herself, she was getting more and more excited. "Yes! Yes! This Is Perfect! I Am Becoming... Perfection" "What's Happening!?!?" Sunny Flare yelled out loud. However, no one had any idea what was going on. Even the people who know about the mirror portal could only faintly guess what was transpiring. But all attention gravitated towards Vice Principal Luna when she strangely remarks: "It's almost as if some sort of entity, born out of nightmares, is bonding itself to Abacus. Cinch's own worst nightmares must be fueling and it, in turn, must be amplifying her addiction with perfection! She... She... She is becoming Nightmare Perfection, a symbiosis of nightmares and obsession!" Everyone around Luna was amazed by her oddly poetic words. However, a confused Celestia asks her sister: "How do you know all of that?" Luna had a perplexed look on her face, realizing herself on what she had just said. "I don't know?" she replied. But after everybody gotten over Luna's strange remark, their attention went back to "Nightmare Perfection" who was now facing the people who were mobbing her before. "Now Let Us See What I Can Do!?" She waves up her hand and three shards of the broken mirror light up in front of her. These broken shards, still holding the power of inter-dimensional travels, glow in a rainbow but dark light. It was like they were connected to a dozen different worlds that they weren’t supposed to and are about to burst into new gateways of disaster. Nightmare Perfection then throws out these portal shards towards the students below and tears of dimensions opened. On the left side, where most of the Crystal Prep students were at, a portal to a war-torn world opened up. Automatons of clockwork soldiers step through the portal and made a slow march towards the students. These beings were wearing heavy helmets that look uncomfortable to wear, have small-slit eye holes that glow a hypnotic-green light and... they almost seem to be people. Not robots at all but just innocent victims that gotten turn into minions for an evil dictator. At CHS's side on the right, a portal of eternal night opened up. And pouncing from the other side scary, wolves appeared and glaring towards the helpless students. However, these beasts weren't any animal that any of them had seen before. Instead of bones and flesh and fur, these wolves were made from twigs, branches, and timber (and tiny leafs for eyebrows). These "Timberwolves" might not be animals at all and are just vengeful spirits who were possessing various wooden sticks to form a wolf's body. Whatever they are, they are still feral beast who looks hungry for a meal. The last portal opened up down the middle, facing towards Twilight and her friends. The monsters that stepped through this portal were grotesque, humanoid bug creatures with wings like insects and a horn just above their heads. These humanoid-bugs were black and rotting beings who had rot-holes through various parts on their arms and legs. They were surprised to the world that they had just stepped into. But once they could see the potential victims in front of them, menacing grins appeared on their face and are ready to do some mayhem. With these deadly minions under Nightmare Perfection's sway, everybody's lives are in danger if no help will appear for these defenseless schools. But Aria Blaze, less scared than anybody else, looks towards the Friendship Game's participants and yell towards them: "I Think It's About Time to Unleash Some Magic Right About Know!" However, Twilight responds to her by yelling: "We can't! Crystal Prep has our magic!" She then looks at Moondancer beside her. "What!" Moondancer yelled. "We can't-do anything about this!" Sour Sweet explains: "We just got them! -" "- And we don't know how to use them!" Lemon Zest concluded. But then the Sunset from CHS argues: "But if we don't do something, WE ALL ARE IN DANGER!" The 7 Shadowbolt girls didn't know what to do. They are asking them to protect them and use these strange powers that they got. However, none of them have the confidence or courage to use them. They don't know how to properly use them or imagine what they will be like. They imagine themselves incompetent at best and a hindrance at worst. But as they were too terrified to do anything, their friends from CHS pick themselves and offer them a hand of assistance. "Don't worry" Twilight says to Moondancer. "We'll be helping you every step of the way" said Sunset to her human-world self. Seeing their new friends offering help and assistance moved them. They can't remember being offered help in school or at home, let along in a situation like this. Seeing experience people in front of them and people that they feel happy about seeing feels them the confidence that they need. "Ok, we will try" Sour Sweet reply as she has Fluttershy pull her up from the ground. When she was on her feet, Sugarcoat pessimistically remarks: "But again, we aren't sure how helpful we will..." But Applejack interrupts her and tells her: "Can it with that nonsense and have confidence in yourselves." Even though they still nervous and scared about this, the Shadowbolts was going through with this. But with a bit of emotional support, they began holding hands with their new friend that they made as well as the