"Okay, the eight of us, two Twilight Sparkles included, Sunburst, Starlight, Gloriosa, and Gilda..." said Sunset, counting. "And three Super Sirens..."
"Did Adagio say..."
"I don't care what Adagio said, she's an evil supervillain trying to take over the world," said the fiery haired teenager. "Plus I like Pinkie Pie's name better..."
"Do we need musical instruments this time?" asked Fluttershy.
"No, we need video games," replied Sunset. "Music beats music, so logically video games trump video games."
"So not rock beats scissors, more a backfire destroys a big fire?" Starlight asked.
"More like how if two waves collide, the bigger one beats the smaller one..." said Princess Twilight.
"Okay...Gloriosa has Equestrian magic and so does Gilda, so they're safe from the Siren's song, but you two aren't, keep those headphones we made on..." said Sunset. "Let's save the world..."
"So, are they coming?" asked Aria.
"Looks like..." said Adagio, smirking. "Of course what is a final boss without a final dungeon?"
The trio gave a smirk, floating up, eyes glowing red and digital lines spreading out from them and covering the surrounding area as they sang a worldless vocal.
The Mane Six and company gasped as they ran up to the building only for digital lines to stretch out and upwards, forming a towering palace that looked right out of r'lyeh towering high above them.
"...Please tell me that's just in my eyepatch..." said Rainbow Dash. The group took their eyepatches on and off only to find it existed in reality.
"...That's so not good..." said Applejack.
"Daddy!" yelled Screwball, floating in front her (currently Draconequued up) father. "I can touch things!" she exclaimed, touching things on his desk.
Discord blinked, the two reaching out and touching hand to hoof.
"...On one hand, awesome! On the other, that means the game is breaking through more into the real world...which is bad..." Discord muttered.
"...Can I hug you?"
"...Sure honey."
The group began fighting through the final dungeon, finding that while their stats still carried over into reality the monsters were ALSO real, and only vanished when slain or purified (which they were doing as often as possible to build up the gauge).
"On the bright side, you girls get to level up a bit!" said Rainbow Dash. "Since...well...sorry for playing alone so much..." she said, blasting back a monster for a purification spell to deal with it.
"Already forgiven," Sunset replied, blasting back several 'Deep Stalkers' and Fluttershy purifying them. Which turned them into normal fish. "But I think it's a serious problem that the game is becoming REAL!"
"Adagio and her school were already so powerful it took the Pillars of Old Equestria to unite to defeat them in Equestria and even then they could only banish them, not beat them," said Princess Twilight. "They might be STRONGER than they were when they were defeated back then!"
"Thankfully, we have the Elements, they didn't," Sunset replied, purifying a monster thrown up by Rainbow Dash.
"Yes, but the Sirens also have those techno upgrades," Twilight replied. "We need to be careful. If we don't beat them, not only will they be stronger than ever, they'll have an army of video game monsters to fight with."
"So...the military won't be very helpful, will it?" asked Starlight.
"While no one ever tried shooting them, the military would just fall under their spell and start shooting EACH OTHER..." was the Princess's response. "Plus, given how much force I've seen things on their level take, I don't think bullets would phase them too much!"
"Enough talkin'! More fightin'!" said Applejack, using her ultimate attack, which given she was playing as Rockhoof, was a massive shockwave that cleared the floor. "Let's just get to the top and finish this already!"
"Adagio, I'm bored..." said Sonata.
"Don't worry, the entertainment will be here in a few seconds,..." Adagio said, smirking as the group emerged up the stairs into the throne room.
"Adagio! Enough! Just stop this already!" Sunset yelled as the group prepared to fight.
"Why? Because we can just 'be friends'?" asked Adagio, getting off her throne and walking forwards. "We Sirens have been stuck on this rock for thousands of years, do you really think we're going to change in a DAY?" she asked, giving a chuckle. "Besides, do you REALLY think we're doing much to these dumb apes? Do you have ANY idea how often they've tried to kill each other for EXISTING? And I thought the ponies of the Three Tribes Era gave us plenty of food. When we got here we just said 'WITCH!' pointed our fingers and the people were ready to kill each other. If anything, we're just making all that pointless hate serve a productive purpose."
"...We ponies learned, the humans can too. There's nothing different but we had winter spirits trying to kill us with our own hatred," Princess Twilight replied.
"Then maybe you should let us run this rock for a few years, then see if they've changed," replied Adagio with a chuckle.
"...Okay, since when do yah care about human nature?" Applejack asked.
"I don't, but we are the driving villain of a video game, wouldn't be right without some commentary on the human condition," said Adagio. "All that's missing is me saying 'Celestia is a false god and should die' for it to be a perfect speech." She noticed Twilight and Sunset's glare at that. "Oh, did I hit a nerve? Come on, ponies do that back home, would it really be out of place?"
"Let's just get this over with..." said Sunset, the group taking a battle pose.
"Fine...Welcome to the show..." said Adagio as a boss theme began playing, the trio floating up and three heath bars materializing over their heads as they crackled with lightning.
Session 74.1 Grogar-the-oneser
meanwhile
"Should I, or shouldn't I?" Wallpaper muttered as she held the stone in her hand. She looked out the window out all the sirens outside, she was tempted to use the stone to remove the memories of the game. "But they might go crazy, wondering why the heck they're all monsters. Then again I could tell them it's a certain jerk fault!"
But then Wallflower grimaced. "But then again... there's two different magic inside the game, I don't know what the heck a third type would do. For all I know, it might cause a massive computer crash that might kill everyone. And I ain't that desperate for attention."
"You know what, I'll just wait and see, when the victor emerges, then I will strike. Maybe," Wallpaper said calmly.
Session 74.2 Mtangalion
Apple Bloom the Siren flew higher, floating next to the colossal spider mech piloted by Scootaloo. "We can show off all day, Button, but that won't convince me Ah should be a powerless schoolgirl again, doing her homework while our sisters have all the fun!"
