Wyatt removed the battery from the laptop that Celestia had given him. It was a recent model. At least recent from the time he had been displaced. Not that it mattered anyway, the internet was a long way from existing in Equestria. He held out the battery towards Twilight, who was wearing a labcoat and had her mane done up in a bun.
“Okay, so we need to figure out a way to charge this, or how to replace it with something we can make work with the laptop,” he said.
Taking the battery from him, she turned it over in her hands. “We’re going to have to be careful. I might be able to charge it with magic, but it’ll take a bit. If I do too high a voltage, it’ll probably damage it.”
“We might also need to take into account that it’s lost the ability to hold a charge,” Wyatt noted, putting on a pair of goggles and offering Twilight her own. “This stuff wasn’t exactly made to last for thousands of years.”
Twilight giggled, putting the goggles on. “Which is why Princess Celestia put a preservation spell on it.” Lighting her horn up, she held the battery up. “I’ll start at a low charge, and we’ll go from there.”
Wyatt rubbed the side of his head. “Is there anything you guys can’t do with magic?” he asked as arcs of electricity danced around Twilight’s horn.
Leaning back on a table, he watched in hesitant anticipation as the electricity arced from Twilight’s horn and struck the battery. There wasn’t any violent reaction from it, so he took that as a good sign.
Several minutes passed before Twilight cut the electricity, wiping her forehead. “Okay, that should be enough.” She took a breath, steadying herself. “Let's see if it worked, shall we?”
“Can do, Twilight,” he said, taking the battery from her and putting it back into the laptop. He then flipped open the screen and motioned for Twilight to come take a look. “Alright Twi, you wanna see some human tech and entertainment?” With that he pressed the power button.
“Yes!” She rushed over, gripping his shoulders. Peering over his shoulder, she let out a squee as the screen lit up.
He chuckled at her excitement, a smile on his lips as it spread to him. He clicked on a profile labelled Kuuga. He found it odd for a moment that there was no real name but quickly forgot it when rows of programs flashed onto the screen. A few caught his eye, it seemed that Kuuga frequented Steam quite a bit if the amount of game icons were anything to go by.
“Everything seems to be working,” Wyatt informed, glancing at Twilight with a smile. “We got everything Kuuga had when he brought it here. Just not the internet.”
“I really wish I could try out the internet,” Twilight said, pouting slightly as her eyes roved over the screen. “The way you described it makes it sound so fascinating.” She then glanced at him. “It’s we’ve got by the way. “We got” is grammatically incorrect.”
“Don’t be a grammar Nazi,” Wyatt chided, flicking her nose. Turning back to the computer, he opened a few of the folder. “Hey this is interesting.” Spotting a rather intriguing picture, he opened it, displaying it on the screen. “I had no idea Celestia had pink hair.”
“Whoa, this must’ve been taken when Celestia was still new to being a princess,” Twilight observed, ignoring his other comment. She then pointed to a pair of humans standing next to her. “They must be Kuuga and Agito.”
“You’re right.” Wyatt’s eyes moved to the pair, taking in every detail he could. Judging by their matching features, it was obvious the pair were twins, though one had a dent in his skin, just under his right eye.
“I think we should show Daring this laptop. I’m sure she’d like to see the photo,” Twilight offered, scrutinizing the photo herself. “In any case,we still need to keep this thing charged. Based on how you described the charging processes, I should be able to make a magic generator and a converter.”
“Sounds pretty good to me,” Wyatt said, turning to Twilight with a smile. “Thanks for helping me with this.”
Twilight blushed, rubbing her neck. “It’s like giving you a piece of your home back. I wasn’t going to say no.”
Wyatt chuckled, poking her snout. “Especially when it gives you something to study.” Standing up, he gave her a quick hug. “Seriously though, thanks. This means a lot to me.”
Twilight returned it, a warm smile on her face. “Always happy to help a friend. Now, you need to go and get your Kuuga pictures.” She playfully nudged him towards the door. “I’ll stay here and get some designs started on the generator.”
“I can’t wait,” he told her, letting her push him through the door. “I’ll be sure to get some good shots. Gotta make the papers happy.” Finding himself back in the library, Wyatt took a minute to breathe. “Alright, let’s get this done. Gotta get pictures of Spider-Man.”