pendants that are holding the magic. Lemon Zest hold hands with Pinkie Pie and she unlocks her magic. Sunny Flare hold hands with Rarity and she unlocks her magic. Sugarcoat hold hands with Applejack and unlocks her magic. Indigo Zap hold hands with Rainbow Dash and unlocks her magic. Sour Sweet hold hands with Fluttershy and unlocks her magic. Sunset Shimmer hold hands with her other self and unlocks her magic. And Moondancer hold hands with Twilight Sparkle, their friendship finally being healed, and unleash the magic. A blinding light exploded in the middle of the area, grabbing everyone's attention. Nightmare Perfection was shocked by this and confused on what was going on. Students, teachers and even some of the monsters were blinded by the light. But as the light slowly dies down, 14 "ponified" humans emerges. When the light was finally gone, all the girls who were holding hands had transformed into their magical enhance forms. When the girls see themselves, they all were quite amazed, to say the least. They all grew the standard pony ears and ponytails at the end of their hairs. But while Rainbow and Fluttershy grew out their wings, Indigo Zap and Sour Sweet also receive wings too and they almost identical to theirs. And while girls from CHS was already accustomed to these forms, the Shadowbolts felt empowered. They never felt so energized before and they felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of them that feels so good. "WOW! Look At Us!" Indigo yelled with excitement. "We Look So Cool!" Rainbow Dash silently agrees. "So, this is what having magic feels like" Sunny Flare remarks. "I feel so energized." Even Crystal Sunset Shimmer, despite usually feeling so cold and pessimistic, is now feeling overloaded with happiness and confidence. This might be the first time that she felt so good about herself. But while the Crystal Prep girls were enjoying this new magical sensation for them, Twilight and the others were confused by their own transformation. They thought that their magic was stripped away from them and unable to transform. Twilight tries to loudly remarks: "Hang on!? How did we..." "LOOK OUT!" Moondancer jumps and pushed Twilight to the side... and avoiding an energy blast that leaves a crater from where she stood. The girls soon remember that there is a p***-off and possessed school principal flying in the air (and the one who fired the energy blast) and a small assortment of monsters that they need to fight against. Moondancer tells Twilight: "Let's speculate about things later and right now deal with all of this!" Twilight got nothing to argue against. And after doing a rather impressive group pose (which they instinctively do and doesn't understand why), they all split up and try to rescue everyone. Jumping from the ground, Rainbow, Indigo, Fluttershy and Sour Sweet takes to the sky. They all try to deal with Nightmare Perfection since she was the main threat and they are the only ones who can remain airborne. There was a fierce dogfight in the air above the high school. The girls try to get close but Nightmare Perfection keeps them away from firing dark energy blasts to deter them. Rainbow and Fluttershy dodge them adequately enough but Sour Sweet and Indigo Zap were having a bit of trouble. Their inexperience was a hindrance and all their dodges was a result of pure luck. But as the air battle went on, luck soon grew into skill and they eventually grew accustomed to their new wings. And when Rainbow gotten cornered by perfection, Indigo Zap appears and seemingly kicks her away. "Wow! Thanks, Indigo!" Rainbow gratefully complimented. However, another Indigo appears behind her and tells Rainbow: "Dash! That isn't me!" "What!?" Dash yelled in shock and confusion. When she looks at the Indigo in front of her, she reveals to be an impostor. She became engulfed in green flames and reveals to be one of the bug creatures and came through one of the portals. Before Dash could do anything, more bug creatures appear and tackle her. Down on the ground, Twilight, Moondancer, Rarity and Sunny Flare notice that there are more friends in the sky then there should be. They realize that the bug things can mask their appearance and can make themselves look like any of them. You could say they are "Changelings". Twilight and the others realize that they need to neutralize the impostors and get rid of them. But while the Changelings could look extremely identical, Rarity notice some minute and/or noticeable differences. Be it different kind of clothing, the addition or subtraction of certain accessories or assorted colors of the person (I.E. getting Rainbow's hair color wrong), Rarity could tell who were the impostors. She points her finger at one of them and yells to Twilight: "That One! Pull Her Down Twilight!" Focusing her mind, Twilight shot out her hands and uses telekinesis. The Changeling that she and Rarity pointed stopped in midair, reveals to be a bug and pulled down to the ground. And then instinctively, Sunny Flare uses her powers to construct a magical cage made of pure energy that will hold the Changeling. Wanting to be useful, Moondancer imitates Twilight and is shown to have similar telekinetic as her, making the process easier. Over towards the right side, Pinkie, Lemon