It’s a while after Sunset gets dressed when she explores one part of the forest, bringing her bow and arrows along the way. She looks at the night sky turning red. She looks at her phone and opens her group texts; no good news from them.
“Twilight!” She calls out for her again, no response, “Twilight!”
Sunset walks further ahead before hearing rustling. Looking from behind a bush, she see’s Twilight all packed up walking down a trail with Spike at her side.
“Twilight!” Twilight stops in her tracks, and turns to Sunset, “What are you doing out here?”
“We're…” Twilight turns her shoulder and continues walking, “we're meeting a cab to take us home.”
Sunset looks at the small dog who adds, “She thought you'd talk her out of it.”
“Because I would.” Sunset cuts Twilight off, “Twilight, you can't leave.”
“I can and-” Twilight tries to walk around Sunset, but is still cut off, “Will you stop-!”
“Twilight, whatever is up with you, we can help!”
“No, you can’t!” Twilight brushes Sunset aside, “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Everyone ‘wouldn’t understand’ why you left the camp.” Such an argument got Twilight to stop, “We can be there for you, but not if you run away.”
Twilight sighs, “I’ll stay. But I still don't think it's a good idea for me to be near the rest of our friends right now. Not until we know why this is happening.”
“Of course.” Sunset is immediately embraced, “Things will turn out for the best. They all do.”
Suddenly, the bushes rustle again. On edge, Sunset draws her bow and approaches the bushes slowly. When a strange silhouette comes out, she jumps forward, bow-string stretched to its zenith.
“All right, you! Show yourself!”
“Whoa, whoa!” The figure raises his arms. “Wait, Twilight?”
“Timber?” Twilight squints, approaching the figure. Sunset in the meantime aimed her weapon away, “I’m so glad it’s you! Wait, what are you doing out here so early?”
“And with an axe?” Sunset adds, motioning her weapon at the tool.
“We needed more for tomorrow night's campfire. And if I didn't take care of it tonight, it would be one more thing Gloriosa would add to her list.” Timber clears his throat before finishing in a voice like that of his sister’s, “I've got this!
Such a snarky remark made all three of them and Spike laugh before Timber rested the axe on his shoulders.
“What about you two? Why are you hanging out in the woods in the middle of the night?”
“Oh! I was sleepwalking.” Sunset faked having a sleepy eye, “Twilight found me and was bringing me back to camp.”
“Mm-hmm.” Twilight agreed
“Come on. I'll walk you guys back. I'll protect you from” - Timber puts down the axe, raised his hands before wiggling before speaking in an eery way, “Gaea Everfree! Everfree! Everfree!”
“Come on.” Sunset holsters her bow and arrows, “That's obviously just a spooky story you made up to tell around the campfire.”
“Oh, no. It's legit. How else would you explain what happened at the docks?” Timber grabs the ax and some of the firewood, “And that weird thing where the earth shook? Come on. I know a shortcut back to the tents.”
While Twilight instinctively stayed by Timber, grabbing more of the firewood as they traveled along, Sunset noticed something off. A little extra shaking cause some strange, sparkling powder to shake off his baggy pants. Sunset stops and kneels at this new evidence.
“Legit, huh?” She rubs it between her fingers before dabbling her tongue on the powder, “I think we just found our ‘Gaea Everfree.’”
“But why would he work so hard to make us think she was real?” Spike raises his paw, “What would this have to do with the gorilla?”
“You heard what he said about wishing his sister would sell this camp.” Sunset turns a glare at the faraway Timber, “If nobody wants to come here because it's home to some angry ancient nature spirit and her subjects, it sure would help his cause.”
His ears drawn back and tail lowered, Spike was stamping his feet, “We should tell Twilight.”
“Not yet.” Sunset gently gripped Spike’s hind leg, “She's obviously going through a lot right now. We should probably be a hundred percent sure before we tell her the guy she likes is a jerk who's trying to run everybody out of camp.”
“Uh-huh!” He agrees, raising his paw. Sunset gently grips it and shakes it before the two caught up with Twilight and Timber
With a suspicious eye laid on Timber, Sunset stays close behind them; it’s good she didn’t shoot him by mistake. Much to her confusion, after they returned to the camp and load up the firewood when Timber invited Twilight to a walk back to the woods. With the sun just poking up from the trees, Sunset sits on a bench, takes out her phone and texts the others.
“Where are you taking me?” Twilight asked as her little tour of the forest had rather unfamiliar landmarks.
“Something we’ve had for a long time,” Timber looks at her, “Just haven’t shown anyone… yet.”
A few scrapes with some bushes, and Twilight enters something extraordinary since the island. It was an apple orchard, but fruit in question amazed her. Their hide is rainbow-colored and, in the growing sunlight, shined like a prism. Twilight pulls out an apple and takes a large bite. The right combination of sweet and sour made her squeal in delight.
“This is delicious!” Twilight giggled, “Did your family grow these?”
“Yeah…” Timber taps his cargo shorts, “They’ve been here for a long while. C’mon, there’s something else I wanna show you.”
Getting a response like that got Twilight to raise her brow. She finishes the apple, leaves it on the ground, grabs another one, and follows Timber. A fruit fly satisfies its hunger with the leftovers. After a few sips, some strange miracle of science or sorcery makes it bigger.
A few meters ahead of the grove was an abandoned house. The years have not been at all kind. Vines encroach upon the house, the bricks are worn down, and the wood breaking apart. The land around it didn’t seem to fare much either. A fallen log bridged a deep chasm; it took Twilight all she could not look down as Timber lead her across. While Timber simply walked over to the house, Twilight notices the condemned sign.
“And this building wasn’t torn down, why?” Asked Twilight.
“They realized this is the camp’s property a little too late.” Timber pulls down some of the vines and rotting boards and leads Twilight inside.
The house is just as much a mess inside as it is out; The wallpaper is peeling away, the air very dusty. A few turns down a hallway, and the two enter a ruined laboratory. The table is dusty, some of the beakers are still filled with some chemical compounds, and the floor littered with broken glass. Twilight notices a wilted rose in a flower vase. She turns a faucet, but the water doesn’t come out.