He clapped his hands together, grabbed his camera and walked out into town. He noticed that ponies were parading through the streets and singing, but chalked it up as something Pinkie had cooked up. Deciding not to question the odd event, he walked by, heading to the forest.
Once he was sure he was alone, he summoned his driver, placing it on his waist. After a few moments, he was in Kuuga’s Mighty form. He examined himself, getting a feel for the transformation. Power coursed through him, more than he had felt in any other transformation so far.
“Alright,” he spoke, psyching himself up. “Just gotta set the timer and do some cool poses. Not that hard.” He tested out a few poses, trying to make it look like he was in the middle of a fight with a monster. Once he was satisfied, he tied the strap of the camera to a tree branch and adjusted the settings on his camera. He waited until the last second before striking one of the poses he had practiced. The camera flashed, indicating that it had captured the pose.
Repeating this for some time, he grew more and more confident in his task. Which led to more and more elaborate poses. He even tried out the Titan and Dragon forms for a few of his poses, making sure to keep his weapons in frame.
Panting softly, he dropped out of his last pose. “That should be enough.” Reverting to human form, he took a moment to catch his breath. “Geez, all I did was pose a bit. Kuuga must have been exhausted after battle.”
At the mention of exhaustion, Wyatt’s stomach made itself known, loudly demanding that he eat. “Alright, guess it’s time to eat.” Retrieving his camera, Wyatt made his way into town, noting the singing and dancing had ended.
He ignored that, trying to weigh his options. Most of the restaurants town didn’t serve any substantial dishes that contained foods he could actually digest. Sighing, he reminded himself to ask Fluttershy for help making a meal with fish in it. He idly wondered if she had the ingredients to make sushi. He changed his course to put him on the path towards the pegasus’s cottage, planning on developing the pictures once he had his meal.
He made it about halfway through town before spotting Pinkie singing and dancing around what looked like a middle-aged donkey man. The only word Wyatt could use to describe him was cranky. He was clearly not amused by Pinkie’s song and dance routine.
Deciding to come to the man’s rescue, Wyatt made his way over. “So, Pinkie,” he became, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. “Who's this fine gentleman?” Holding his hand out, Wyatt put on a disarming smile. “I’m Wyatt, Ponyville’s resident human.”
“The name’s Cranky Doodle Donkey,” the donkey grumbled, reluctantly accepting Wyatt’s handshake. “Not to be rude, but you’re an odd looking, fella.”
“None taken.” Wyatt shook his head. “Anyone here would look pretty odd back where I’m from.” Turning to Pinkie, he put a firm edge to his voice. “Alright Pinkie, I take it you’ve just greeted Mr. Donkey into town. I think we should let him get on his way.”
Pinkie deflated slightly, freezing mid-dance move. “But I haven’t gotten him to smile yet. Let alone made him my friend.”
“Pinkie, you can’t force these things.” Wyatt shock his head. A sudden mental image appeared in his mind, with Pinkie wearing Gentaro’s school uniform. Snickering at the image, he relented slightly. “Maybe you could schedule a little get together for Mr. Donkey.”
Pinkie cheered up again, nodding vigorously. “Yeah, that sounds fun!” she agreed, turning to Cranky. “I could help you unpack your cart there or even bake you some tasty treats!”
“Pinkie.” Wyatt pinched his nose. “Maybe he wants to get settled in by himself?” Giving Cranky a nervous smile, he pulled Pinkie closer. “Seriously Pinkie, tone it down. Not everyone can handle you going full blast on them.”
Pinkie deflated slightly again before nodding. “Okay.” She turned back to Cranky. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just wanted you to know that you had friends in your new home.” With a hopeful smile, she continued. “I usually throw parties for every new pony that comes to town!” She took in a deep breath to prepare for a tirade, when she saw Wyatt shake his head. Letting it go, she dialed it back. “I could throw something together for you. Something small if you don’t like crowds.”
Cranky sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll think about it. For now, I just want to settle into my new house. And apology accepted.”
Pinkie took another deep breath, giving him a more tempered smile. “Thanks! If you ever stop by Sugar Cube Corner, I’ll give you a nice treat on the house!”