Button Mash's Gloom Marine armor turned into pixels and dissolved away, leaving him in his ordinary school clothes... with pony ears and bronze-feathered wings. He pushed his propeller beanie crown back on his head and struck a dramatic pose, pointing at Bloom. "I have not even begun to show off!"
Unexpectedly, Sweetie Belle cried out... the golden glove on her right hand was glowing. "Dra-Gon... Dra-Gon is almost here! Oh, Button, it's going to be horrible!"
Bloom's jaw dropped. "Dra-Gon's coming here himself? We've wasted too much time on this dangblasted fighting with each other."
Button breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, something we agree on-"
Bloom grinned. "That's why you need to hurry up and become Sirens like us, so we can destroy Dra-Gon together."
Sweetie and Button gawked, literally getting "..." bubbles floating over their heads. "Seriously?" asked Sweetie.
"Darn straight!" boasted Bloom. "We can do it. We have the technology!" The giant mech started popping out one gadget after another. "EMP grenades! Fresh-water cannon! Anti-sonic nullifiers!" She swooped down, hovering over Button. "Actually, we're just asking ya to join to be nice. Compared to Dra-Gon, Ah figure ya'll will be nothing but a speed bump, once we get serious."
Button took a deep breath, then stood up straighter, grinning ominously. "You still haven't felt it, huh? I guess I have to spell it out for you."
Sweetie shivered, taking a step back. "B-Button? Button, you're scaring me a little..."
Button spread his arms wide. "The video game world is merging more and more with the real world. I'm the game master. That means..." The ground shook and rumbled, and a full-scale replica of Grumbledorf's crystal castle rose, lifting him and Sweetie up even higher than the giant spider mech. "I can do just about anything. Bwa-ha... Bwahaha- huh?"
Sweetie had her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. "Button Mash, please, you can't! Please don't destroy the world!"
Button blinked several times. "Um... why would I do that?"
Sweetie fumed at him. "Because that's what people always do in RPGs when they get super godlike powers."
Button tried to think of a great comeback, and unfortunately had to settle for "No they don't!"
"Do too!" insisted Sweetie. "It happened in pretty much every Last Fantasy game ever!"
Button lifted a finger and opened his mouth, then took off his beanie and scratched his head. "Hold on, let me think... Hrrm, tried to flood the world with darkness... Darkness again... Dad was a jerk so he threw a meteor at the planet... Tried to destroy everything for laughs... Tried to split his soul and rule heaven AND hell... Hey, the new one wasn't like that... oh wait, the bad guys were the gods already." He banged his head on the castle wall. "Okay, okay! Sweetie, I promise I won't destroy the world! Happy now?"
Meanwhile, Scootaloo was trying to work the giant mech controls, and getting increasingly frustrated when the switches and levers did nothing. "Come on, why can't I blow them up while they're busy talking- Oh. Duh." She clicked the loudspeaker on and yelled, "Talk faster!"
Session 74.3 All-Overboard
Sombra was annoyed. Fear abilities were getting them almost nowhere with several of the fish people getting on his nerves with sound attacks and constantly trying to catch him in their grip. Then six more popped out of the building revealing several new sirens.
The Shadowbolts had managed to swarm the sirens around them powering up and revealing their monstrous form. Just as they were about to sing Sombra stopped them.
"You know what. Nope!" Sombra immediately shouted as he powered up his horn and made to cast one of his broken spells which he didn't just get because he was the head of the company and signed all the paychecks for everyone in the building.
A large shadowed beam shot all around the siren turned students and crystals enveloped every single one of them covering them up to their mouths. The Shadowbolts were knocked off target by the sudden spell and struggled to get out of the crystals.
"Nope! Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope." Sombra chanted as he captured every single student that was assaulting his building and making him immensely unpleased.
"Honey! Are you okay?" Radiant shouted from the window.
"Yes dear! I'm just sick and tired of all these mother bucking kids attacking my mother bucking building is all!" Sombra replied clearly suppressing himself to some capacity.
"Thanks for not swearing either! I'll be making your favorite dinner tonight!" Radiant yelled out as she managed to get her harmony bar up to max and chain healed every single student that was out on her field.
~~~~~~~~
The now transformed Discord looked out his window and wondered if coding that would get him a raise. Screwball could certainly use a new hat now that the strange energy source had brought her out of the game world and into reality.
~~~~~~~~
Chrysalis was a bit peeved that she couldn't get anymore information from the creatures that Thorax had captured before it was turned back to normal but when the boss wanted something done it was best to be very thorough.
~~~~~~~~
Sombra looked over his handiwork and wondered just how powerful he was. He could become unto a god and rule the world as its king. Then Radiant came down to kiss him and he decided that having that family would be much more worth it in the end.
"So... did Snow make it so only my computer was the one that controlled everything?" Sombra carefully asked as they left all the students on the ground. It wasn't his problem anymore.
"Ah yes. He has 98% of the network secured to your computer. Somehow the last 2% is being very stubborn. It's as if someone physically wedged it open to allow their control to keep going. Tracking it down from here has been hard but someone did send me a text that the game world started to appear a little further downtown. I think over by Canterlot High." Radiant explained as they took the elevator back up to his office.
"Ah... well leave it to those girls Cinch talked about. Where is she anyways?" Sombra asked which Radiant could only shrug.
~~~~~~
"I gotta get out of this crazy town!" Cinch shouted as she kept running for the border.
Session 74.4 Kendell2 (and a bit added by me)
"So..." Tempest said, playing poker with Capper and Captain Celaeno. "The Princesses weren't happy to learn what Klugetown was doing with ponies...and unicorn horns?" the unicorn asked, clearly having a special kind of loathing for that.
"Yep...Paid a visit themselves..." Capper said, giving a laugh.
