//------------------------------//
// Longhorn's Journey Into Night: Part 2 
// Story: The Alternate Adventures of the Power Ponies 
// by DisneyFanatic23 
//------------------------------//

"Go ahead, underestimate me.
You won't be the first…
You won't be the last…
But you will be wrong."

- Steve Maraboli





Humdrum followed the blinking orange dot by renting a bike. Unfortunately, he couldn't pedal very fast, so by the time Mistress Mare-velous finally stopped, he was miles away from her destination. Panting heavily, he came up to a tiny shop called The Flim Flam Brothers' Everything Under the Sun Emporium. Through the wide glass window, he could see Mare-velous talking to two tall unicorn stallions in straw hats and striped vests. They appeared to be twins, aside from one having a red mustache.

"What's Mare-velous doing at a pawn shop?" Humdrum wondered aloud.

He parked his bike in the alley next-door and then peered carefully in through the front window. He couldn't hear a word of the conversation, but Mare-velous appeared to be shouting angrily about something. The mustache-less brother held up a silver horseshoe, which she knocked out of his hoof. The other brother showed her a golden whistle, which she also refused.

Suddenly, Demeter's Lasso whipped off Mare-velous' saddle and wrapped around the two clerks, who looked truly terrified.

What's she doing? Humdrum thought, his eyes widening at the sight. Mare-velous never uses her rope on civilians!

He watched in horror as the rope tightened around the twins and their mouths opened, as if to cry out. Humdrum wished he could read lips as they said something to Mare-velous, eventually convincing her to release her hold on them. The stallions gasped for breath on the floor as she turned to leave.

Gasping, Humdrum ducked below the window and skittered into the alley where his bike lay. Peering around the corner, he watched Mare-velous leave the shop and then use her rope to swing away.

He could track her down later, but first, he needed to know what that little scene had been about.

A bell dinged above him as he entered the stop. The stallions were standing now, smoothing out their vests. Upon hearing the bell, however, they turned to the door, straightened up and put on big grins as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Well lookie here, oh brother of mine, what luck!" the mustache-less brother said. "Two superhero customers in one day!"

"In one hour," the mustache brother said.

"Welcome, Mister Humdrum, to the Flim Flam Brothers' Everything Under the Sun Emporium! I'm Flim and he's Flam!"

"Nice to meet you," Humdrum said, waving his claw dismissively. "Would you guys mind telling me—?"

"You know what every powerless superhero needs?" Flam said, zipping to the dragon's side and holding up a cell phone. "Proper equipment!"

"Or perhaps a new cape?" Flim said, presenting a large blue cape. "We've got blue," with a wave of his hoof, the cape changed color, "purple, indigo, vermillion, chartreuse…"

"This toaster can electrocute your enemies!" Flam showed him a beat-up toaster, which was overrun with loose wires. "Provided your enemies are in a tub of water, of course."

"…goldenrod, eggshell, maroon…"

"I'll stick with the cape I've got," Humdrum said, holding up his own cape proudly.

"You'd like a new mask then!" Flim started holding up different-color masks in front of his face. "We've got blue, purple, indigo…"

Flam showed him a gun. "Something to fend off your enemies with!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Humdrum said, holding up his claws. "I don't have a license for—"

Flam fired it at the wall. Instead of a bullet, out came a suction cup.

"No license needed," he said, waving the toy. "Perfectly legal. Doesn't do as much damage as the real deal though, but won't get you in trouble with the law."

"Neither does the real deal," Flim said with a snicker.

"I'm not here to buy anything!" Humdrum said, pushing himself between them. "I just want you to tell me what Mistress Mare-velous was doing here."

The brothers looked at each other incredulously.

"Why not ask her yourself?" Flim asked.

"Aren't the two of you on the same team?" Flam asked.

"That's not important right now," Humdrum said, placing his claws on his hips. "I saw that she used Demeter's Lasso on you. Tell me whatever you told her."

The stallions laughed.

"And why should we?" Flam asked.

"Even if we knew what you were talking about…" Flam said.

"…you wouldn't know if we're telling the truth."

"Mistress Mare-velous is at least…"

"…persuasive."