“You come in here often?” Twilight turns to Timber, who is reaching into a cabinet.
“Well, just to get some spare equipment.” Timber answers, putting a microscope on the table, “What? It’s not like they’re using it anymore.”
Twilight rolls her eyes before looking at the floor. Something catches her eye; some of the shards of glass have bloody footprints so small they could have come from a baby. While Timber wasn’t looking, Twilight sneaks a piece into her pocket. She spots a corkboard with many articles, one of which has a team of scientists grouped together with a young gorilla… The size of an adult gorilla. Reading the fainted print, Twilight finds the name of the animal: Kong.
She then notices a dusty, old book on the table. Twilight opens it, blows off the dust, turns a few pages, and reads.
5/20/1998
She’s gone. My little girl. Gone because of me. If I hadn’t sent her over… My wife can’t even look at me anymore. I… I just need time alone.
9/12/1998
After countless calculations, I’ve found a bigger potential for Regenerator G-1. A bigger potential than Biosyn’s use on that damn gorilla years ago. I just need to do a few experiments to make sure.
2/27/1999
My calculations are correct. A few weeks after applying some of the compound on a drop of rat blood resulted in a fetus. I just created life… Now, Ihave a chanceto redeem myself.
4/22/2000
I might not have collected my daughter’s body, but I was able to collect a few samples of her skin and hair. The process, I suspect, will take longer… Far longer. But I just can’t wait to see the look on my wife’s face when I show her to my son, Ti
Twilight closed the book with a loud clap, unintentionally getting Timber’s attention as he saw Twilight with a grim look on her face.
“Twilight?”
“When…” - Twilight shifts her eyes at Timber - “what was the last you saw your dad?”
“I never saw my dad,” Timber puts the microscope down, “he was always on business or so Mom told me.”
“Timber,” Twilight brings the book to him, “I hate to tell you this but-”
Suddenly, something crashes through the window; a giant rat, just five meters long, swipes its big paws at Twilight and Timber. Timber grabs an emergency ax and swings at the beast. However, the rat snaps the blade from the handle in one chomp and starts biting at the door. Twilight takes out her phone and starts texting.
The rest of the campers were making good progress with the dock. The Rainbooms were doing well without their powers… So far.
“Phew!” Rainbow Dash wipes her brow before looking at Rarity working on a poncho, “Uh, you gonna give us a hand here, Rarity?”
“Oh, I'd love to, but I really need to get the stitching on this poncho done if it's going to make it into the camp fashion show.” She eyes away from her work, “Though at the pace you two are moving, I don't know that the runway will ever be finished.”
“The dock is our gift to the camp, and it's gonna get finished. That is,” Applejack furrows a glare at Rainbow Dash “if Rainbow Dash would hurry up and bring me more wood.”
“Oh, I can't go any faster!” Rainbow Dash complained, “I don't want to end up in the woods again.”
Just when Sunset arrives with more wood, she feels her cargo shorts buzz. Using all her strength to hold the load in one arm, she turns on her phone. A moment soon after, she drops the wood.
“Don’t have a choice now, Rainbow.” Sunset beckons their attention, “Twilight’s in trouble!”
As the Rainbooms dash into the forest once more, Tempest takes notice and feels the opportunity arises.
The giant rat finishes gnawing through the door, quickly cornering them like a tiger would if the beast was still small. Twilights left hand slowly searches the table before touching something smooth. When she sees the rat preparing to pounce, she grabs Timbers hand with her right hand. In one split second, Twilight pulls Timber away, dodges the rats pounce, then smashes the beaker and chemicals at the beast. As the rat screeches in pain and rubs its face, Twilight and Timber rush outside. But their troubles are just beginning. Many rats are circling around them, some the same morph as the one they just evaded, some naked and pink, and a few dark ones, bulky as cattle. One such of these bulky ones makes it move.
Just when a streak of rainbows collides with the creature and sends it hurdling to a tree. Rainbow Dash rubs her shoulder as one of the naked ones prepares to charge at her before being pulled back on its tail by Applejack and tossed it. When Twilight and Timber weren’t looking, a few of the scrawny rats were actually able to lunge this time but were blocked by a massive, yet flat diamond. With all of her strength, the fashionista sends them flying. By the time Sunset and Pinkie Pie show up, they're surrounded.
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash asks, “can’t you talk to these guys.”
With a gulp, Fluttershy takes a few steps forward and asks, “Um, would you let us go back in peace?”
A bit of silence before one of the bulkier rats let out a slow hiss. Fluttershy takes a few steps back.
“Well?” Sunset questions, aiming her bow. Fluttershy immediately takes cover behind Sunset.
“They said ‘no.’” Fluttershy squeaks before looking at the rat charging right at them.
Rarity conjures up another diamond shield, protecting their front. But big or small, rats are persistent as always. Seeing many of the rats at her right, Rarity stretches her right arm, protecting their three o’clock. But now with her hands full, another pack of the rats go to her left and charge at them. Before they could sink their teeth on them, a giant. hairy hand scoops them up.
The ape is back; before the rats could jump off or crawl down, the gorilla crushes them in his own palm. Tempest shadow arrives in the nick of time. She takes out her camera and aims it at the gorilla as he continues to stamp, slap, smash, and stomp on the rats.
“Oh, great!” Complained Rainbow Dash, “Now we got Magilla to deal with?!”
“Well, looks like Kong’s on our side!” Twilight responds.
“Kong?” The Rainbooms questioned.
“Kong?” Tempest Shadow also question, lowering the camera for a while.
Suddenly, Applejack felt her pants buzz, but when the time she pulls out her phone, a rat barely brushes her, causing her to lose her grip on the phone.
“C’mon,” Timber shouts out, grabbing AJ’s hand before she could grab her phone, “let’s get back across the log!”