"ATTENTION NE'ER-DO-WELLS AND CRIMINALS!" announced Luna, the Princesses landing with a guard details. "WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY RELIABLE SOURCES THAT THEE HAVE BEEN SELLING PONIES AS SLAVES AND THEIR BODY PARTS! BY ORDER OF THE COSMIC COUNCIL, YOU ARE TO HAND OVER ANY SLAVES YOU HAVE AS WELL AS ANY REMAINS FOR PROPER BURIAL AND COOPERATE!"
"And what if we don't?" asked a certain fishman who'd clearly not learned his lesson from Tempest.
"Then we shall smite thee!" Luna announced.
"It's one of them and all of us, let's take them and ransom them, we can get a pretty Storm Buck for them," Verko, trying to get some street cred back after Capper and Captain Celaeno humiliated him on their way back to help the mane six.
Everyone took a few steps back as a massive storm cloud generated in the sky and Verko screamed as was struck by a bolt of lightning that lit up the entire area.
Luna looked down at the living, but blackened and twitching criminal laying in a scorch mark on the ground. "We are 'old school' in our smiting. Doth anyone else wish for us to smote them?"
The criminals and ne'er-do-wells gulped and slowly shook their heads.
Tempest laughed. "Oh why could I have been there?" she asked.
"It was a blast, especially for Verko," Capper replied with a chuckle, then put his hand down. "Royal Flush..."
The others groaned and folded. "What did I think would happen playing poker with a concat?" asked Tempest.
"FORMER concat," Capper said, collecting his winnings.
"Lulu!" Celestia shouted. "Is there a reason why all of Equestria's 'genuine pony hair' wig makers and violin makers are fleeing Equestria in terror?"
-
"But all I said was-" DJ PON-3 said holding a blue thread of her own tail to replace the broken string on Octavia's cello.
"Are you trying to get me arrested Vinyl?!"
Session 74.5 Alex Warlorn
"Luna, you just got an angry letter from the deer... apparently they don't like the idea that you'll be putting a stop to them selling their old shed antlers on the open market."
"Right now? We art defending our space station and colonies from a four prong attack from aliens from another universe!"
"WHAT?!"
"You really should try this new game, Halcyon 6, Celly."
"Very funny! Not really."
"And what are you doing opening my mail?"
Session 74.6 Ardashir
"What!" Twilight winced as Spike yelled. "What do you mean I can't sell my old molts any more?" In one claw he held up a set of scales that he'd shed just that morning, shimmering in the light. In the other he held a letter from the luggage company he'd sold them to before this. "Read this letter, Twi!"
"I don't need to," Twilight glanced at it anyway. 'Dear Mister Spike the Dragon, due to changes in Equestrian law we are forced to refuse to purchase your old scales...' "Spike, you know what Princess Luna did in Klugetown. I don't think she meant for it to cover situations like this, but until the law gets fine-tuned you'll just have to live with it."
"Ah, maybe I can sell them on the black market," Spike grumbled. He gulped as Twilight spun on him.
"What was that?"
"N-nothing!" Spike swallowed. "But until I find a new way to make some extra bits, game night may get a little sparse. Where do you think I was getting the bits to buy all the latest splatbooks and supplements?"
Neither noticed Garble listening from a doorway nearby.
"Wait, ponies will pay for our old molts?" He grinned, fangs gleaming.
Later that day
"You sure about this, Garble?" Ember glared at him. She held her old set of scales out to the smiling dragon. Behind her stood several other dragons, holding their own molts. "I'm not easy about letting somedragon else mess with my old scales." She looked at it as she handed the molt over; it looked almost like an emptied-out dragon costume.
"I swear, the ponies promised they'll give dispose of them respectfully." Garble smiled. "Hey, you can trust me. Would I cheat another dragon?"
Session 74.7 Grogar-the-oneser
Ember gave a annoyed look
"Alright maybe I would, but i swear this is MOSTLY on the level."
"You better be telling the truth or else I'll do to you what Ursa major do to anyone stupid enough to hurt there cubs."
"You have my word."
"THAT I GOT STINKING RICH!" Garble cackled as he rolled in the black market money.
"Okay Luna this has gone far enough, three countries are threatening to attack due to the fact that they can't sell their wears due to the embargo. Millions of bald ponies are threatening to sue the royal family due to all their wigs being confiscated, with Cranky leading the bloody charge and the black market is now thriving!"
"What tis your point?" Luna asked.
"MY POINT? MY POINT IS WE NEED TO REVISE THAT LAW BEFORE THIS GET EVEN MORE STUPIDLY COMPLICATED!" Celestia snapped.
"I think your overreacting." Luna scoffed. "What's the worse that could happen." Suddenly a monster size Garble (Or at least his head) broke through the castle roaring. "That prove's nothing."
Session 74.8 Alex Warlorn
"Who is Garble selling those dragon molts all to?!"
"... LARPers."
Session 74.9 Kendell2
"Hmm..." said Adagio, tapping her chin. "We do see a tad outnumbered. Granted, we're powered up pretty high, but why take chances?" she asked. "Sonata, call in our little friend..."
Sonata gave an almost Pinkie Pie look of excitement and nodded, giving a whistle.
The group gasped as Trixie emerged from the darkness, smirking and more 'completely' transformed than the other Sirens were. For starters, she had an actual Siren 'familiar' projected behind her resembling a siren version of her Equestrian self.
"Trixie?!" asked the group.
"Sonata's idea," said Adagio with a smirk. "I was a bit hesitant at first, especially when she tried to usurp me as Alpha, but I do admit: she has the heart of a siren, so it seemed fitting to level her up a little..."
"Come on, Rainbow Dash, did you really think our rivalry was done?" Trixie question with a smirk. "You will never defeat the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
"...Gilda, can you handle helping fight Adagio and her sisters?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Why? Cause I know how the game works because I work at the company?" asked Gilda.
"That and I know TRIXIE better than anyone else..." said Rainbow Dash, flying over to face the blue Siren.