Cranky nodded his head, grabbing the handle on a large cart filled to the brim with personal belongings. “If you have cranberry orange muffins and coffee then I might take you up on that offer,” he said nonchalantly, starting to pull his cart.
“Nice job, Pinkie,” Wyatt complemented, watching Cranky walk off.
Pinkie pulled Wyatt into a tight hug, bouncing on her hooves. “You’re being too nice, Wy-Wy. That only went well because you helped keep me from coming on too strong.”
Wyatt stumbled a bit, returning her hug. “You just need to remember, you can be a bit overwhelming at times. Just remind yourself that, not everyone can handle you at full Pink levels.”
Pinkie giggled at that, snorting every now and then as she ended the hug. “I love that! Pink levels. I’m so using that from now on!” She got into a pose, acting like she was talking into a walkie talkie. “Ensign, dial Pink levels down to half capacity!”
Wyatt snorted, giving her a playful shove. “Just remember, from one pink ranger to another; too much pink energy is dangerous.”
“Of course! The morphing grid can’t handle two sets of identical powers. Eventually, one of them would be destroyed,” she said, an innocent smile on her face.
Wyatt stared at her for a moment. “You know, Pinkie, sometimes you scare me.” Recovering from the bizarre statement, he smiled slightly. ”I was going to head to Fluttershy’s for some fish. You wanna come?”
Pinkie hopped over to his side, nodding. “Of course! I can’t say no to hanging out with a friend after they helped me out!”
The pair started to walk, with Wyatt nodding along to Pinkie’s chatter. He didn’t mind, she was good company, and always made him feel welcome. There was something to be said about her bubbliness. It was like she was stuck in the mindset of a little kid on Christmas.
The two made it to Fluttershy’s, who was more than happy to help feed Wyatt. The meal passed by with Pinkie and Wyatt discussing how to best deal with Cranky subtly. Fluttershy even offered her two bits which the pink party mare greatly appreciated.
With a spring in her step, Pinkie bounced home, mind racing with ideas on how to make Cranky feel welcome. She greeted her pet alligator, Gummy with a pat on the head and bounced out of her clothes and into her pajamas before climbing into her bed.
“Tomorrow's gonna be a great day, Gummy!” Pulling him into bed, she cuddled him like a teddy bear. “Just you wait and see!”
A few days later, Pinkie was manning the counter of Sugarcube Corner a smile on her face as she arranged the baked goods behind the display. Her ears perked up when she heard the front door open and had to contain her excitement when she saw that it was Cranky walking in.
Pinkie gave a smile, waving him over. “Hello, Mr. Dandie. How are you liking Ponyville so far? Pretty friendly place, huh?”
Cranky nodded, walking up to the counter. “The air’s clean, ponies are friendly, and my bed’s comfy, that’s all I need out of a town and home right now,” he replied, putting an elbow on the counter.
“That’s all anypony really needs.” Pinkie smiled, kneeling behind the counter. She stood back up, holding out a muffin. “One cranberry orange muffin, on the house!”
Cranky blinked, taking the offered pastry. “You remember what I wanted from days ago?”
Pinkie opened the register, dropping a few bits in. “Parties are my thing. I keep everyones likes and dislikes memorized, in case any party needs comes up!”
Cranky chuckled, a ghost of a smile on his face. “You’re more attentive than you let on. I bet you’ll make a special somepony very happy if you don’t already have one.” He took a bite of his treat, licking his lips. “Mmm, tasty muffin.”
“Thanks! I made all the muffins today.” Pinkie leaned on the counter, pleased by his semi-smile. “Anything else you want to order?”
“A cup of coffee,” he replied automatically. “Three cream and sugar packets on the side.”
“Coming right up!” Pinkie turned,zipping around the backroom. “Here ya go!” She pushed the steam cup towards him, putting three sugar packs next to it. “Anything else?”
“That should be everything, Pinkie,” Cranky assured, digging in his pocket for bits. “I don’t have a bottomless pit for a stomach like I used to.” He place them on the counter, taking a sip from his cup. “Mmm, good coffee too.”
“Can’t say we have the best baked goods in town if we can’t pair it with good coffee!” Pinkie replied, taking his bits and placing them in the register. “Though, the Cakes said I shouldn’t have it anymore after I tried it for the first time.”