Sunset, Pinkie, and Rarity give some cover against the rats wanting some easier prey before being pursued to the forest. The beasts passing the hidden Tempest Shadow without even noticing. The gorilla swatted the rats off his legs like dust on a man’s pants. But the rats continued to pile on him; Kong is now on his hands and knees, dealing with his enemies sharps teeth and nails. As if by some abstract artist, the pile became humanoid in shape. The phone meanwhile, went to voicemail.
“Hey, Applejack,” said Applebloom’s voice, a nervous tone coming from her, “can you or Sunset call back? The reason I’m calling is that the egg ha-” The last words spoken before a rat covered fist smashes the phone.
The Rainbooms, Spike, and Timber reached the log. Sunset kept firing a few, explosive arrows above Rarity’s shield, but even taking down a few rats means nothing. Worse, two of the scrappier rats discovered an opportunity and cut off their retreat. One of them lunged at their unprotected flanks. Applejack catches them by the teeth, using her strength to send them down the dark pit. The rats form a single line, the ones up front gnashing their teeth for the right moment.
The ground starts shaking before Kong crashes through the trees again. He spins around several times than rolls on the ground, making paste of the vermin. In the chaos, his accidentally steps on the end of the log. Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy held on the hanging the log. A little loose amount of Pinkie’s sprinkles spilled on accident sent the two rats on the logs hurtling down the chasm. Timber Spruce was able to grab on a vine and hides in a small alcove. Sunset gripped on Kong’s little toe and watched as the log loses it’s holding and takes everyone with it. Before she could cry in anguish, gripping the toe even tighter made her gasp, and her eyes to glow.
The forest now appears larger, clearly no longer a temperate forest. Sunset’s view spins around wildly before stopping and looks up at the female gorilla. The forest suddenly echoes with panicked hoots and screeching birds. The female puts bring Sunset on her back and run with her troop. Sunset could hear bushes crushed, trees toppled, and car engines. Then a gunshot sends Sunset flying forward; after colliding her view spins around. Unwillingly, Sunset approaches the female gorilla; she touches her body but gets no response. Suddenly she is picked up by the scruff, and brought face to face with a scruffy man of purple and white.
Before she could learn any more, Sunset gets rocked off Kong’s toe. Nothing to grab, nothing to slow her fall, Sunset cried out as her turn came to fall down the chasm.
Timber kept to his alcove while the onslaught of screeches and roars seemed to last forever. Then after one deafening howl, it ceases. Grabbing a vine, he looks down the dark chasm.
“Twilight?” He calls out. It echoes a little, but no response. “Twilight!”
Timber almost loses his footing as a massive shadow looms over him. It doesn’t take him one glance before returning to his hiding spot. Too late for him, as Kong’s arm reaches down and searches for the poor man like a child looking for a toy. When the search gets a little warm, Timber grabs a sharp piece of flint and cuts Kong on the finger. Timber watched the gorilla’s shadow look at his hand before hearing an irritated growl and storms off.
Timber reaches for his pockets; no phone. He groans when he sees a rope lowered in front of him. Defeated, Timber grabs the rope and starts climbing. Living to seek help later is good. Upon grabbing the ledge, he encounters the person helping him: Tempest Shadow.
“Thank you.” Timber panted while climbing on the grass, “We need to-!”
Before even getting the chance, Tempest pins him down and cuffs him.
“What are you doing?!” Timber exclaimed before being brought to his feet.
“There will be help.” Tempest whispers angrily before pushing him forward, “And you will give me answers. Move.”
For however long she was knocked out, Sunset woke up after feeling drips of water on her face. From the look of the sky, it’s the afternoon, perhaps around four-thirty. With a pained groan, she sits up and looks ahead. Twilight gently strokes Spike as she watched Applejack and Rarity were looking up at Rainbow Dash attempting to climb up the chasm. Sadly, the athletes' methods were for naught. Sunset rubs her temples before smelling metal. She looks at her hand, stained with blood. Recalling the faintest memory, the horse in ape’s clothing reaches the back of her head and feels a series of spines that made her head tender.
“Sunset!” Pinkie Pie calls out as she and everyone came up to her, all except for Twilight.
“Oh, thank God you’re alive!” Said Rarity.
“Good thing you patched her up, Rarity” Applejack added, giving the fashionista a pat on the back, “I thought we lost you after that fall.”
Sunset groaned, “Guess no luck getting help so far, huh?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash turns herself around, “I have the scuff marks to prove it.”
“Well,” - Sunset makes herself comfy - “I’m sure Timber will get help.”
“No, he won’t...” Everyone turns to Twilight, “It’s been hours since we fell in, he’s left us. He’s trying to cover his tracks. Midnight Sparkle, she’s-!”
Before Twilight could finish, Sunset grabs twilight’s forearm. The others watched as Sunset gasped and her eyes glowed once again. She recognized the exact point of yesterday, just after the sailboat Derpy and Sandalwood were on crashed into the dock.
“You don't think it was the spirit, do you?!” Said Pinkie
“No,” Twilight said to herself, “it was me.”
The vision flashed again, just yesterday evening when they were decorating their lanterns.
His master takes a deep breath, “I’m scared…”
“About the monsters in the forest?” Spiked questioned, cocking his head.
“Well, that too.” Twilight looks up at the sky, “Sunset said something at camp this to happen. I think it's Midnight Sparkle. She's still part of me, I can feel it even when we left the island. And I think her magic is infecting my friends.”
The puppy places a paw on Twilight, “What are we gonna do?”
“I don't know what I can do.”
Sunset instinctively releases her grip and shakes her head.
“Twilight, there's no Midnight Sparkle.” Sunset does one last head shake, “There's only you.”
"How did you know what she was thinking?” Spike asks, cocking his head.
"When I touched her hand, I could see things. I could understand why you were leaving. The same thing happened while I held onto the gorilla.” - Sunset gradually beamed as the pieces came together - “My new magic...! This is my new magic! This is incredible!”
