//------------------------------// // Attack of the Clones Pt. I // Story: A Passing Through Kamen Rider // by thunderclap //------------------------------// The celebration in the Crystal Empire had lasted for several days, parts of which Twilight couldn’t remember. She had drank more than she had ever before, much to her regret. Spike and Cadance had been hailed as heroes and there was even talks of a statue being made in the drake’s honor. In the time of the celebration, Sombra had been bought a few outfits and had taken part in the festivities. For most of it he had clung to Wyatt or Twilight’s legs, though Pinkie had helped him open up once or twice through games. Even now, on the walk through Canterlot, Sombra stuck close to Twilight’s side. Holding onto her hand, he tried to make himself as small as possible. “Do you like the city, buddy?” Wyatt asked, putting a hand on top of the colt’s head. “When we’re done at the castle, Twilight can take us to some places for treats.” “It’s too loud...” Sombra  replied, looking up at him. “Aww, not a fan of loud noises huh?” Wyatt asked. An idea suddenly struck him and he scooped the colt up to put him on his shoulders. “There you go, now you’ve got both hands free to cover your ears.” A smile spread across his lips as Sombra took his advice. Twilight couldn’t help but smile as well, watching the colt take in the city with more enthusiasm than before. ‘Hard to believe he used to be a tyrant,’ she thought idly, the castle gates approaching them. ‘And Wyatt is surprisingly good with a foal.’ “You’re so tall, Papa,” Sombra commented, putting his hands on Wyatt’s head. Wyatt’s near sudden stop was lost on him, his curiosity overcoming his timidness. ‘Oh god, my heart,’ Wyatt thought, fighting the urge to clutch his chest. ‘How can a former tyrant be so cute?’ Realizing he had been silent for too long, Wyatt finally said, “Well Sombra, I grew up big and strong because I drank my milk and ate my veggies.” He tilted his head up and smiled at Sombra. “You can be just like me if you do that!” Punctuating this, Wyatt flexed his arms. Sombra giggled at Wyatt’s antics, pulling Wyatt’s head to his chest for a hug. “You’re silly, Papa! Momma,” he turned his head to Twilight, “do veggies and milk really make you tall?” A frown pulled on his smile, noting Twilight had frozen in place. “Momma?” ‘Ahhhhh!’ Twilight screamed internally, her mane frizzing in a couple places. ‘He considers me his mother! Am I ready for that?! Wyatt and I aren’t even married yet! Oh Faust, what if this weirds him out and he leaves me!?’ Looking over to Wyatt, her worries were assuaged slightly by seeing him smiling at her and taking her hand for a reassuring squeeze. “Twi, Sombra asked you a question,” Wyatt reminded her, giving her hand another squeeze. “You can’t leave him hanging, can ya?” Managing a soft smile, Twilight looked up at the colt. “Yes, Sombra, veggies and milk will help you become big and strong.”  Smoothing her mane out, she did her best to control her nerves. “Are you excited about meeting the princess?” Sombra’s smile waned a bit and he held onto Wyatt a bit tighter. “Um, is she nice?” he asked timidly. “Caddy was nice...” “She’s very nice,” Twilight assured, reaching up to tousle his mane. “She’s my teacher and somepony I look up to more than anypony else.” Letting her hand rest on his cheek, she added, “I’m sure she’ll like you.” “Okay, Momma, if you say so,” the colt replied, leaning into her touch. The group was quiet after that and passed through the gates of the castle without issue. They were given an escort of two guards  and were told that Celestia was waiting for them in one of the sitting rooms. They found the princess with a pot of tea at the ready and Wyatt couldn’t help but idly wonder if she ever drank anything else. Light streamed in from the wall of windows and danced off the paint. The furniture and carpet were both purple, matching the color of the towers outside. At the center of the couches was a rectangular table with a glass top with a tray where the teapot, cups, and an arrangement of snacks sat. “It’s so good to see you all,” Celestia greeted, looking between the group. “I was confident that your mission in the Crystal Empire would be a success. Please,” she