Zest, and the Sunsets try to fend off the Timberwolves from getting at the people from CHS. The students were cowering in the corner with only the principals as their only source of comfort. "Don't worry everyone. Have faith in your classmates that they will protect" Celestia says to reassure her students. However, their classmates and their Crystal Prep were having an arduous task to accomplish. Pinkie Pie and Lemon Zest had an easier time maneuvering around the Timberwolves and keeping them occupied (almost like they were dancing around them). However, the two Sunsets could only barely avoid their bites and pushing them back and away from themselves. They're fit but not athletically fit. But then, when one of the wolves broke through their defense and made a mad dash to the students, Crystal Sunset started to panic. "NO!" she cried out. Instinctively, Crystal Sunset jumps in the way and try to push the Timberwolf back. But when she does so, a fireball shot out and blast the Timberwolf to bits. Everyone was astonished. The CHS students were amazed that Sunset did that and even Crystal Sunset, despite looking down at her firelit hands, couldn't believe what she just did. But when she sees the frighten Timberwolves in front of her, she made a grin and start firing fireballs at them. "Wow!" said the Sunset from Canterlot High. "Maybe I have fire powers like that?" However, when she tried to concentrate and imagine flaming hand, she didn't even make a spark. "Well shoot." Over at Crystal Prep's side on the right, there was a fierce battle against the helmet wearing robots. Thanks to Applejack's enhance strength and Sugarcoat's enchanted-maneuverability, they managed to crowd a bunch of them. And with AJ's lucky lasso that she always carries (don't ask), they tied all of them together as a single group. "Yeah! That's How We Do It!" AJ confidently boasted. However, she should have known that a simple piece of long rope wouldn't hold them down for long. With unrestrained strength, the almost robotic people flexed their muscles, breaking free and torn their simple restraint to pieces. Seeing her lucky lasso being rip apart, a saddened Applejack remarks: "Well... Poo..." "It was just rope after all" Sugarcoat commented. With a punch of them free, the helmet soldiers make a charge toward Crystal Prep. AJ and Sugarcoat tried to block them... but they were only two people and a bunch of them get through. As the C.P students began fearing for their lives, the coach Shining Armor notices Dean Cadence. Despite being just as scared, she was still shielding the students and trying to protect them. Not wanting to see the person he loves to be in harm's way, Shinning got in front of her and fights anybody who gets near her. But as this was happening, Flash notice Shinning was fighting the soldiers from the Canterlot side and was finding it difficult fending them off alone. Feeling an urge to help him, Flash decides to help him. He sneaks away from the other students from his school, avoid being spotted from the other monster or chaos that was about and got over to Crystal Prep. As Shining Armor was in a struggle against one helmet soldier, he notices Flash running towards him who yells: "Shinning! Toss Him To Me!" Despite not knowing why, Shinning follows Flash's request. Spinning 360 degrees, he swung the soldier towards Flash. With the soldier spinning and off-balance, Flash steps aside and got his leg out straight. The soldier trips and falls and bangs its head on the ground. When they could see it out cold, both Shining Armor and Flash yell out: "YEAH!" At this moment, things seem bright for the good guys. While everything seems perfectly match now, every second leads to them gaining the advantage. For every Changeling they pull down, Timberwolf they blew up or brainwashed soldier that they knock, the sooner that they focus their attention on Cinch and end this madness. But as things seem about even, as the flyers were swirling around Nightmare Perfection, her rage and craziness reached its breaking point. After a buildup of power, she yells: "THAT'S ENOUGH!" and a burst of black energy exploded around her. The blast was so powerful that it hits and knock over everyone. But while it wasn't too server, the good guys were on the ground long enough for the monsters to reorganize. In the case of the Timberwolves, it was far more literal as the scattered pieces of the destroyed wolves were beginning to attract and reform. And since Sunny Flare was recoiling from the blast, the prison that she made faded away and all the Changelings that she helps captured was release. And when Twilight was about to pick herself up... "HISSS!" "AH!" A Changeling swoops in and grabs Twilight. All her friends from both Canterlot and Crystal Prep saw this terror struck their very cores. "TWILIGHT!" they shouted with fear and worry as they see their dear friend being pulled into the air. Twilight tries to struggle and get herself free, ignoring the fact that she's already several feet in the air. However, the Changeling was determined to not let her go, knowing the fact that she's was responsible for pulling it down. It opens its mouth and shows off its sharp fangs. But as it was about to do something deadly to Twilight, a fireball was launched