“Ooh, try me!” - Pinkie Pie hopped up and down - “Try me!”
Not wanting to let her down, Sunset grips Pinkie’s forearm, and the effect happens again. However, instead of seeing a past memory, Sunset was seeing the inner mind of the party planner. Pinkie Pie skipped down a lane in a world of living candy and plush toys, a child’s imagination in its purest form.
“Oooh, Taffy!” Pinky snatches a walking yellow piece of taffy and bites off a huge chunk, completely oblivious to it’s pain.
Sunset lets her go and shakes her head again. “That explains so much.”
“Yep!” Pinkie added, eating an actual piece of taffy.
“See!” Twilight shuffled away from the group, “Now you’re affected!”
"Twilight,” Sunset scoots over to her, and reaches for her, “you have to stop looking at this as a bad thing.”
"Easy for you to say.” Twilight turns her back to her friends, “Magic turned you into something beautiful. But when I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster. I'm just so afraid it's gonna happen again.”
Silence again before Sunset scoots closer.
"Yes, last time I turned into something amazing,” Sunset looks at the others before looking at Twilight once more, “but I've let magic turn me into a monster, too. So if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me.”
Knowing a little more about Sunset got Twilight to turn around.
“As I said before, I can help you, Twilight.” Sunset and Twilight stand up, the former turning to the others again, “We can help you.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash flexes her arm, “we shouldn’t just ditch these powers altogether.”
“Yeah,” Applejack adds, “we would’ve been rat food if not for our powers.”
“I don’t know…” Twilight looks away, “I just don’t know…”
“We can let it go for now.” Sunset looks up at the chasm before looking at Twilight again, “So, Kong? That’s the gorilla’s name?”
“Yeah,” Twilight reached for her backpack, “and that’s not the only thing.”
She pulls out a rainbow-colored apple, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Such a lovely color!” Rarity cooed when Sunset took the apple with the utmost care.
“A zap apple? here?" Sunset commented, getting everyone else puzzled.
“What’s a Zap apple?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Well, from what Princess Twilight told me,” Sunset observes the fruit, “ this fruit grow once in a while at Sweet Apple Acres and are made into a special jam.”
Sunset bit a large chunk of the apple; the right combination of sweet and sour had her mouth water as fast as a well. She passes the fruit to Applejack, who takes another bite. Satisfied with the taste, she then passes it over to Fluttershy.
“Twilight,” Sunset asks of Twilight once more, “where did-?”
Rarity screamed in horror. They all turn around and let up a unified yelp. Swarming around at them are dragonfly nymphs the size of tigers. The girls back away until they run out of space.
“Think you could cast up a shield again?” Whimpered Spike.
“Not for long, deary.” She answers while hugging the wall.
“Well,” Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash picks up a large stick and taps her palm with it, “if I’m kicking the bucket, I’d better kick it up bedrock style.”
The band of girls gathers their courage and raw weaponry they can as the nymphs slowly approach them. The one most front of the swarm extends it’s mouth and snaps at them constantly. But when it just inches from picking at hairless mammal flesh, a large hulking brute crushes it. But it wasn’t a monster, for what monster wears clothes suited for a soldier? Another one joins his comrade as the two take out a flamethrower and burn the swarm. Another soldier drops down, this time with several climbing lines in his hands. After roping each one at the waist, the man tugs at the rope and sends each of them upwards.
Camp Everfree is turned upside down by the time the Rainbooms returned to it. Soldiers like the ones they saw made themselves at home with cases of weapons and armored vehicles. To make room, one vehicle crashes the dock under its treads.
“Aw, come on!” Rainbow Dash wailed before a guard shoved her, “We were almost done with that!”
While the soldiers lead the Rainbooms through the camp, one soldier pulls Sunset away from the group and led her to the cafeteria. A helicopter lands in tune to the soldiers forming two parallel lines. Stepping out was the man Tempest talked over the phone and whom Sunset saw when she first used her powers. He exchanges a glance at each of his subordinates.
“I want search teams at every square inch of this area.” He draws a knife at the second to last soldier, “Any sighting will be reported to me. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir!” They agree, their battle helmets muffling their yells.
“Lightning Strike Coalition Force, move out!” As the men scatter, The Storm Leader comes up to Grubber and smacks the food from his hands, “Where is Tempest Shadow?”
The door closes behind Sunset; the blinds closed, the only source of light being the lamp shining one of the tables and a chair. Uneasy, she sits on the chair. Sunset hears some footsteps from her left before a manilla folder flops on the table. A pair of metal gauntlets opens them up.
“So, Sunset Shimmer. Age seventeen, a student at Canterlot High… No elementary or middle school records, a part-time employee at a sushi buffet. The owner” One of Sunset’s spare arrows is placed on the table, “of an unknown brand of arrows without a permit.”
Sunset furrowed her brow, “Before I answer any of your questions, answer me this.” She leans forward, “There is no EPA Division Six is there? You were just here to flush something out. Just who or what are you guys?”
“You ever heard of the Denham Disaster of nineteen seventy-six?” From the shadows, Tempest waits before Sunset shakes her head, “Neither does the press. For over forty years, my boss has been tracking him down. I brought his hopes up again. My unit is the Lightning Strike Coalition Force. We specialize in hunting down massive unidentified terrestrial organisms.”
“Like Kong.” Sunset leaned forward, “But what does that have to do with me being here?”
A printed photo passed on the table brings the fire-haired teen to focus. In the photo, several spectators panicked as carnivorous vines grew out of several wormholes. One of which biting on a motorcycle with its rider hanging on for dear life. She is puzzled when another photo is brought forth. This one is more familiar. three, aquatic, repto-mammalian beings in a rainbow stream fired by a gigantic, winged, horned horse. The next photo got Sunset straight to home; Someone was able to snap a picture of her as a demon.