"However…"

Flim brought back the capes. "If you were to make a purchase…"

Flam showed the dragon a toy bow with a suction cup for an arrow. "…it might just refresh our memories."

Humdrum glared at the stallions. They already gave off the vibe that they were con artists. Even if they managed not to rip him off, there was still no guarantee that they would give him the information they wanted, or that they'd even be truthful. Humdrum stepped away from them and searched the room, pretending to browse as he tried to come up with an idea.

Then his eyes fell on the glass case beneath the cash register. Several pieces of jewelry were on display. The price tags and the sign 100% Genuine suggested they were expensive.

Grinning, Humdrum turned back to the brothers. "How about this? You tell me what you told Mare-velous," he said, tapping the display case, "and I won't go telling the police you're trying to pass off fake gems for real ones."

That wiped the smiles off the brothers' faces.

"W-What do you mean?" Flim asked nervously.

"Those jewels are one hundred percent genuine!" Flam insisted.

"Dudes," Humdrum said, crossing his arms, "I'm a dragon. I literally eat these things for breakfast. You think I can't tell a real gem apart from a fake one?" He pointed to the jewelry. "Those are obviously pieces of colored glass, worth way less than a thousand dollars."

The brothers looked at each other and then grinned down at the dragon.

"What was it you wanted to know, again?" Flim asked.

He smirked. "Mare-velous wanted info out of you. What was that info exactly?"

"Just asking for the whereabouts of Longhorn, as usual," Flim replied.

"You'd think she would've stopped asking us by now," Flam said.

"But no! Just our luck that the one time we finally get a visit from Longhorn, that truth-seeking vigilante comes around the next day!"

"So Longhorn was here," Humdrum said. "How do you boys know him?"

"Just business," Flam said, holding up his hooves defensively.

"Back in the day, we were his top suppliers," Flim said.

"Before he went underground, that is."

"We hadn't heard from him in years until last night when he showed up in our shop after hours, demanding that he purchase a Strawberry Patch Foal."

Humdrum blinked. "A…Strawberry Patch Foal? You mean those little foal dolls dressed like fruit?"

"The rarest one!" Flam said.

"The Pineapple Princess!" Flim said.

The dragon cocked his head. "Not judging or anything, but Longhorn didn't strike me as the toy collecting type."

Flim shrugged. "We never question our customers' tastes."

"Business is business," Flam said.

"O…kay." Humdrum shook his head. "So where's Longhorn now?"

"Heck if we know!" Flim exclaimed. "He didn't exactly leave a return address when he pointed those sharp horns at our necks!"

"And made us sell that doll for half the price!" Flam said huffily.

"But we told Mare-velous where she might find him."

"Where?" Humdrum asked eagerly.

The brothers glanced at each other and winked.

"It's not exactly a place for kids," Flim said.

Humdrum pointed to the wall. "Is that jeweled dagger embedded with plastic?"

"But," Flam said quickly, "if you had a fake ID…"

"And ditched the cape and mask…" Flim continued.

"I get it," Humdrum said with a nod. "Not a place for heroes either."

The twins shook their heads.

"There's a place where lowlifes such as Longhorn and his gang like to dwell," Flim said.

"Not that we go there often," Flam said, looking around to see if anyone else was listening.

"It's called The Unstable Stable."

"You can find it on Ivy Road."

"Password's 'no horn matters here.'"

The thought of just what sort of lowlifes would be at this hangout sent chills up the dragon's spine, but he tried to swallow it all in a gulp. "Okay. Thanks."

He attempted to leave when the twins stepped in his path.

"If you want," Flam said, "we can sell you a disguise for tonight."

"For half the price?" Flim said, putting a fake mustache to his upper lip.





"When's AJ comin' back?" Apple Bloom asked as she sat on the couch, petting Winona.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," Fluttershy said, placing a plate of cucumber sandwiches on the coffee table.

"Can't ya at least take me to the park or somethin'? I'm bored!"

"Now, now. Remember what Applejack said. We need to stay in this apartment until she comes back."