Starlight and Sunburst decided to hang back and be support, casting healing spells, as unlike the other combatants they had no magical superpowers and were simply mortal humans who temporally gained super powers from the video game.
The 'Super Sirens' flew up and began firing down sonic blasts, forcing the Human Seven and company to take evasive action.
Trixie and Rainbow Dash clashed harmonic beams with sonic blasts.
"These kinds of games were made for us, weren't they Trixie?" Rainbow Dash asked. "They're MADE to glorify egos!"
"You've got that right!" Trixie cackled.
"Yeah...so, when's the last time you met with Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush without trying to rip their heads off?"
Sunset and Adagio collided harmonic beams and digitized soundwaves...and Sunset found herself quickly losing ground until both Twilights and Gloriosa flew in and added their own beams and forced it back into a somewhat stalemate.
"The fact it's taking four of us to hold off just Adagio is not a promising start!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.
"Point taken!"
Applejack and Gilda took on Aria in a straight up flying brawl, slamming into each other and throwing one another across the room, punching one another into walls, but it was clear it took both of them just to match her.
Sonata's fighting style could best be described as 'weaponized insanity', fighting like even she didn't know what she would do next. As one of her opponents was Pinkie Pie, it left Rarity essentially trying to throw in more skilled, practiced blows whenever she got an opening, but largely simply evening the odds for Pinkie Pie to fight her head on.
"Okay, this is getting us nowhere..." said Gilda, blocking a punch from Aria and being forced back while Fluttershy busied herself trying to interfere in any way she could and help. "It's like we're two tanks fighting each other!"
"Pardon?" asked Applejack as she punched Aria back.
"Two big tough tanks trying to beat each other, goes on forever and doesn't get anywhere," replied Gilda.
"Yeah, time tah pull out the big guns!" said Applejack, glowing orange and ripping a huge piece of floor out of the ground and hurling it at Aria, slamming her across the room.
"Wow, how do you do that?" asked Gilda, looking herself over.
"Just focus on the whole Element thing, you should have one given yah've been around Rainbow's Geode and have your armor and stuff."
Gilda nodded and focused, launching forwards and Aria freed herself, the Griffon suddenly launching at high speeds and slamming her into the wall. "Awesome!"
Aria growled. "Two can play that game..." she said, focusing and summoning her Siren familiar, which seemed to have gone through a cyborg makeover and formed a battle aura around her rather than simply hovering above her. She gave a smirk and picked up the piece of scenery Applejack had thrown at her and threw it right back just as hard, if not harder, launching Applejack across the room before moving at super speed and smashing into Gilda, launching her back too.
"No fair! You get two powers?!" asked Gilda.
"Adagio programmed to take on the seven idiots," said Aria. "Did you really think we'd take on seven powers with only three?"
Rarity growled. "Alright, I have had enough of this!" she said, blocking one of Sonata's kicks with one of her diamond barriers.
"Oh! Powers time!" said Pinkie, pulling out a bag of marshmallows and charging them before throwing them at Sonata, the resulting explosion blowing her back and knocking her into a wall.
"Oh! We're pulling out the cool powers now! Fun!" Sonata called, her Familiar doing the same thing as Arias. She laughed, forming the resulting soundwaves into spheres and throwing them, causing explosions on impact that knocked the two away. Pinkie Pie threw marshmallow bombs at her, but a long sung note formed into a barrier around herself to protect her. "Adagio is mean, like really mean, but she's pretty smart!"
Sunset growled, flying up and around Adagio's beam and exchanging blows with her. She caught Adagio's wrist and got a look inside her head, using it to dodge the follow up and kick her up into the air, at which point Princess Twilight blasted her with magic and Gloriosa and Sci Twi used vines and telekinesis to hurl objects at her and knock her across the room.
Adagio growled, getting back to her feet. "Fine, you want to fight with weird powers? Then I can play that game!" she said, her Familiar doing the same thing as her sisters. She smirked and sang a song as Sunset prepared to fire a beam at her, only for her arms to glow red and be pulled to fire at the others, blasting them away.
"Sunset!" Sci Twi called.
"Ah! Can't control my arms!" said Sunset as her beam wouldn't stop and was pulled towards the two. Sci Twi used her telekinesis to force her arms away as Adagio had to stop her note.
Gloriosa tried to summon vines to attack Adagio, but the Siren seemed to sense her attack coming and dodged, using the same song to force her to send her vines up at Sunset.
"Did you know everyone feels a slight spike of a certain emotion when they launch an attack? Always takes a tiny bit of aggression to actually try to hurt someone," Adagio said with a smirk.
Gilda growled as she and Aria speed blitzed each other and Applejack came in to make up for the difference in power. "Okay, still getting nowhere!" She then blinked, noticing the beam oh war going on and the 'weird' fight going on as Sonata gave a very unorthodox kick to knock Rarity away, but took a bit longer to recover from a hit from Pinkie than Aria did from one from her. "...Wait, we're going about this wrong..."
"How exactly?" Applejack questioned.
"We're fighting the SAME build as us!" replied Gilda exclaimed. "Video game rules!"
Applejack blinked, then smirked. "Oh, Ah gotcha..." she said, catching a charge from Aria and the two hurled her into directly into Sonata, knocking the two into a wall. The two then flew in, taking Adagio off guard and punching her into a wall.
"Hey, you girls go take on Aria! Let them take Adagio and let us take crazy lady!" Gilda said.
"Huh?" Sunset said, confused.
"They've got CHARACTER BUILDS! Like us! Aria's a tank, can't do anything if she gets mowed down before she can hit you," said Gilda. "Sonata's like that guy who put all his stats in being really freaking annoying, but forgot to put anything into actual DEFENSE once their mana runs out, and Adagio's stuff is about being tricky and messing you up, so let the trolly and skill guys screw HER up...And Fluttershy, help them!"
"...Okay..." Fluttershy said.