“I can see why,” Cranky muttered into his cup.
Pinkie chuckled weakly, quickly busying herself by wiping the counter. “Anyway, I’m glad you like the muffin and coffee.” She bit her lip, wracking her brain for a change of subject. “How’s the unpacking going? Got your house to feel like a home yet?”
Cranky grunted, taking another bite of his muffin. “It’s adequate. Nice and quiet, just the way I like it.”
Pinkie nodded, an idea popping into her head. “Ooh, I think I know something that could make it better.” She disappeared beneath the counter for a moment and popped back up with color swatches. “Rarity talked to me about how to use colors to effect a pony,” she giggled and pointed the swatches at him, “or donkey in your case’s mood. Sounds like you’re in the mood for relaxation.” She flipped through the swatches and held up a light grey, white and blue swatch. “Painting rooms like this can help with that if you want.” She winced. “Um, am I being too Pinkie again?”
“As long as you aren’t singing or dancing or talking way too fast, this is fine.” Cranky leaned in, inspecting the swatch. “You know, that’s not bad. I think you might be onto something.”
Pinkie sighed in relief before smiling. “I used it in my own room!” She giggled and showed off the canary yellow and sky blue swatches. “I couldn’t resist the colors from my cutie mark and now I always wake up to something that makes me smile. I could help you with the painting if you want.”
Cranky hummed for a moment, looking into his cup. “Alright, little lady, you can help. But!” He held his hand up, giving her a hard look. “No signing, no dancing, no bouncing. I have a lot of things I’d rather not have broken.”
“Of course!” Pinkie agreed, nodding her head. “I know how to be a good houseguest.” She frowned for a moment. “Umm, is humming okay? I don’t know if I can promise no humming.”
“That’s fine, just not too loud,” Cranky conceded.
Pinkie saluted, a smile on her face. “You won’t have to worry about me being loud. The Ensign will have my Pink Level set to minimum capacity.” Giggle snorting, Pinkie moved off, taking care of another customer.
Cranky shook his head. “That mare’s cute, but too crazy for her own good,” he commented, taking a sip of his coffee. “Pinkie, stop by my place after work and we’ll get started. It’s out near the whitetail woods.”
“I’ll be there!” she assured, taking multiple orders.
Cranky grunted, rising from his seat and taking his leave. The end of her shift couldn’t come fast enough for Pinkie. She went over the advice she had been given by Wyatt and Fluttershy, psyching herself up.
“I’ll be back later, Mrs and Mr. Cake!” Pinkie called, hanging up her apron. “I’m gonna go help a friend do some painting! I’ll be back later tonight!”
“Have fun, dearie!” Mrs. Cake called back, scrubbing the kitchen with her husband.
Pinkie stepped out of the bakery, stretching her limbs out. Humming a soft tune, she bounced through town, waving at various ponies along the way. She decided to get all her bouncing out of the way considering her new friend had told her she wasn’t allowed to do it within his home. Pinkie had helped friends move before, and despite Cranky’s limitations, she was certain she could make it a fun time. She kept Wyatt’s advice in mind, keeping herself contained so she wouldn’t annoy the donkey. Though she did plan on asking him a few questions. Since he seemed to be all for relaxation, maybe he was the type to enjoy board games?
Slowly down to normal walking speed, she spied Cranky’s house coming into view. Pinkie stopped at the door, taking in a deep breath. “Remember, Pink levels at minimum,” she muttered to herself, knocking on the door. “Mr. Cranky, it’s me Pinkie.”
It only took a few moments for Cranky to answer the door. He was in an old jumpsuit and the floor was covered in tarps. “Glad you could make it, I’ve got everything ready for us.” Stepping away from the door, he gestured for her to come in.
She thanked him and slowly stepped into the house. “So, what room do you want to start this in?” she asked, taking a quick look at the donkey’s home. It was cozy, almost like a cottage out of the stories that Granny Pie would tell her and Marble when they were fillies. “Also, do you want me to help with your bedroom, or do you want me to stay out of that room?”