Apple Bloom sighed. "I may be young, but I wasn't born yesterday, ya know? She's gone after Longhorn again, hasn't she?"

Fluttershy said nothing. Before Applejack had left, she had told her to keep Apple Bloom safe, as Applejack was afraid Longhorn might come after her little sister. Fluttershy didn't want to scare the poor thing, but she hated lying to her too.

Just then, a knock came at the door, making Fluttershy jump. Apple Bloom gripped her hooves around Winona's neck. Applejack had told them not to open the door to any pony.

"Wait here," Fluttershy whispered as she slowly approached the door.

Peering through the peephole, she discovered Delancey making funny faces. Sighing in relief, she started unhitching the door.

"What are ya doin'?" Apple Bloom asked.

"It's alright," Fluttershy said. "We can trust him."

As she opened the door, Delancey held out a bouquet of assorted flowers. "For you, my lady."

"Delancey!" Fluttershy said, taking the flowers gleefully. "What a delightful surprise!"

Delancey frowned. "You don't remember? It's Saturday?"

Fluttershy blinked a few times and then gasped. "Our picnic!" She put her hoof to her head. "Sweet Celestia, I forgot! I'm so sorry, Delancey, but I promised my roommate I'd watch her little sister until she comes back. Think we can reschedule?"

"Who's at the door, Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom called, trying to get a look at the stallion.

Fluttershy grinned brightly as an idea occurred to her. "You can stay for lunch though and we can watch Apple Bloom together! I'm sure Applejack won't mind."

Delancey peered past her at the filly on the couch. "Oh, well, uh…I'm not really one for—"

"I made cucumber sandwiches!" Fluttershy said musically.

One look into her big, begging eyes and he was putty in her hooves. "Well, if you cut off the crusts—"

Fluttershy squealed as she pulled him inside then securely relocked the door.

"Apple Bloom," Fluttershy said, gesturing to the stallion, "this is Delancey. He's a, uh…" She paused to blush. "…f-friend of mine."

Apple Bloom glanced at the flowers in Fluttershy's hoof and smirked. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"What?!" Fluttershy squeaked, hiding her red face behind the bouquet. "N-No, I…well, we never said that…we're not…"

"We spend a great deal of time together," Delancey said, glancing sideways at her, "though I wouldn't object to putting a label on it, if Fluttershy's willing."

Fluttershy lowered the flowers to look at him, meeting his admiring gaze. With a small smile, she glanced back down at the bouquet.

"Well, uh…" She spoke quickly. "I guess he's my boyfriend then."

Embarrassed, she rushed into the kitchen to find a vase. Chuckling, Delancey sat down on the couch. Then he remembered the filly was sitting there too and suddenly became very nervous. He hadn't much experience with foals. Last foal he really connected with grew up to be his heart's desire, so that wasn't really helpful, not to mention he'd been petrified the entire time.

"So, uh…" Delancey rubbed the back of his neck. "Do foals like…magic tricks?"

"Depends," Apple Bloom said, laying her forelegs across Winona's back as she leaned forward. "Are they any good?"

Delancey crossed his hooves. "Are they any good?" Appalled, he put one hoof to his chest. "My dear little pony, you are looking at the master of chao—err, magic!"

He placed his hooves together, and when he pulled them apart, a deck of cards suddenly appeared between them. He creatively shuffled them several times before fanning them out to the filly.

"Pick a card," he said.

Apple Bloom looked at him incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Just pick one, smart aleck."

Rolling her eyes, she picked a card: the six of spades. She placed it back in the deck and watched the stallion shuffle it a few more times.

"Oh, look!" Delancey said, picking out a card. "The three of hearts!"

"Nice try," Apple Bloom said boringly. "But my card was—"

"Six of spades, I know."

She blinked. "Err, yeah. But why didn't ya just pick that one out of the deck?"

"That's because it's not in the deck, anymore," Delancey said, fanning out the cards for her to see. "You are now wearing it as a bow."

Confused, Apple Bloom placed her hoof to the bow on her head. Delancey summoned a hoof mirror so she could see that her bow now had the pattern of the six of spades, making her gasp.

"That's the most amazin' thing I've ever seen!"