"...That's actually really smart," said Sunset.
"Been playing World of Horsecraft as a JOB, kinda comes with the territory," said Gilda, before she and Applejack flew at Sonata. Applejack slammed into her sonic barrier full force while Gilda superspeed pounded it, denting the ground and pounding away at it in a way that Rarity and Pinkie couldn't. Finally Sonata had to stop to catch her breath and the two flew in and punched her, launching her across the room.
Aria growled, seeing the four in front of her and launching forwards at high speeds, rushing around them before coming in for a powerful blow...
Only for Gloriosa to pull up vines under her legs and trip her, sending her tripping head over heels into a triple blast from Sunset, Twilight, and Twilight that threw her across the room.
Adagio growled as she threw off one of Pinkie Pie's bomb tosses at Rarity, but the Element of Generosity merely used her shields to deflect it while Fluttershy poked her head out of the tower and called for something.
"You can't get the drop on me!" Adagio yelled, blocking some kicks from Rarity and sonic blasting her back...right as an entire swarm of bats flew in and swarmed around her.
Adagio gave a yell, grabbing her head as the emotions of THAT many animals combined with her enhanced emotion sense gave her sensory overload, allowing Pinkie Pie to hurl a bunch of marshmallow bombs at her feet she didn't notice as Fluttershy called the bats away and they went off, blowing her across the room.
Applejack and Gilda dodged several of Sonata's bombs and double kicked her at the same time a telekinetically tripped Aria was blasted by Sunset, Princess Twilight, and Gloriosa and Adagio was blinded by Pinkie Pie's sheer overwelming joy and sent flying with a barrier smash by Rarity, the three Sirens colliding and slamming into the ground.
Adagio growled. "How?!"
"Game mechanics," Gilda replied as their Harmony Gauge maxed out and they all got golden armor with a fittingly colored gem. "Cool..."
"HOW'S THIS FOR GAME MECHANICS! Depths Break!" called Adagio, three Sirens floating up and sending their familiar flying forwards.
"Uh, Dash?" asked Gilda.
Rainbow cringed, still fighting Trixie. "You got this Gilda!"
"O-Okay..." said the Griffoned Up woman.
"Uh..." Gloriosa said before Sci Twi smiled to her.
"We're all friends..."
The nine young women linked hands and fired converging rainbow colored beams that formed one huge one that slammed against the Siren's projections, fighting back and forth for control until finally breaking through and shattering the projections to bits, washing over the Sirens.
The Siren's new gems cracked and finally shattered, when the rainbow faded the three groaned, rising from the floor.
"We did it!" Pinkie Pie announced.
"...Then why is the creepy tower still here?" asked Applejack.
Adagio began to laugh, forcing herself up. "...You really are idiots, aren't you...our magic wasn't what let the game work, not the ONLY thing anyway...We weren't the final boss, everyone knows the final boss can't show up until the penultimate one is defeated! HAHAHA! All you did was remove the last thing between Dra-Gon and the world!" she laughed. "We'll be getting new Gems soon enough! After our patron deity destroys you!"
The room suddenly began flooding with dark water, as a storm formed in the sky, ripping the roof off the building as a portal opened.
"Welcome to the final level!" Adagio laughed.
Session 74.10 Alex Warlorn, SomeRandom Minion, Ardashir, Mtangalion
"I'm worried about Discord with all these dragon skins about."
"Don't worry, we got Discord to Pinkie Pie Swear not to curse or otherwise make costumes that would transform their wearer."
"But did that promise include dragon-skins?"
"... Uh-oh!"
-
"YAY! DRAGON TRANSFORMATION CUTIE MARKS! Oh wait we got ours now."
-
Dragon Belle bellowed, "Mush, servants! Bring me more candy!"
Rover snorted, "Or what, dumb dragon?"
Dragon Belle Growled and showed her fangs. "Or YOU'RE my candy."
The Diamond Dogs ran to the candy store yelping.
====
Scoota-dragon cheered, "WHOO-HOO! I'm finally flying!"
She zoomed right over an aerodome, nearly ramming several zeppilins.
======
Dragonbloom said in a sing song voice outside the largest casino in Los Pegasus and thus Equestria, "Oh Flim-Flams; where are ya...?"
Flim and Flam once bragged their could charm the skin off a dragon, now it was time to prove it.
"Hello my dear sweet Apple Bloom! Are you still enjoying all those Windy The Windigo merchandise you bought? We'll be happy to repeat it next year... but that will be mail order in order to avoid certain... purple royal problems... Your family has cornered the market on apples... but what about EXOTIC apples?"
"... Exotic apples?"
"yes my dear! From outside Equestra! We'd be happy to share some with you... a lot with you, you're a growing girl apparently... if you'd be willing to do a small tiny favor for us in return."
--
Apple Bloom now stood in a paper movie set cave with plastic golden treasure around her... and ponies paying Flim and Flaim to dress up in costume and wield rubber swords at a genuine dragon.
Flim said to Apple Bloom, "All you need to do is pretend to lose to paying ponies dressed up in cheap plastic suits of armor."
"Got it!"
"With our dancing girls taking turns being the maiden-in-distress of course!"
-
Rarity ground her teeth as the diamond dogs were suing her for what Sweetie Belle was doing since they believe she the true ringleader.
+++
Applejack gaped as she read a letter that said Dragon Bloom was now UNDER CONTRACT for FLIM AND FLAM! Applejack nearly had four simultaneous heart attacks.
+++
And Rainbow Dash, well, she was just making sure Scootaloo doesn't cause a national disaster.
"The thing I do to make ponies happy," Rainbow grunted as she pulled another hot air balloon away from scootaloo flight path.
-
Rarity, Scootaloo, Applejack all shouted together having cornered the chaos god, "DISCORD!"