“Ain’t nothing in the bedroom yet,” Cranky responded waving her over. “We’ll start in the kitchen.” Passing her a paint roller and a bucket he gestured to a doorway on the right. “It’s right over there. I’ll be in here, taking care of the den.”
“Oh, so we’ll be tackling different rooms?” Pinkie said, her plans to chat hitting a small snag. She brightened up. “Good idea, divide and conquer and all that. I’ll be sure to use some nice, even coats in your kitchen.”
“Just be careful,” Cranky insisted, watching after her as she walked into the kitchen. “I got my dishes in the cabinets, and I’d rather not have to buy more.”
“You can trust me, Mr. Donkey!” Pinkie called out, getting her paint set up. “I’m just here to paint! Your belongings will remain untouched!”
Setting the paint can down, Pinkie took stock of the kitchen. All the furniture and cabinets were protected by tarps, which meant she didn’t have to be too careful. Still, she made a promise to be careful, and that's what she was going to do. She pumped her fists close to her chest, a determined look on her face. She then slowly dipped her roller into the paint tray and got a decent amount of paint on it. Setting about painting the room, she hummed softly to herself as she did her best to make the walls look perfect.
She was nearly halfway done with the room when she heard a rustling from nearby window in the kitchen. She didn’t think anything of it, continuing her task. Then, she felt something bump her, causing her to slam into a cabinet and let out a cry of surprise and pain. The cabinet rattled, part of it dropping to the counter it was suspended over. Pinkie’s heart sank when she heard what she assumed were Cranky’s dishes shattering.
“What just happened?” Pinkie wondered aloud, rubbing her head where it had struck the cabinet.
She looked around, trying to find any trace of what had hit her. She gulped when she was sure that she was the only one in the room. That couldn’t be true though. Something definitely pushed her.
“Mr. Donkey?” She peered out into the den. “Were you just in the kitchen?”
“What the blazes are you talking about?” Cranky questioned. “I haven’t left the den since we started.”
Pinkie frowned, looking back over her shoulder. “Something bumped into me, and knocked me into a cabinet. I turned around, but, I didn’t see anypony.”
“What?!” There was a commotion from the den and the donkey came running into the kitchen. His eyes widened when he saw the state of his cabinet. “My dishes!”
“I-I’m sorry.” Pinkie whimpered, rubbing her arm. “I don’t know what happened. I was just walking back and then something pushed me into it.” The entire thing unsettled her. Not once had her Pinkie Sense alerted her to something being wrong. That fact alone scared her, more than getting attacked.
Cranky looked like he was about to turn red in the face, but his look softened when he noticed the genuine fear she was displaying. “You really believe something hit you,” he said, less of a question and more of a general statement.
Pinkie nodded her head vigorously. “Us Pie’s each have a ‘sense’. Something that other ponies don’t have. Mine tells me when things are about to happen, but, I didn’t get anything this time! Nothing at all!”
Cranky frowned, clearly not understanding everything she was saying. “Then it sounds like we should leave and have the guards take a look around.” He grabbed a picture frame from a drawer, holding it close to his chest. “Come on, being here is clearly unsettling for you right now.”’
Giving a shaky smile, she stepped over to the door. “Thanks, Mr. Dandy. I dunno what it is, but something just isn’t right.”
“Don’t think anything of it,” he dismissed, walking over to the door. “Been around long enough to know when somepony’s just trying to cover their flank. That’s not what you’re doing right now.”
Stepping outside, she let out a sigh of relief. “I can go get my friend, Twilight. She’s one of the best magic users around! She might be able to find out what’s going on.”
“I’ll drop you off there,” Cranky insisted. “I can wait to file a report with the guards until after you’re with your friend.” Letting her lead him, he glanced back at his home, frowning slightly. It was clear that he didn’t like the idea of abandoning his home to some unknown force. He sighed, knowing there was nothing else he could do.
Pinkie walked quickly, wanting to get to Twilight as soon as she could without going too fast for Cranky. She tried to wrack her brain, desperate to come up with a reason for her Pinkie Sense to fail her. It had never happened to her before. Sometimes she wouldn’t understand the warning signs, but there was always something.
Thankfully, they reached Twilight’s home before she could dwell on it any further. Knocking as loud as she could, Pinkie shifted on her hooves, feeling the worry gnaw at her thoughts.