“That’s right. I know everything; You may not be massive; Tempest finally shows her face out of her namesake, “But you aren’t human either. And if you want to keep it that way, I suggest you stay out of our business”
Tempest turns on the light, stashes the photos into the folder, and walks for the door. Sunset, wanting more answers, stands up and grabs Tempests forearm. Once more with a gasp and a pair of glowing eyes, Sunset delved into Tempest's mind.
The first thing she sees is the deck of a yacht. In front of her were several small children playing soccer. Assuming this is Tempest in her younger years, Sunset had no choice but to let this play out as the ball passes to her. She puts the ball to her knees, keeping it in the air for a while when the boat unexpectedly tilts at a big angle. Tempest grabs the rail for dear life as the boat rocked back and forth like an amusement park ride. She vomits, then turns her attention to a glowing, boiling part of the ocean. She squints before a bright light flashes at her.
“You’re not fooling anyone when you say that what happened fifteen years ago was a natural disaster.”
When the flash fades over, the setting is completely different. She is in an interrogation office, the right side of her vision. Before her is an officer doing his damnedest to keep her calm.
“No, it wasn’t a hurricane, it wasn’t a typhoon,” Tempest argued; not as deep a voice as she does today, but certainly deep. She stands up, agitated, “I want to talk to the person in charge.”
“Ma’am, we-”
“Not you!” Tempest cuts him off, “I’m done talking to you!” She turns to the one-way mirror, “Yeah, you guys looking at me like I’m in a fish tank! Right? I know what happened on The Lucky Dragon. You keep telling me that part of the ocean was to be a death zone! It’s not, you’re lying. Because what’s really happening is that you’re hiding something out there. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Ms. Berrytwist”
“MY FAMILY DIED THEN!” She screams, “Something killed my family! And I have a right to know! I deserve answers!”
In the present, before Sunset can look any further, Tempest yanks her arm out of the fiery grip. With a furrowed brow, Sunset shakes herself back to reality.
“I know much about you now.” The two glare at each other before the door opens.
“General Tempest,” The soldier grunted, “Boss wants to see you.”
“If you excuse me.” Tempest exits the cafeteria and walks left. Sunset exits soon after, walking to her right.
“Berrytwist.” Sunset mutters under her frustrated breath, “I wonder what her first name is.”
“I just wish you didn't tell them that ridiculous story!”
Hearing Gloriosa’s voice next door raised Sunset’s suspicions even further. She presses her ear against the door.
"Ah, this is all too much for you!” - She now hears Timber’s voice - “You have to let it go!”
"I knew it! He wants her to get rid of the camp!” Sunset hugged the walls as Timber Spruce stormed out of the office. She takes a few glances with some of the Coalition Force before turning away from the corner. But in the process, she bumps with someone.
"Sunset Shimmer?” She looks up; it was Flash Sentry holding the last of his bags, one last trip to the bus, “What were you doing behind that door?”
"What? Um, nothing!” She looks at the ground, “I, um, lost an earring.”
This didn’t remotely fool the blue-haired teen, “Come on, Sunset. We used to date. I know when something's bothering you.”
Defeated, Sunset sighs, glaring at passing Tempest Shadow talking with her commanding officer.
"Okay, here's the deal. There’s a gigantic gorilla running around the forest, along with a bunch of mutants. I have a feeling someone is involved and my friend really likes that someone, but I don't think that someone is who she thinks they are. I don't wanna upset my friend by telling her what I think, because I also want to protect her, because if what I think is happening is really happening, then she deserves to know. You know?”
"Nnnno.” Flash scratches his head before he felt SUnset’s hand on his shoulder.
“Look, whatever happens, just look out for the others.” Sunset notices Timber Spruce sneaking into the forest, “I’ll be right back.”
"Hey, before you go.” Flash stayed in Sunset’s way, “I really wanted to thank you.”
"For what?”
"For the tough love.” Flash puts his hands in his pockets, “Telling me I should get over Twilight. I needed to hear that.”
"Sure,” In this bad time, Sunset does curl up a little smile, “no problem.”
She follows Timber through the deep forest. When she felt the earth shake, she stepped out-of-the-way of a moving tank. Worried that she lost Timber, Sunset looked around before catching a passing glimpse of red flesh. The hunt leads her to a new sight: a mountain cave stood just beyond a large clearing. Even from her distance, Sunset can see a red glow in the mouth of the cave with a strange hum, and feel something growing… The first time since she left the island...
“That’s it,” Sunset pulls out her phone, “time to make a house call!”
Twilight was just about finished packing her belongings when she felt her pants buzz. She shuffles through her settings and reads the text carefully. Her faithful companion hopped on the bed and cocks his head.
"It's Sunset. She says to meet her by the rock quarry.”
"I thought we weren't supposed to go there.” Spike retorted with a raised brow.
"She says it's important!” Twilight reaches into the drawer and pulls out a map. Seeing the icon of the quarry due north of the camp, she and Spike sneak out from the camp to the very forbidden spot.
“What is that?” Suddenly, Twilight is pulled back to the forest. She struggles a bit before being shushed by Sunset placing her hand over her mouth. Calming herself, Twilight peaks from behind the bush, “What's going on down there?”
"I think it's Gaea Everfree.” Sunset answers, peaking from the bush as well, “Or rather, someone who wants us to think she's back.”
The two look around before entering the clearing. From her peripherals, Twilight notices Sunset stopping and turns around. Sunset was kneeling, analyzing the grass like a detective at a murder scene.
“Did you see any footprints before we walked out here?”
Twilight cocked her head, raising a brow before the ground shakes. The footing Sunset stood slowly rose. Sunset herself quickly jumped off just as the earth tore apart. One, then three, then eight striped spires supported two massive sections; the one facing them now having a mouth full of venomous fangs. Its intentions were clear when it made a chirping and hooting sound.
“And me without my weapons!” Sunset cursed before she, Twilight and Spike made a break for the forest. But the green clearing was becoming white with silk and slowed them to a halt. Fear gripped the purple ace student. It’s a popular hypothesis that spider silk is as strong as steel. Spike took in a mouthful, spitting it out before biting another mouthful of fluff. The spider inched closer, protruding a small stinger.