Discord pouted. "Oh, I'm not allowed to have any fun around here these days! 'Discord, stop turning fillies into dragons!' 'Discord, stop inviting your cryptid friends down from the superspectrum to frighten the town!' 'Discord, stop mind controlling door to door salesponies into trying their luck in Yakyakistan!'"
Rarity groaned, "At least this can't possibly get any worse."
The greed growth Garble unlike most such dragons kept his senses, mostly cause there was no difference between his normal self and his greed-growth self. And he was now stomping between Canterlot and Ponyville showing off his absurd under the table fortune. "Hey, ladies! ~~ Fire opal chocolates?"
Rarity had a headache. "At least NOW this can't possibly get any worse."
Gilda zoomed away from Zecora hut, with faint words of "End my grief! Stop theif!"
"Aw, FLOCK YEAH! Size-shifting potion! Here comes Gilda-zilla!"
Poor naive Gabby asked, "Can I have some, too?"
Rarity sighed, "Well, NOW it can't--"
Applejack snapped, "STOP SAYIN' THAT!"
Having heard of several new dragons appear in Equestria, Ember had flown in, seen her doubledangers, saw Discord munching popcorn, and swooped in to try and calm down the chaos.
"If you're dragons then you serve the Dragon Lord! So stop with the antics!" Ember said, coming to see what Garble's latest scheme had caused (in truth it was more Luna's legitimate attempts to stop pony trafficking and the organ black market, with the law being just too vague for its own good, and Discord not resisting the chance to add his own 'fun' to the mix as Garble's scheme netted him a fortune).
Naturally Jet Set and Upper Crust heard this and asked,
"My, so just because someone becomes one of your species that means they must swear loyalty to you?"
"Is this part of some evil scheme to transform countless innocent ponies into dragons to comment genocide on the pony species?"
"THAT'S STUPID AND YOU'RE STUPID!" Dragon Lord Ember said before she realized what she was saying. 'Ugh! There better not be anyone wearing my and Garble's old skins as a couple! UGH!!!!!! Brain lava please!'
Session 74.11 Alex Warlorn
Rainbow Dash and Trixie didn't really notice what was going on, as grappling together they'd smashed through one of the tower walls and crashing outside (anyone who questions why they didn't do this in reverse to skip the final dungeon has never played a video game). But Rainbow Dash DID notice that Trixie's siren avatar seemed to be getting STRONGER.
"SONATA!" Fluttershy shouted. "Remember all the times WE HELPED YOU? ALL THE TIME WE HAD FUN TOGETHER!? We visited Equestria's seaside! You don't have to do this! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!!!" Flutterhy was crying.
Sonata said happily without a trace of malice, "Don't worry Fluttershy... even if you don't want to be uplifted into a siren, you can still be my pet, I promise to be a great pet owner! You'll want for nothing! I cleared it Adagio!"
"I agreed mostly so you'd shut up." Adagio rolled her eyes.
"That's all we are to you?!" Rarity gasped. "Animals to be pampered or feed on at your whims?!"
"Why not?" Adagio said with a look reserved only for the most truly stupid of people. "The yellow idiot can communicate with animals right? They understand her perfectly and can even follow her instructions ... the only way that works is if they're all as intelligent as you... What separates the people from the animals is who has the bigger stick."
"NO YOU'RE WRONG!" Human Starlight snapped. "It's the ability for us to SAY NO to our instincts that separates us from the animals! AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO EVEN TRY!"
Human Starlight realized she'd just retorted to the super powered witch. Adagio narrowed her eyes at her.
But then Dra-Gon arrived. The sirens kneeled... as did every other siren in the city, all at once, turning and kneeling before him, no matter where they were or what they were doing.
= 'Demon King Odio' - Live-A-Live =
He, was, huge. He was the size of a light house. Okay, bigger. More like Godzilla size. He wasn't that elaborate, mostly like a gigantic fish man with a face that could stopped a digital clock. His face was something out of a lunatic's fever dream.
"Hey! My smartphone just fizzled out!" One of the heroes said. "Huh? 'Fatherdagonhascome-Fatherdagonhascome-Fatherdagonhascome-Fatherdagonhascome-Fatherdagonhascome?'"
Dra-Gon was also wearing a business suit and carrying a brief case.
This awkward moment lasted for a few moment.
Then Dra-Gon tore off his business suit, leaving him naked and free, and ripped up his business cards, and kicked away his briefcase back through the portal (and blasted back through the portal to set his law firm on fire for good measure), "Oh yeah baby! Back to the good old days! Deep ponies! Sirens! My dark reflections of the sea ponies and mere ponies, a world's oceans all yours to claim!"
"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Pinkie Pie remarked.
"And madness and the Three Oaths to all that walk on land!"
"Never mind."
"What are the three oaths?" Rarity heard herself ask.
"You don't wanna know," Princess Twilight said having read 'Shadow Over Innsmouth.'
"I thought Hoofcraft was making stuff up!" Sunburst shouted.
"I knew Hoofcraft wasn't making stuff up!" Human Starlight Glimmer cheered.
"DADDY!!!" Sonata waved her arms around like a five year old who'd just seen their father come home from work.
Aria groaned like an embarrassed older sister.
"Hello Princess Twilight, I am officially closing my law firm in Equestria with Ponythulu, that sell out, I pretended to go along with his nonsense for too long!"
"YES! YES! FATHER UNDERSTANDS ME!" Adagio uncharacteristically burst out like a teenage girl, before looking embarrassed and getting control of herself again.
said Dra-Gon darkly. "All you land animals are good for is breeding stock. My wife Hydra says she won't manifest until we have at least 666 mutant hybrid spawn on this planet with six spires built with our likeness... Don't you love a woman who knows what she wants?" Dra-Gon said sincerely. "Now who wants to become a drooling vegetable or reduced to the IQ of a dog first? "
Sunburst fainted, drooling.
"That answer that. Who wants to be number two?"