The door opened and revealed an excited looking Wyatt. The excitement then dulled when he saw the state Pinkie was in. “Are you okay, Pinkie?
“Wy-Wy!” Pinkie didn’t waste a moment, all but jumping into his arms. “Something attacked me in Mr. Cranky’s house!” She buried her face in his neck, whimpering softly.
“Did you see what it was?” Wyatt asked, looking down at her with a serious look.
“No! I didn’t see anything!” she lamented, looking up into his eyes. “My Pinkie Sense didn’t go off! That’s never happened before!” Tightening her hug, her ears splayed backwards.
Wyatt’s face scrunched up for a moment as he thought. “Pinkie, would you describe your sense as magical?”
“Um, I guess so.” She wiped at her eyes, sniffling. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I think that just helped me figure out what’s wrong.” He took a moment to notice Cranky in earshot.”I think I got a plan, okay?” Pulling away from her, he looked into her eyes. “You just gotta trust me, okay?”
Pinkie nodded vigorously, her sniffling slowing down. “Of course I trust you, Wy-Wy. Do you need my help for this plan?”
“I need you to take Cranky back to his place.” Glancing at the donkey, he kept his voice low. “No matter what happens, don’t be afraid. I just need to make sure this is what I think it is.” Looking back at her, he smiled. “I’ll make sure both of you get out of this okay.”
Pinkie gulped, trembling slightly. “I was afraid you’d say that. But I’ll believe in you on this.”
Wyatt nodded, pulling away from her. “I’ll go get Twilight.” Turning to Cranky, he sighed dramatically. “It might be nothing. Pinkie’s a bit of a dramatic pony, so it might be nothing. Still, I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t mind making absolutely certain everything is fine. Why don’t you head back? We won’t be too long.”
“As long as my house goes back to being peaceful, I don’t care what you do,” Cranky replied. Grunting at Pinkie, he shifted the album into a more comfortable position. “Come on, Pinkie. We still have a lot of rooms to paint.”
Pinkie nodded, taking stiff steps in the direction she had come from. It was obvious to Wyatt that she was in no way excited about the plan. Shaking her head, Pinkie took a deep breath. Wyatt and Cranky were counting on her, and she wasn’t about to let them down.
The trip took a few minutes and the pair stopped in front of the door. They took another deep breath and crossed the threshold into the house. It was quiet, and nothing seemed out of place.
Pinkie steeled herself, a part of her hoping that whatever had attacked her had left already. Those were dashed when a gust of wind hit them and tarps flew up and covered them. “Gah!” she shouted, panicking just a little.
Wyatt then burst into the room in his Kabuto form. Pinkie and Cranky looked like they were standing still beneath the tarp. He didn’t pay that any mind though, there was something else that demanded his attention.
There was a figure in the room that was able to keep up with his clocked up speed. The figure was as tall as him and had a distinctly insectoid appearance. The monster was a greyish-green in color with a concave chest with a strange looking ribcage exposed. One of its arms ended in a normal hand while the other ended in a mantis-like claw. Grey, multifaceted eyes seemed to glare at him.
Wyatt pointed at the monster as if to challenge it. “I had a feeling that a Worm was behind this.” He then turned his head away. “Really glad it wasn’t a gamma, I can’t exactly go Ghost after all.” Returning to the matter at hand, Wyatt stared down the worm. “Sorry, but identity theft doesn’t fly here.”
The monster charged at him, bringing down its claw in a wicked slice toward his chest. Wyatt brought his arm up to block the attack, nearly losing his footing due to the force. With a grunt of effort, Wyatt pushed the worm back, reaching for his weapon. After a quick slotting of a card, a yellow bladed kunai appeared in Wyatt’s hand. He pressed his opening, delivering a series of slashes to the worm’s chest.
The worm hissed, the blade cutting into its shell. The worm shoulder-checked, Wyatt, pushing him into a tarp-covered table.
“Crap,” Wyatt cursed, sliding over the table, pulling the tarp down to the floor with him. ‘I have to get out of the house before we break everything.’
Wyatt slashed at the monster again before turning around and running for the door. “Come get me, you mascot reject!” He taunted, glancing over his shoulder. Seeing that the worm had taken the bait, Wyatt switched his weapon into gun mode, firing at the worm as it crossed the threshold.