But before it can have its appetizer, the giant arachnid is suddenly lifted in the air. Upon looking up, the girls see the giant gorilla holding it up by the abdomen before tossing it into the woods. With a few pounds on his chest, the ape advances forth and inspects the fallen creature. It notices the mandibles are still moving, making a faint chirping sound as the fangs bang each other. Lifting on the giant legs, the gorilla stoops down to investigate further.
The girls approach the clearing when they see the ape stand upright all of a sudden. Howling, he turns around with one hand placed on his eye. The tarantula flips over, spins around, and pounces on the mammal. Though blinded on one eye, the gorilla swiftly pushes the foe with his feet. The spider flips over again, aims its mandibles at the gorilla and fires webbing.
“Spiders can’t do this!” asks Sci-Twi.
The silk poured at the gorilla like a furious snowstorm. As it stuck to the grass and trees, the beast too became bonded. He struggles to break free, but he couldn't even move his great arms by one bit. The arachnid seizes its tempest and approaches him.
“Twilight,” Sunset turns to Twilight, “you need to use your power!”
“What, no! I-”
Sunset groans before running over to the spider, draws her knife from the scabbard and plunges it in one of the legs. The spider spins around and snares them in another web net.
With more time bought, the gorilla applies more of his strength and breaks his bonds. He grabs a rock and throws it at the spider’s carapace. If spiders can show emotion, the eight-legged freak rapidly spun around again and shoots a stream of webbing. The gorilla takes a step to the left, grabs the stream and starts spinning around. The spider starts losing its grip and is slowly but surely lifted off the ground. The gorilla spun faster and faster before the force of the swinging snapped the silk in two and sent the spider flying into the wild blue yonder.
In the meantime, Spike was doing his part to free his friends, but his best result is a mouth full of silk. Still, it was enough for Sunset and Sci-Twi to crawl out the web, though some of it clung like a raincoat. But they’re in the shadow of the great ape once again, scowling at them. He kneels, hands forward and nostrils flaring. But the gorilla wasn’t sniffing them like… well, what Spike would, rather just breathing. He focuses his eyes on Sunset and brings his right paw forward. Sunset knows of this behavior and approaches him. Her hand, so tiny compared the apes, strokes the scarred paw before gripping a finger, and activates her power.
Sunset now sees herself in a gray interior with white markings on the wall; a hanger, perhaps.
“Okay, Kong!” Sunset’s view pans down to a blonde girl around Sweetie Belle’s age, “Wanna pile the blocks?”
As the little girl puts a block on the floor, a massive hand reaches out and gently lifts her. Just no bigger than his thumb, the girl hugs said thumb. The ape quickly turns his head to the left; a group of scientists walks across the hall.
“Prof. Denham, Kong’s growth has accelerated in the past three years.” One of the Scientists talks, “Perhaps interaction with your daughter has stimulated the growth.”
“Nonsense, the gorilla’s reaching full maturity,” Denham flicks his pen at them, “it’s only expected that he’d grow.”
The vision brightens, then fades to the same area, but things appear… panicked. The gorilla’s view shifts rapidly left to right as he slowly pulls forward.
“Use the chloroform!” Shouts one of the scientists.
A large jug is flung and smashed on his face, filling the view with a noxious fume. It seems to take its toll on the gorilla as he collapses on the floor.
“No!” The view turns up, the girl struggles, “No, let him go!”
“Get her out of here!” Shouts a familiar face as he throws another jug that crashes underneath the beasts’ face.
“No, let me go! You can’t take him! No! Stop!”
Just when the vision gets blurry, the gorilla suddenly gets a burst of energy. With enough force, he breaks his bonds and crushes a few interlopers. After turning around, he feels a pain in his chest. He rubs his chest with two fingers and sniffs something of metal; for the first time, he saw blood. And he’s not happy. He charges at them all, smashing the hanger, trampling security, before spotting two armored cars. Ones of the security officers in the car, with a hint of luck, manages to land a shot at the gorilla’s ankles. The beast staggers then collapse to his knees. A helicopter is heard to his left as he crawls forward. Before he could come any closer, something smashes at the gorilla’s face. At first, swinging his head wildly, he finds his vision starting to blur, slowly, but surely collapsing. He takes one last look at his weeping friend, before closing his eyes, resting his head on his arm.
“We're millionaires, boys….” Professor Denham's voice fades out as the gorilla drifts to deep sleep. After what seems like forever, his ears pick up noises again. “He was king in the world he knew, but he comes to you now a captive. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!”
The vision opens again, somehow, the gorilla is moved over to another hanger, in front of an audience with ball gowns and business suits. Chief among them is a younger Storm Leader, standing as surprised as the people around him. Yet again, the gorilla is just as stupefied as they are as he shifts his head slowly.
“Do not fear. These chains are made of chrome steel. Behold…” The gorilla turns his head to his right, seeing Denham with his hand on his fur, “I am touching the beast.”
A little shrug from the mammal made the audience gasp. A moment after, the gorilla feels his arms lifted off the ground. A moment after, men and women climb up the stage, cameras on hand and start taking pictures. The gorilla tries to look away from the flashes but to no avail. His roar startles the crowd again.
“Let him roar.” Denham’s voice encourages more photos.
But as the roar becomes serious, even he is put on edge. Kong now musters all he can on his right arm; the creaking of the chain gets even Denham on edge. With a crack of a shackle, and the splintering of wood, the gorilla is free, he is flapping free. The guests scream in terror and flee towards the exits. Kong breaks the other shackle and leaps forward, crushing a few of those unfortunate to escape. With several slams of his mighty fists, the hangar gate is bent in two and he is outside once more.
But there is one more obstacle, or to say, obstacles, in the way. Helicopters, each packing a Gatling gun, circle around him like vultures.
“Storm Leader to Lightning Coalition!” He rings through the PA system, “All available personnel. FIRE. AT. WILL.”