and hit the Changeling in the air. As Twilight began falling from the air and about to scream her lungs out, Rainbow Dash bolted towards her. "Don't Worry Twilight! I'll Catch You!" Rainbow shouted, hoping that she could be right. And true enough, Rainbow managed to catch her without too much difficulty. Holding onto Twilight's wrists with a firm grip, she took her to the school's roof. Once she was let down, Twilight breaths a massive sigh of relief. "Woo! Thanks, Rainbow Dash" "No problem Twilight" Dash replied. "Twilight!" shouted a voice that sounded like Sunset. And then appearing over the side, Moondancer and the Sunsets swoop up from below by the other flyers on their side. Worried for her safety, all of them rushed over to Twilight's side and see if she's well. Sunset (the one from Canterlot High) worryingly asks Twilight "Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine" she replied. "However, that isn't going to stop Cinch or save the other students." They all then look over to the side of the school and look down at the chaotic battle field below. Their friends had already picked themselves up and gotten back into the fight, but that fight had just gotten 10x harder. The monsters had realized the strength of their adversaries and learn not to hold anything back. The 'wolves, Changelings and soldiers had regroup their forces and making a forceful charge against their friends. And with everyone starting to run low on stamina, things aren't looking so good for our heroines. Frustrated about their predicament, the Sunset from Crystal Prep angrily exclaims: "Ugh! We are spread too thin and there's not enough of use to help everyone. What are we going to do?" Realizing that they need a plan, all of them fall silent as they try to device a proper battle plan. Twilight couldn't help but to agree with Crystal Sunset; there isn't enough of them to handle all three set of monsters and Nightmare Perfection herself. They need help. Twilight look down and saw Flash and her brother down in the corner of her eye. She could see them fighting and struggling to push back the helmet Soldiers. While she would be concerned for them, Twilight suddenly got a "eureka". Twilight turn to Moondancer and asks her: "Moondancer! Is there still some magic left in your pendants?" Surprised, she replies: "Wha'! I-I-I don't know? If I haven't use all of mine up then maybe?" She pulls out the pendent that was still hanging on her neck and checks a meter that's on it. "WHOA!" "What is it?" Twilight enquires. After composing herself, Moondancer explains: "E-Either this thing is busted... or were not using a lot of her magic!?" "What!" Moondancer then shows her pendent to Twilight and everyone around them. And true enough, the meter says that she still has about 80% of magic left. Crystal Sunset check her pendent and it was giving a similar measurement too. But while the others were quite surprised by this discovery, Twilight was ecstatic since this will greatly improve her plan. Meanwhile, Nightmare Perfection was monitoring the battle below her and she is very pleased on how it's going. All the people who were mobbing her and getting in her way was finally being dealt with and soon she will be known as a being that shouldn't be trifle with. But while she is feeling ecstatic, she didn't realize that the nightmarish-parasite was making her insane. It was stripping away all of Abacus Cinch's sensible thinking and moral code and leaving behind a being who lost her humanity. But while 'Perfection was feeling confident about her victory, a stern, loud voice shouted out from the rooftop. "Everyone! Listen To Me!" With a tone that commands attention, all the students, all the teachers and even some of the monsters look up to see what's going on. On top, they saw Twilight standing firmly on the side. With everyone's eyes temporally focus on her, Twilight makes her announcement. "Everyone, We Can't Fight These Monsters Alone And We Need Your Help!" Everyone was shocked and confused. "They want us to help them? Even though they have the magic powers!?" some of them thought. But while there were a few students from both school who were willing to fight and to protect, they can't see themselves as any use against magical monsters. Even Nightmare Perfection was seeing this as a desperate ploy for reinforcements. But then Twilight reassure them all by saying: "But Don't Worry! We Will Lend You Some of Our Magic So You Can Protect Yourselves!" And when she finishes talking; Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare and Moondancer shoot out from the side and being carried by Rainbow and the other fliers. While they were flying over the students, they re-open their pendants and tiny, sparkly dust began poring out of them. This magically infused dust snowed down from the sky and hitting everybody below. At first nothing seems to be happening and they all thought that it failed. But then the effects began starting to kick in. Over by Flash and Shinning Armor, they were being overwhelm by the helmet soldiers as they began piling up against them. But then, when the magic began to work, all the helmet soldiers suddenly knocked away. And glowing brightly in the center were Flash and Shinning in strong poses. Their fists in the