Sparks flew up from the worm, the monster screaming in pain as it stumbled out of Cranky's house. The worm quickly recovered and fired a string of silk-like material from its mouth at Wyatt.
Moving to dodge the silk, Wyatt swore as it caught him on the shoulder. Rather than continue trying to imprison him, the worm pulled on the silk strand and brought him in close to slash at his chest with its large claw. The claws cut Wyatt across the chest, earning the worm a cry of pain, and a few more shots to the body. He then dropped the barrel of the gun into his other hand, freeing his shoulder with the axe mode before hitting the worm in the head with his full strength.
“I’m starting to hate your guts,” Wyatt grumbled, grateful as always that he had armor. “You're almost as annoying as that makamou.” He put away his gun, pulling out another card and slotting it.
He turned his back on the worm, pressing the handles on his belt together. “Final Attack Ride: K-K-Kabuto!”
Electricity arched around his leg and he turned his head to look at the worm over his shoulder. “Rider Kick,” he said, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick.to the worm’s chest. The worm slide back, its shell cracking and shattering under the force of the kick. The worm let out one last cry before its remains fell into an unmoving heap.
“Ha!” Wyatt grinned beneath his mask, ignoring his stinging chest for a moment. “That’s a new record, and I didn’t even damage Cranky’s house!” He fist pumped, deactivating Clock Up with his free hand.
He heard a commotion from the house as time passed as it normally would. There was a whoosh of air as Pinkie rushed around the house.
“Where’s the scary thing?!” she cried.
“Get this thing offa me!” Cranky grumbled, dropping his scrapbook and fighting to get the tarp off. Finally freeing himself, he tossed the tarp off, grumbling to himself. “This town’s more trouble than it’s worth...”
“Excuse me,” Wyatt called from the doorway. He waved, leaning on the doorframe. “Ms.Twilight informed me that you two were afraid something was in your home. As it turns out, you had a bit of a bug problem. No worries, I took care of it.”
“And who the hay are you?” Cranky asked, taking in Wyatt’s appearance with wide eyes.
Wyatt gave a thumbs up, pushing away from the wall. “Just a passing through kamen rider.. Here to make sure everyone’s safe from the monsters, remember that.” With that, he turned his back from the doorway and started to walk away.
Pinkie watched after him. “He’s so cool, isn’t he?” She turned back to Cranky, noting the scrapbook on the floor. “Oh, Mr. Cranky, you dropped your book!” Lifting it up, she glanced down at the page it was open on, her eyes landing on a picture of Cranky and a female donkey. “Hey, she looks familiar...”
“Don’t look at that!” Cranky snapped, snatching the scrapbook from her. “Those are private memories.”
Pinkie jumped, putting her hands up. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be nosy!”
Cranky snorted, putting the scrapbook away. “I’ll forgive you this one time, it was open and on the floor after all. Just ask me before touching stuff like that.”
“I Pinkie Promise.” Pinkie went through the motions, doing her best to ease the tension.
“Then if all that nasty business is done, let’s finish painting this place. I want the paint fumes cleared out before I go to bed tonight.” He walked over to the abandoned painting supplies, holding a roller and can out to her.
“Aye, aye captain.” Taking the roller and can from him, she returned to the kitchen. As she worked, she couldn’t help but dwell on the female donkey. She knew she had seen her somewhere before...
Cranky took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his morning coffee. He had to admit, Pinkie might be a little out of it, but the mare certainly came through on her promises. The fresh paint job really did make him feel more relaxed. The best part was that he hadn’t experienced any more strange occurrences. Peace had returned to his home and he couldn’t be happier about it.
This peace was shattered when someone knocked on his door. He set his coffee down and went to open it. “Can I help you?” he asked, finding Pinkie on the other side.
“Sorry to drop by so early!” Pinkie gave him an apologetic smile. “But this is important! When I looked at your scrapbook yesterday, I thought to myself ‘Hey! That lady looks familiar!; So, I went through everypony I know in town! And... Tada!” She stepped away, throwing her arms out.