The helicopters start firing rounds like their namesake on a bad day. Kong shields his face from the sharp pellets of lead, twisting his upper body back and forth as the helicopters circle around. The gorilla notices one of them going straight at him, jumps, and punches straight at its cockpit. After the vehicle crashes and burns, Kong slaps his chest with both arms.
One of the helicopters shoots at his back, but it didn’t get far when it’s grabbed by the tail routers. The spinning blades break apart, cuts Kong’s palm, and grounding the helicopter.
“Storm 5, this is Storm Leader.” The intercom ring again, “Storm 9 is down, I repeat, Storm 9 is down! One click north of warehouse! Send recovery team, over!”
A helicopter hovers over the crash site, one of the soldiers drop down via cable.
“This is Storm 5, we have men going out the door!”
The soldier makes it to the crash site, pulls out an unconscious warrior before a hairy foot makes that permanent for the both of them. The gorilla turns his attention to a passing helicopter and gives chase, while another pursues him. Another helicopter charges forth, firing from the front turret. In a feat of great agility, Kong jumps over the helicopter, leading it to crash headlong into the helicopter giving chase.
Upon landing, Kong stands up and gives the remaining helicopters a mean scowl as they give him a wide berth.
“Kong!” A new, more familiar voice over the PA has the ape turn his attention to a warehouse. The same woman from before stood in front of a hanger holding the comm. He approaches her with two giant steps when a shower of bullets hits his right shoulder. Before it gets past him, Kong twists his body, then smacks the helicopter out of the sky. The vehicle collides with a tank, forcing it’s gun barrel to turn over at the very hanger the young woman remained, and fired before she could even see it.
The beast is awestruck. All this great strength, and yet he’s still powerless. In a short while, Kong’s fear becomes anger. When a helicopter flies by, the gorilla jumps and smashes it with both of his great fists. He grabs a CH-47F Chinook and slams it to a passing helicopter. He turns over to one of the downed helicopters, races at it and tosses it at another airborne helicopter.
He continues his rage, grabs a helicopter before it could even take off, twists it in two, and slams both pieces on the asphalt. Between the flames, Kong gives a firm glare at the person out of several hundred. The Storm Leader, his eyes just as fiery as the creature that exacted his rage. Kong furrows his brow even further before letting out a deafening, mournful howl.
Sunset shakingly takes her hand off; taking all this in had her clench her fists, sniffling and tearing up. Sci-Twi wraps her arms around her friend before looking up at the upright ape. Whatever happened when the two touched each other, it’s seemed to unpleasant to Sci-Twi as well. Sunset gives in and cries on her friend’s arm.
Suddenly, sounds like that of thunder echoes the forest. From the gorilla’s perspective, he can see parts of the forest set ablaze by explosions via helicopters. He bellows and storms off towards the fire. Sunset collects herself just in time to see the top of the gorilla disappear into the forest.
“You still want to go inside?” Spike uttered, his paw on Sunset’s sneaker.
“Yeah,” She sniffled, wiping her eyes before taking out her phone, “But first…”
The rest of the campers just finished packing their bags. Fluttershy is the first to notice something off.
“Where’s Sunset and Twilight?” She muttered.
“Spike’s missing too.” Rarity Added when her phone buzzes in her pockets. By the time she brings it in front of her, she notices everyone else holding up their phones.
Save Kong. Save Camp Everfree.
The text message got everyone to look at each other before looking up. Helicopters hover over them, getting a considerable distance before dropping bombs again. The students look at the bus, then back to the forest, then they look at each other before looking at their principals.
Celestia gives a nod.
Hovering over one unburned part of the forest, the soldiers prepare another payload when they are suddenly jerked to a halt and pulled back. It was so fast that several soldiers are sent flying out of the helicopter. One holds on the handlebar in one hand and a radio in the other.
“Mayday! Mayday!” He exclaims as the helicopter is brought over by none other than Kong, “We are under attack! Repeat, we are under-!”
The soldier couldn’t keep grip any longer and falls straight into the gaping, roaring maw of the great ape.
Having sucked up her sadness, Sunset, Twilight, and Spike squeeze between two large rocks and enter the cave.
"Whoa…”
Whoa indeed. Lined along the walls are red gems; in the dim light, the gems illuminated the cave in a warm red glow.
"This place is beautiful.” Twilight complemented, rubbing her hand along the gem-encrusted wall.
"There's Equestrian magic here.” She rubs her forehead for this newfound exposure made her feel warm, “I can... I can feel it.”
Sunset brings her right arm out, stopping Twilight and Spike. Ahead of them were seven pillars in the moonlight, five of which have holes and the other two having a red and purple gem in each.
“Twilight, what was in that house?” Sunset asked of Twilight.
“Well, there was broken glass with bloody baby footprints,” Twilight's mention of a child’s blood on broken glass got Sunset to turn around, “and there was a journal that talks about some compound… Regenerator G-1 it’s called, and something about…” Twilight leaned at Sunset, “cloning.”
“Cloning?” Sunset warbled
“Wait,” Spike trotted and stood between them, “I thought you said Timber was just faking there was a magical nature creature. Are you saying it's real?”
"Timber?” Twilight squinted at her friend; she does believe that he brought help, albeit not the best kind, “What does he have to do with any of this?”
"Nothing.” Whispers a soft voice, before the person walked into the moonlight, “It's all me.”
"Gloriosa?” Sunset startled herself as Gloriosa gave a big smile, one a customer would find creepy, “But... Timber. I was sure he was the one trying to make it seem like Gaea Everfree was back. It was you who was trying to scare everyone away?”
"I would never try to scare anyone away from Camp Everfree.” Gloriosa chided, shoving Sunset and Twilight aside as she walks over towards the pillar.
Sunset would have none of this, and so grabs Gloriosa’s forearm, activating her power.
The first vision she sees is of a man working on an experiment in a cleaned up version of the lab.
“Hey, Peach Blossom,” He asks, not taking his eyes away from his microscope, “can you fetch the specimen from the basement?”