air, strong smiles on their faces and feel fully energizes. And king of like their names, they were literally shinning and glowing. Over by Canterlot's side, the dust had finished sprinkling down on Adagio, Aria and Sonata. For them, they feel the magic fueling their bodies and energizing them. And unlike the others who only start glowing, the three Dazzlings reawaken their siren-powers and went into their "siren forms". When Adagio saw what has happened to them, she happily smirks and exclaims: "Oh yes". And when a Timberwolf jumps in front of them, all three girls let out a sonic shriek that tear the unfortunate thing to pieces. All around them, the students became surrounded in a pure-white aura that elevate them and fill them with confidence. They feel like they have the power to protect themselves and fight back. Principal Celestia in particular was greatly pleased since she now has an opportunity to protect her students. And as the students grew more brave and confident, the monster fell into fear and worry. And with a shout from Luna yelling: "Charge!", everyone makes a gallant charge against the enemies who were attacking them. The Timberwolves, with their intimidating look no longer affecting them, ended up as the ones scared and cower back. The Changelings tried to blend in with their shapeshifting abilities and disguise as the other students. However, they couldn't imitate their clearly visible aura and was quickly spotted and subdued. The helmet soldiers, since they're now the ones outnumbered, was being gradually pushed back to the portal that they arrived from. But that doesn't mean nobody got any highlights either. When a swarm of Changeling disregard their disguises and try to attack CHS's principals, Celestia and Luna fired a solar and lunar blast respectfully and pushed them away. Flash and Shinning displayed an excellent show of teamwork as they are fighting the other's enemies and covering each other's backs (which caused a laugh from Dean Cadence, much to their confusion). "Muffin Girl" tripped over and spilled all her muffins... and encase any monster who touched them. Nightmare Perfection looks down, shocked at this sudden turnabout. "How could this happen?" she thought to herself. "I was winning before! How could I let this happen!?" And a sudden bolt of light flied pass her face. She looked and notice that the students are now shooting arrows of light at her and tying to shoot her down. However, while there were numerous of them, 'Perfection managed to dodge all of them without too much difficulty. "HA! You Have To Try Better Then That!" she gloated. "Excuse me?" said a soft voice behind her. Nightmare Perfection, surprised that somebody had gotten behind her. There she saw Fluttershy... holding Spike the dog up close to her face. Fluttershy quips: "Somebody wants to say hello to you." And then, striking while she was shocked and confused, Spike began licking all over Nightmare Perfection's face. 'Perfection pushed Spike and Fluttershy away but it was already too late. While she was a humanoid mistress of nightmares personified on the outside, inside she was still Abacus Cinch who were allergic to animals. And with dog fur stuck to her skin, her allergies are beginning to run wild. Her face twists and contorts, trying to suppress an uncontrollable urge to sneeze. This also has an interesting effect on the three portals that she has opened as they begin to fluctuate and grew wilder. This was good since all the monsters that had entered the human world are now pushed back against them. And with her resistance finally faltered, Cinch began sneezing. "Ah... Ah... ACHOO!" All the Timberwolves (and their remains) was sucked into the portal that they came from and closed behind them. "ACHOO!" All the Changelings were sucked back into their world. "ACHOO!" And all the mind-controlled helmet soldiers were pulled back to their world (and their mind control slightly weakened. With all the monsters back to their respective world, all the portals began closing all at once. They revert back to the (semi-)normal mirror shards as they once were and fall down to the ground. With the monsters gone, everything is safe now right? Wrong. They still have one last issue to deal with. When Cinch had finished sneezing, she got her allergies under control and compose herself. But then she got a chill down her spine. She looks down and saw everybody, everybody, looking up to her with stern and determined faces. Their overwhelming numbers were terrifying enough, but their fearless faces show a clear indication that she lost. Dean Cadence raise her arm and shouts: "Archers! Ready!" And in perfect unison, all the students form magical bows with the aura that they held in their hands. Even Twilight and her friends had made them. "Set!" They all pull back, making arrows of light that they held at the ready. And with a wave down of her arm, Cadence loudly shouts: "FIRE!" Everyone release their arrows and a barrage of light was traveling towards Nightmare Perfection. With overwhelming brightness and force heading her way, all she could do was shout. "NOOOOOOOOOO....." And as the arrows of light bathed her completely, the nightmarish parasite that was controlling her disintegrated and Abacus Cinch was finally free.