Delancey smirked. "Didn't Fluttershy tell you I was amazing?"

"I didn't even see ya use your horn!"

"That's how amazing I am," he said, slicking his mane back.

When Fluttershy returned with three cups of tea on a tray, she found Apple Bloom laughing as Delancey juggled five apples. At least, they were apples until they returned to his hooves. Then they were oranges, turning back into apples as they went tossed into the air. With a smile, Fluttershy set the tray down on the coffee table.

"Fluttershy, your boyfriend is hilarious!" Apple Bloom said, leaning towards her. "He's a keeper."

Blushing, Fluttershy said, "Delancey, may I talk with you in the kitchen a moment?"

"Certainly, my dear," he said, making the apples/oranges disappear.

As they headed for the kitchen, Apple Bloom called, "If y'all are gonna do what I think you're gonna do, I'll tell Applejack ya did it all over her kitchen counter with her little sister in the next room!"

Fluttershy winced as her face became even redder. Delancey only chuckled.

"Kids really do say the darnest things, don't they?"

Shaking off her embarrassment, Fluttershy closed the kitchen door. "You're really wonderful with children."

Delancey frowned in surprise. "I am?"

She nodded. "I'm not supposed to have her leave this apartment until her sister comes back, so it's nice that you're here to entertain her."

"Her sister won't let her leave this apartment?" He cocked his eyebrow. "Overprotective much?"

"She has a good reason. You see…" She glanced around and leaned towards him to whisper. "When Applejack was a foal and Apple Bloom was just a baby, their parents were…k-k-killed…by a dangerous criminal."

Delancey's eyes widened as he looked at the door. "Does she know?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "And the criminal's…in town. Applejack's worried he'll come for Apple Bloom, which is why she doesn't want her leaving this apartment, and why I have to make sure she's safe." She took his hoof. "But I'm not sure I can do this alone."

He looked down at her hoof and then at her. He certainly didn't want a dangerous criminal coming in here to harm her or the filly. Delancey may have done equal harm to children in the past, but it had never been intentional. The thought that someone would want to deliberately harm a filly, most notably the mare he adored, made him sick to his stomach.

With determination, he replied, "You won't be alone. I'll be here to protect you."

Grinning, Fluttershy hugged him, causing Delancey to smile widely in bliss.

"It's awfully quiet in there!" Apple Bloom called, knocking on the door. "Ya sure y'all aren't doin' it?"

Fluttershy was about to faint from embarrassment while Delancey laughed in amusement.

"I think I'm going to like her," he said.





Once evening fell, Spike trudged carefully down a shady part of town. He kept his brown trench coat close to his body and the brim of his gray fedora over his eyes, which made it hard for him to see through his fake glasses. As he approached a hanging sign that read The Unstable Stable, he touched the false mustache on his lip, hoping it looked convincing enough.

Taking a deep breath, he walked down a set of stairs and knocked on the steel door at the bottom landing. A peephole slid open and a pair of red eyes glared down at him.

"Password?" a gruff voice asked.

Standing on his tippy toes, Spike whispered, "No horn matters here."

The eyes narrowed. "We don't serve minors."

"When you say 'minors,' do you mean underage creatures," Spike said, glancing around as he reached into his trench coat, "or do you mean miners who mine for little beauties such as these?"

He pulled out what looked like a glimmering ruby. After a few seconds of silence, the peephole slid shut and the door opened. Spike took a step back as he was met with a creature with a gorilla's head and a minotaur's body.

With the figure towering over him, Spike wasn't in the mood to ask questions.

After a quick look around, the bouncer snatched the ruby and tucked it into the pocket of his khaki pants. Then he stepped aside and let the dragon through. As Spike gave a nod of thanks, he smiled to himself. Guess those fake jewels were of some value after all.

His moment of triumph was short-lived, when a plate whizzed over his head and hit the door behind him.

He'd entered some sort of pub, filled with ponies and creatures of all sorts throwing furniture, engaging in wrestling matches, gambling with cards, and drinking hard. Several of the thugs Spike recognized from wanted posters.

A few of them, he knew personally.