--
Wallflower notices the Memory Stone 'powering up.' She felt it's strength increasing. Thankfully it wasn't mutating her into some ugly freakish abomination like all the other rogue magic that seemed to pop up around town did... maybe because this stone and her were kindred spirits already.
Wallflower made a note to erase all of those heroes' memories of that alien look alike of Twilight Sparkle if she meddled... she didn't belong in this world anyway... her human self had perfectly slipped into her shoes anyway... yes... she'd be doing the universe a favor... Yes... she made a note to do that when she got rid of the memories of Sunset Shimmer...
--
In Equestria, the battle with The Storm King happened at the same time.
Session 74.12 Grogar-the-oneser
"Okay, one, that is completely messed up. Two, you still have to fight us!" Princess Twilight stated.
"Wait, you haven't given up," Dra-gon snapped causing the three sirens to flinch as he turns his gaze to them. "Explain."
"Well... daddy they're strong," Sonata said.
"it's true, they refuse to back down even when they were out number!" Aria said.
"In that case why didn't you kill them discreetly when they were still in the dark?" Dra-gon asked, sounding as if he was ready to bash either of the siren sister's head if they gave the wrong answer. "What, did you want one as a pet in a twisted form of sympathy?"
Adagio gave a glare to her sisters telling them to keep their mouths shut, she did not want Dra-gon to know that little tidbit. "We were going to do that, but we thought it more amusing for you if you saw their corpses."
"Well you failed miserably, and as such it is up to me to clean your mess," Dra-gon said annoyed.
Session 74.13 Mtangalion
Apple Bloom the Siren glided over to the castle rampart where Button Mash and Sweetie Belle stood, arms folded smugly. "You know, Ah haven't played as many of those computer role-playing games as you and Sweetie, but Ah have picked up a thing or two. Like how only the bad guys have super cosmic powers, because if the heroes were all-powerful, the story would be boring!"
Button blinked. "Huh? I'm not the bad guy."
"She does kind of have a point," mused Sweetie.
Somehow, Button Mash immediately adopted a cartoonish down-in-the-dumps expression, complete with a small storm cloud hovering over his head. "Sweetie, you too?"
Apple Bloom grinned triumphantly. "And another thing! No matter how crazy strong the bad guys are, there's always a chance for the heroes to win. All that you've accomplished with your gaming god powers is making me strong enough to beat you!" Perfectly timed thunder and inexplicable tidal waves crashed behind her.
"Um, and me too?" said Scootaloo, salt water pouring from her mech and windshield wipers running. "Don't make me the scrappy sidekick here."
Button stamped his foot. "I am NOT the bad guy! Look, I'll prove it! I'll do something that a game villain would never do, like... um... ask for peace!"
"Peace?!" stammered Apple Bloom. She thought frantically. "Well Ah say, you're just trying to trick us! Villains are allowed to be sneaky!"
Button lifted a finger dramatically. "Not this close to the endgame!"
"No way!" said Scootaloo. "The heroes never accept the bad guy's offer to stop fighting and become his henchmen."
"That isn't what I offered," said Button. "Let's talk this over. You know, negotiate, parley..."
A blond boy in a tattered Crystal Prep uniform suddenly sprang into view. "Did someone say ‘parley?'"
"Warg!!" Button scrambled backwards too quickly and his sneakers slipped out from under him. "Ow... Wait, you're not Pinkie."
Blueblood was looking Button and Sweetie up and down thoughtfully. "I see..." Then Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "I see!" He clapped his hands together brightly. "Right, now if everyone will state his or her position, wishes, and grievances, I'm certain that we can achieve a mutually satisfying conclusion! Yes, yes, one at a time, you'll all have your say..."
... five minutes later ...
"And, it's agreed! Single combat between Miss Apple Bloom and Mr. Button Mash, with the loser to assume the species of the winner. No cosmic powers, no machines, and no outside assistance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should get back to cowering from all the other flying fish monsters in that abandoned quarry. Good day!" He opened one of the doors along the rampart walkway, stepped through, and was gone.
"Um..." Button coughed. "What just happened?"
Bloom shook herself. "Ah'm not rightly sure, but Ah guess we made an agreement, fair and square."
Reality shattered, and Button and Bloom found themselves still on the castle rampart, but now facing each other in an oddly two-dimensional space, crouched and ready to battle. Button wore a knight's mail armor, while Apple Bloom was dressed as a monk. Giant floating text appeared: "Final Round. 3, 2, 1... Start!"
Session 74.14 SomeRandom Minion
*Continuing the shenanigans with the dragon skins earlier*
Dragon Belle nuzzled the Diamond Dog pup in her claws. "Don't worry, Yipper; I could NEVER eat YOU! I'll even share some candy the other servants bring!"
"What gives?!" Garble fumed, "Dragons aren't supposed to be nice! Even to puppies! Or share!"
Ember smirked. "Oh? So suddenly you care about Dragon traditions? Or are you just jealous her horde already has more chocolate...or ANYTHING...than yours?"
Session 74.15 Alex Warlorn
"Come on Fluttershy! You and Rainbow Dash remember how great it was to be sirens! Why do ya wanna be dumb animals? When Daddy is gonna ... well I never know what he is gonna do to you, but it won't be fun for you!" Sonata said.
Just outside, Trixie let out a sonic blast that rang in Rainbow Dash's ears, "YOU WERE AN IDIOT TO GIVE THIS UP RAINBOW DASH! You'd rather be livestock than part of the family that's about to rule the world?"
"I really hope that the siren talking and not you Trixie..."
"I AM A SIREN!"
"... Not for long."
Session 74.16 Grogar-the-oneser
Adagio merely gaped at Sonata when she gave that plead to Fluttershy to give up while Dra-gon eyes narrow.
"Hah, she just kidding. She doesn't want to help the cattle. She know it's time to kill them." Adagio laugh nervously before vehemently whispering to Aria Blaze "Shut her up before he decides that Chronos the titan had a point about child raising."