This Peach Blossom, very similar to Gloriosa Daisy, walks into the basement. However, human error proved to be at its worse, as an exposed power cable touches the wet floor. The scientist hears it before he finds lights flashing in the basement.
“Peach Blossom!?” He exclaims.
The vision flashes and fades. The scientist now looks as if he hasn’t slept in days as he analyses something from an enclosed canister. Beside him was a rose in a vase, the same one Twilight saw. “I must work fast…”
The vision flashes again, but this time, there is a fight going on. The scientist thrashed about in the hands of men clad in black, bulletproof suits. In the struggle, shelves get shoved and their glassware fall on the floor.
“Damn you!” He curses.
The vision flashes again, this time, in a dark forest as a little girl, once again very similar to Gloriosa was wandering aimlessly through the forest. She whimpers, wiping a tear from her eyes. When she walks over to a line of dried and painted tar, her sensitive eyes are greeted by an oncoming light. She shields her eyes when feels a warm, gentle touch.
“My god! Are you okay?” Asks of the woman, “where are your parents?”
The child doesn’t answer, but her overall condition is enough for the woman to take her to her car.
“Timber, help buckle her up.” She asks before moving to her driver's seat.
The boy, a much younger Timber Spruce, helps buckle her up.
“Hi!” He greets, “I’m Timber Spruce. What’s your name?”
The vision flashes once more. Sometime near today, this very child has grown up and wandered around the forest once more. She notices a stream of magic and follows it. she comes across the glowing cave, finding more of the gems that she now wears around her neck. As she walks around the forest yet again before stumbling upon an abandoned grove of apple trees. She can tell that they’ve seen better days when she plucks a rotten apple from its stem. Dropping it to the floor somehow caused the gems to glow. The seeds in the fruit seep into the ground, and grow into a new tree in an instant, and bore the zap apples.
The vision flashes again; a little elbow grease has replaced the old trees with those bearing zap apples. And has made an attraction to nearby towns.
“Thank you all for coming!” Gloriosa spoke through a bullhorn, “Make sure you place the apple cores in the buckets and be sure to donate!”
Timber notices the glow coming off the gems and raises a brow.
“We would love this lovely spot to stay around,” She continues, “ for you and your children only at Camp Everfree!”
The fruit flies made dinner on what’s left of the flesh, consequently making them bigger. The vision flashes once more to sometime after the “open house.” The aftermath in their office brought a different sense of atmosphere as the two argued.
“You don't know what those things are!” Timber argues, pointing at his sister’s necklace.
"But I know what they can do! They’ve helped us pay off our debt!” Gloriosa counters him, tapping at the folder containing the financial documents, “ Since then, I've been practicing! I can control their power now!”
"You don't know that for sure!” Timber slaps a newspaper on the desk. The headliner, marked in red ink, has a blurry photo of a gigantic shrew with a cow in his mouth. His sister is still indifferent about this and pushes it away
“This again?” Gloriosa scoffed.
The vision flashes once more, to just yesterday, before everything started to unfurl. Seeing Derpy and Sandalwood on a sailboat with no wind would hurt their reputation, Gloriosa looks around before activating the magic. However, Kong’s massive howl ruined her focus, sending the two crashing into the dock, destroying it.
After another flash, Gloriosa and Timber argued once again in their office.
“They’re here because of monsters running about!” Timber yelled, pointing the occupied outside world, “What did you want me to do?!”
"Well, I just wish you didn't tell them that ridiculous story!” Gloriosa yelled back.
“Well, I couldn’t blame you if you were using magic all over the place!” Timber slams his fist on the desk. “You’re lucky I didn’t tell them anything about that!”
Gloriosa seemed indifferent this time, and so put the final nail in the coffin.
"Ah, this is all too much for you! You have to let it go!”
This was the last memory Sunset saw before Gloriosa yanked her arm from the grip. Sunset shakes her head once more.
"Timber wasn't talking about letting go of the camp. He was talking about you letting go of the magical geodes!” Sunset stepped forward, The fruit. The monsters. Ever you since you used them, you’ve caused problems for everyone!”
"How do you know what I was doing with the geodes?” Gloriosa hissed, “How do you know about the magic?”
"I can see things. Feel things.” Sunset points to herself, “Because I have magic, too. And so does she. And so do our friends.”
The camp manager shook before screaming, “It’s that damn monkey's fault! If he didn’t make a mess of things, none of this wouldn’t happen!”
“It wasn’t his fault!” Sunset retorts, “he was taken from his home and experimented on by the same company your father was with before trying to bring you back from the dead!”
“What?!” Gloriosa stepped back, “You’re saying I’m a zombie?!”
“The point is Gloriosa, Timber wasn't wrong.” Twilight adds, “Maybe you should stop using magic. Too much of it can be dangerous if you can't control it.”
“Oh, I got this. I’ll kill that ape, and I'm going to save my camp.” She takes one step closer to the pillars, “I just need more power!”
"No!” Before the three can do anything, Gloriosa snares them in vines. Spike instinctively gnaws at his binds.
"Sorry, girls. I know what I need to do.” She pats Sunset’s cheeks, “But I feel like we're not on the same page. So…”
"Gloriosa! No!"They shouted too late as Gloriosa grabs the last two crystals. Red and violet sparks shimmy around her body. The magic raises her up; it becomes too much for her to handle and she screams a horrid scream that makes her prisoner's stomach’s curl. The sparks and screams cease and the body flops to the floor. A moment of silence save for the water drops. Spike creeps over to the limp body and starts pawing her.
“Uhm... Gloriosa?” When Spike pulls her face to him, Gloriosa’s eyes shoot open, but they only showed white. The puppy whimpered as her body twitched before bending forward with a loud snap of her bones. As Gloriosa came into shape, to put it nicely, her arms and legs began to buldge before she became larger. Sunset and Sci-Twi become horrified as the camp manager’s shadow becomes… inhuman.