"So there I was," the Mane-iac said, sitting at a round table in the center of the room, "in a room full of petrified billionaires and business ponies, with Radiance in my clutches…"

Spike lowered the brim of his hat further as he attempted to walk past the table.

"…when suddenly, what should happen?" She used her mane locks to take a big swig of her beer. "This stumpy little dragon sprays my mane with a hose! A hose!" She gestured to her mane. "Took down this!"

"You think you've got problems," Trixie said, slamming down her glass. Spike was quite surprised to see her out of jail so soon. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has turned every pony in this city into dogs and ice cream, only to be foiled by the Power Ponies time and time again! Once with a gem cart!"

"Gems?" Spot said, coming out of his nap.

"Our heist last week should've been flawless!" Rover exclaimed, conking his colleague back to unconsciousness. "If that meddling Mistress Mare-velous and her meddling minions hadn't…meddled!"

"Oh, whine, whine, whine."

Spike stiffened at the sound of that voice. He looked to see the Phoenix using her magic to throw darts at a picture of the Masked Matter-Horn pinned to a dartboard.

"You fools don't know what real misery is," the Phoenix said, hovering one dart beside her as she aimed, "until you've spent ten years wallowing in prison," she fired and struck the Matter-Horn square in the eye, making Spike flinch, "pining over one pathetic pony," she threw another dart, hitting the image's muzzle, "and you strive to get her attention through impressive, magical acts of thievery," the next dart hit the neck, "only for her to beat you in the most intellectual," she threw another, "touchy," and another, "feely," and another, "way," and another, "possible!"

The last dart was thrown with such force, it split one of the others in two. Gulping, Spike ducked his head and scurried in between the Phoenix and the table of previously defeated foes.

"So if you had used that dog head thing on us," Fido asked Trixie, pointing to himself, "would that have turned us into ponies?"

I gotta find Mare-velous, Spike thought, looking anxiously around the bar, before these guys recognize me!

Then, like an answer from above, a familiar country voice reached the dragon's earholes. "Listen here, Buffalo Bull, my patience is wearin' thin!"

Spike looked over to a booth in the corner, where a green-eyed mare in a black ski mask and turtleneck was on the table, her hooves gripped to the chest of a black bull with a patch of white around his eye. Seated next to him was a shorter, tan bull with a bandana over his face. Both bulls looked positively terrified.

"Ya either know where your boss is, or ya don't!" the mare shouted, glaring hard at her hostage.

"I swear!" the hostage, Buffalo Bull said, holding his hooves up. "I don't know nothin'!"

He yelped as she tossed him aside and turned to the other bull. "Then maybe your buddy Doc Holstein here's got a clearer memory."

She grabbed the bull with the bandana and hoisted him up.

"Whoa, whoa!" Doc screamed, flailing about. "Take it easy, lady!"

Spike had no doubt of the identity of this mare, and was mortified to see her interrogating in such a harsh manner. Then he spotted a burlap sack near Buffalo Bull's hooves. Curious, he crept toward the booth, keeping his eyes on the sack.

"Don't think I don't remember y'all!" she said, bringing his face to hers. "Y'all are real tight with King Longhorn, and I know he's set up shop in this here town!"

Crouching down, Spike slowly opened up the sack and peered inside.

"So tell me again," Mare-velous said, tightening her grip on Doc's chest. "Where is he?"

"Tiny sparkly dresses?!" Spike exclaimed once he discovered the contents of the bag.

The bulls and Mare-velous turned to him, the latter gasping.

"What in the hay?"

Looking up at her, Spike smiled nervously. "H-Hi?"

Grabbing him by the collar, she hoisted him up to her face. "What are ya doin' here?! How'd ya even get in here?!"

"Sorry, Mare-velous!" Spike said, putting up his claws. "I know you didn't want any help but—"

"Mare-velous?" Rover's raspy voice cried out.

The two heroes looked over to see the gray Diamond Dog staring right at them, growling.

"It is her!" he exclaimed, pointing. "I'd know those eyes anywhere! It's Mistress Mare-velous!"

The Mane-iac stood up from her seat. "And the Power Ponies' annoying little dragon sidekick! Humdrum!"