"What the hell is going on," Applebloom screech. At first, they were evenly matched as they fought but slowly but surely, Button Mash was gaining the upper hand. "How can a villain beat the hero!?"
"For the last time, just cause I have powers, does not make me the VILLAIN!!" Button Mash roared as he slammed his mace knocking Apple Bloom out. "If anything, I'm a hero who reach level 100."
Session 74.17 Alex Warlorn
Dra-Gan reached one of his building sized hands towards Sonata, Aria and Blaze froze... and he fatherly patted her on the head not harming a hair on her head.
"Now now Sonata, I know you want to expand our family, but it's clear these animals have their heads buried deep in the sand, and don't know what's good for them. They don't want to join our school, and they don't want to join our eternal song in my and Hydra's praise. But don't worry, if she doesn't want to be your sister, she can make you sisters instead."
Fluttershy paled.
Rarity protectively stepped close to Fluttershy.
"Can we kill the mountain sized bastard already?" Rarity said, making many there gasp.
"What she said," Applejack remarked.
"Hey! Don't call Dad that!" Aria snapped.
"Legitimate description dear Aria, Father never does anything on purpose, and isn't married to himself. But yes, enough talking, more killing."
Session 74.18 Grogar-the-oneser
"Okay, I made it so the laws are no longer vague, the black market can no longer make a profit for selling wigs of all things, any creature caught taking advantage of said embargo is to be punished for it-"
Both Discord and Garble (Now back to normal) were in stocks that read 'two idiots acting idiotic.'
"How the devil she convince Hel to aid her in making this I have no bloody idea," Discord grumbled.
"And anypony who bought said item or items illegally with bad intentions must return said item immediately," Celestia said.
"Thank you for that last bit princess," Rarity said. She hoped that the diamond dogs would drop their lawsuit when they heard Sweetie lost her suit for what she did.
"Yeah, I think Scoot would be happy she at least get to keep hers due to a legal loophole." Rainbow Dash said.
Session 74.19 Mtangalion
Scootaloo groaned, watching Apple Bloom fall. "Fine!" grumbled the last of the Siren Crusaders. "I guess I have to do everything myself!" Her spider-mech stamped in place, turning around and aiming a giant plasma cannon at Button Mash.
Then she realized that someone was chanting something. "Huh?"
"Let us walk the path of Oblivion together, and smash even the souls of gods!" finished Sweetie Belle, holding aloft a seething blade of utter darkness. "RAGNA BLADE!"
And then a single swipe of the dark sword cut the plasma cannon in two, and severed half of the mech's legs, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Sweetie!" yelled Button Mash, all but teleporting to her side.
The brilliant glow of Sweetie's golden gloves and shoes was fading, flickering out. "Button?" Sweetie smiled woozily at him. "I think... I overdid it just a bit." She fainted into his arms.
"Argh!" Scootaloo exploded out of the crashed mech. "That's it! I've had it! I had the best cool giant robot ever, and I didn't get to do anything with it!" Her Siren body exploded with shimmering colors, and giant text appeared, reading "Trance Mode!"
"Oh, come on!" Button Mash laid Sweetie down carefully, then turned to face Scootaloo, already analyzing the matchup. He could definitely win, but he'd need to counter her hard and fast with his strongest sword combo...
"Dark windblades!" growled Scootaloo, diving at him with deadly conjured claws.
Button Mash readied his sword... and suddenly all he could see was the human Scootaloo... one of Sweetie Belle's best friends. "No!" he cried out, at the last moment ducking behind his shield instead. Her attack slammed his shield, leaving his fingers numb, but the shield held.
And then he saw the meters over Scootaloo's head, and suddenly he understood.
Button stood tall, taking deep breaths, and he sheathed his sword, facing Scootaloo with the shield alone.
Scootaloo clenched a fist. "Is this some kinda joke? Fight me! Ultimate Dark Flood!" She levitated and gathered a massive ball of foul swamp water over her head, then hurled it all down at Button.
"Shield wall," said Button, his voice only squeaking in fright a little, as he tanked the blow for both himself and the unconscious Sweetie.
"Are you doing this just to tick me off MORE?! Well, congratulations!" Scootaloo shrieked, shattering the ground for yards around... but not Button and Sweetie. Green mists swarmed at Button, whispering of all the times he'd ever been mocked and bullied, all the times when he just knew that Sweetie could never be interested in a gaming nerd like him. "Break down and bawl like the crybaby you really are!" bellowed Scootaloo. "Fear me, hate me! Why won't you... aaaahh!" Her attack faltered, and she fell to the ground. "W- What?"
Button Mash stumbled towards her, more relieved than triumphant. "Sirens are powered by negative emotions, Scootaloo. You just used all of yours up." He held out a glowing hand, readying one last spell.
Scootaloo cringed back from him, but the spell washed over her... and her Siren features started fading away. "You... you healed me? After what I nearly did?"
Button smiled and cast Ultra Cure on Apple Bloom too. As the changes swept over them, both of the former Sirens became fully human, only to turn right around and pony up. Bloom's harmony armor made her look like a World of Horsecraft blacksmith, and Scootaloo hovered on iridescent wings like a jeweled scarab.
Apple Bloom chuckled awkwardly, scratching her new pony ears. "Ah guess... we didn't wind up so powerless after all? Ah am so, so sorry!"
Scootaloo wrung her hands. "Not nearly as sorry as I am!"
"No ya ain't!"
All four of them shared a good laugh, and Button smacked a fist into a palm. "I think I used up most of my power too, but we can still help fight Dra-Gon!"
"Finally!" shouted someone in the distance. "I thought we'd never find the abandoned mine with that optional boss battle!"
The Crusaders blinked, and saw hundreds of lesser Sirens gathered on a hill looking greedily down at them... most of the remaining transformed kids who had fallen prey to the eyepatches. Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Or, we can help by taking out the mook army?"
"Works for me!" said Scootaloo.