Cranky’s eyes widened when he saw a female donkey that looked like she was around his age. Her mane was done up in an elaborate bun and she wore a modest white dress. “Matilda?” he asked softly, taking a step forward. “Is that you?”
Matilda smiled, walking up to him. “It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it?”
A smile worked its way onto his face. “Not since that night at the Gala. I spent so long looking for you after that.”
Matilda frowned, pursing her lips. “Didn’t you get the note I left you?”
Cranky blinked, a confused expression on his face. “No, I never got it. Ever since that day I’ve gone from town to town, searching all over Equestria for you.” He took her hands, looking into her eyes. “Until I finally gave up. I came to Ponyville to retire from my search.”
“I was living in Ponyville the whole time. I always hoped that someday you would come and find me... Doodle,” Matilda told him.
Pinkie smiled, her heart swelling at the scene. “I know Ponyville can get kinda crazy sometimes, but, it’s one of the best places in Equestria!” Taking a breath, she took a step towards the path. “I know I can get kinda crazy so, I’m gonna bounce off, before I overstay my welcome. Have a great day, Matilda and Mr. Cranky!”
Cranky chuckled, giving Matilda’s hands a squeeze. “That mare might be a little off in the head, but she’s got a good heart,” he commented. “I think she’s gonna make somepony very happy one of these days.” His smile grew. “Just like you do for me, Matilda.”
The reunited lovers made their way into Cranky’s house, locked hand in hand.
A shadowy figure marched through a forest, a mass of soldiers at his back. His mind was utterly focused on one goal, the gates of Tartarus. There was something that he and his associates needed from within the dreaded realm. Several somethings, or someones rather. The figure smirked, the other havoc caused by storming the gates would be a lovely bonus. It would keep the princesses off their trail and keep them busy.
Stopping at the edge of the forest, the figure noted the massive set of doors built into a sheer cliff wall. He turned to a tall creature, who was clad in a rather outlandish suit of armor, sporting a ridiculous headdress with a pair of antenna sticking out the top. “Was Cerberus lured away?”
“Of course,” the creature said, flicking his cape over one shoulder. “It was an easy task. We only suffered a minimal loss of combatmen.”
Grunting, the figure gestured to the gates. “Bring them down.”
The assembled soldiers gave a cry of ‘YEEE!’ in affirmation and threw out grappling hooks. Once they were secure, the soldiers piled onto the ropes and pulled with all their strength. It didn’t take long for the gates to give, the massive steel doors crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.
The figure held up a fist, causing the soldiers to stand at attention. “All non-monster soldiers remain here. Unless of course you wish for Tartarus’s air to kill you. Come, Ambassador, we have prisoners to release,” he said, walking towards the fallen gates.
The flamboyant looking creature walked in lockstep with the figure, crossing the threshold into Tartarus proper. Darkness encroached upon the pair, causing the figure to pull out a lantern and light it. The oppressive air did nothing to bother them, tickling their lungs every once in a while. Lesser demonic creatures scurried away from them, sensing the aura of authority they gave off.
Making their way to the deepest parts of the prison, the figure counted off empty vs occupied cells. Several of the occupants looked human, but the figure knew better. He approached the cell of a young looking man with black hair that reached the bottom of his neck.
“Greetings Rook,” the figure spoke, giving a bow. “I’m sure you would love to be free so you could resume your duties to your King.” He then chuckled. “Or just so you can return to your games.”
Rook grunted, casting a hard glance at the figure. “And a pony like you can get me out?”
“I managed to get this far down into Tartarus, didn’t I?” The figure retorted, a smirk on his face. “If I were a normal pony, I’d be dead right now. But we’re getting off track. I am here as a representative of an organization. We wish to gain your king’s aid. Freeing you and the other pieces will surely earn us his debt.”
“If you free me, then I don’t care what you want,” Rook told the figure, putting his hands on his bars. “Just do it.”
The figure nodded, a dark aura surrounding his horn. Then, A giant crystal erupted from beneath the bars of Rook’s cell. The crystal then sank back into the ground, causing destroyed bars to clatter to the stone cave floor.
“Come then.” The figure turned, his hooves echoing on the stone floor. “We still have other prisoners to free. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.” He didn’t wait for Rook to reply, walking ever deeper into the prison, a wicked smile growing on his face.