Now all eyes were on the disguised heroes. Mare-velous glared sideways at the dragon, who laughed awkwardly.

"Oops?"

"Get them!" Trixie shouted.

As the thugs charged towards them, Mare-velous sighed as she psychically got out her rope. "So much for the disguise." She lifted Spike onto her back. "Hang on tight."

"This is for taking away our gems!" Rover shouted as he and his two colleagues closed in.

"They must suffer for foiling Trixie's plans!" Trixie said, powering her horn.

"That little runt will pay for ruining my mane!" the Mane-iac cried, cracking her locks.

"Shouting is fun!" some pony yelled.

When the criminals were inches from the heroes, Mare-velous grabbed her rope and jumped off the table. Spike cried out as they swung above the angry mob, watching as they collided into each other in an attempt to grab the heroes.

The only one who hadn't joined in the fight was the Phoenix, who kept close to the dartboard. Glancing around, she illuminated her horn and opened the front door. Once the heroes were through, she shut it and whistled as if nothing had happened.

Landing on her hooves, Mare-velous mentally tucked her rope into her coat as she ran up the steps and down the street. Spike could hear the door to the pub slamming open and the mob screaming after them.

Ducking into an alleyway, Mare-velous kicked a dumpster open. Spike kept his grip around her neck as she jumped inside and slammed the lid over them. Spike gagged at the terrible smell of garbage, only for Mare-velous to place one hoof in his mouth and the other to her lips.

They waited until the sound of the mob had faded into the distance. Cautiously, Mare-velous opened the lid a smidge and glanced around.

"Coast is clear," she said, opening the dumpster further.

Spike heaved a sigh of relief as she helped him out. "Boy, that was a close one! We sure showed them, didn't we?"

His relief was terminated as soon as Mare-velous gripped his shoulders and forced him to look into her furious glare.

"What were ya thinkin'?!" she demanded. "Do ya have any idea how dangerous that place is?!"

"Uh, yeah, kinda," Spike said, pointing with his thumb towards the street. "We were just chased by a mob of our greatest enemies."

Groaning, she released him. "Matter-Horn asked ya to follow me, didn't she? I told her I wanted to handle this alone! And to send you of all people—"

"Matter-Horn doesn't know about this!" Spike insisted, holding up his claws. "This was all my idea!"

She smacked herself in the forehead. "Now that's even stupider! Not only could you've gotten hurt, but ya blew my cover when I was this close to findin' Longhorn's hideout! And now that those crooks know that we're onto 'em they'll be movin' their little bad guy hangout someplace else!"

"Longhorn's hangout or the pub?"

"Both!"

The dragon sighed in shame. "Yeah, you're right. Too bad you couldn't get any information from those henchbulls." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out his tracking screen. "Guess there's nothing left for us to do but follow the tracking device I put on them."

"Exact—" She blinked. "What?"

Smirking, Spike held up the screen. "I figured even if you got them to talk, they wouldn't be very honest, so as I was looking through their bag I slipped in a tracking device. Now that you've got them all scared, they're sure to run right back to their boss."

Mare-velous' mouth fell open as she stared at the blinking red dot on the screen, then at the dragon. "That's…brilliant."

He lifted his chin proudly. "I have my moments."

"That'll definitely make it easier to track Longhorn down!"

She reached for the device, but he pulled it away, shaking his head.

"My tech, my rules." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not doing this without me. And before you send me home, remember that I am underage and that it would be dangerous for me to walk these streets so late at night, especially considering there's an angry mob of villains after my head. Of course, you could just take me home yourself, but that just might give those henchbulls more time to warn their boss that you're looking for him. Or, perhaps, they might discover the tracking device before we catch up and by the time you get to their most recent location, it'll be too late."

He waved the device tauntingly. "Just saying, it would save you a heck of a lot more time if I came with you."

Mare-velous stared at him in disbelief for a long while. Then, sighing in defeat, she took off her ski mask, revealing her hero mask and releasing her long ponytail.

"When did ya get so smooth-talkin'?" she asked, removing her trench coat.

Spike shrugged. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."