waved a hand to the couch across from her, “take a seat and help yourselves to some refreshments.” “Thank you, Princess.” Wyatt sat down, placing Sombra on his lap. “It’s always a pretty long walk from the station to the castle.” “Forgive me,” Celestia started, chuckling and picking up a scone. “But Canterlot was made far before the invention of trains. The edge of the city was the only good place to put it without disturbing other landmarks and streets.” “It wasn’t a problem,” Twilight quickly assured, taking a seat next to Wyatt. She lit her horn up, levitating all of her notes and utensils out of her bag. “I’m ready to give my report, Princess!” “As prepared as always,” Celestia noted, taking a bite of her treat and picking up one of the notes. Peering over the page she added, “Even after partaking in a little too much merriment.” Blushing, Twilight picked up one of the pages of notes in an attempt to recover. “Yes, well before the celebrating we had to deal with some of Dai-Shocker’s forces. They interrupted the Crystal Faire I had set up in an attempt to power up the Crystal Heart.” “One too many starfish if you ask me...” Wyatt muttered, petting Sombra’s head. Twilight offered him a sympathetic look for a moment and rested her hand on his knee. “Yes, one of the monsters was an odd starfish hybrid while the other went by the name, Ambassador Hell…” She continued to recount their mission in the Crystal Empire, sparing no detail save the little heart to heart she had with Spike. That seemed like too private a thing for a report. “I found Sombra not long after that,” Wyatt added, smiling down at the colt in question who was burying his head in Wyatt’s chest and only daring to peek an eye out at the solar princess. “Little guy was lost and I decided to look after him. He’s a little shy though.” “Might have something to do with me mixing my pink medals with the magic of the Crystal Heart,” Spike noted, rubbing his neck. “It uh, seemed like a good idea.” He glanced over to Sombra and a small smile found its way to his face. “But I can think of way worse things than this.” “He calls me papa,” Wyatt added, rubbing Sombra’s back. “Isn’t that right, buddy?” “Mhmm,” Sombra replied, pulling away from Wyatt a bit to look up at him. “What else would I call you?” “Not a thing,” Wyatt replied, poking Sombra’s nose. Celestia smiled, an idea popping into her head. Putting her teacup up to her mouth to conceal her mischievous smile she said, “Given your performance, I think it’s safe to say you passed your test, Twilight.” Before Twilight could respond she continued, “However, given the state of Sombra I think it’s best that he stays in your care. I will help you file the necessary paperwork to make you his legal guardian.” “What!?” Twilight shrieked, jumping out of her seat. “You want me to what!?!” “He already considers you and Wyatt his parents, don’t you think he’ll respond best to your care?” Celestia questioned in return, settling her gaze on the colt. “He seems quite attached to the two of you already.” “Yeah, does seem too cruel for my tastes to put him up for adoption when we’re just starting to get him to open up,” Wyatt noted, patting Sombra’s head. “Might need to grow an addition to the treehouse to give him a room though.” “Momma?” Sombra asked, looking up at Twilight with an unsure expression. Staring back at the colt, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at her outburst. She returned to her seat, pulled Sombra into her lap and gave him a quick hug. “Sorry if I scared you, Sombra. I was just surprised that Princess Celestia would go so far for us, that’s all.” Sombra nodded, nuzzling her chest. “It’s okay, Momma, I’m not mad.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at his answer and gave the top of his head a kiss. “You’re such a good foal. Stay that way, okay?” Her smile grew a little warmer and she added, “For momma?” “Okay,” Sombra replied, letting his head rest on Twilight’s stomach. “I’ll be good like you and Papa.” He closed his eyes, a small smile on his muzzle. “Well, I think I should go get started on getting the papers ready,” Celestia said, snapping Twilight’s attention away from Sombra. “It’s been wonderful seeing you four safe and sound, but I’m sure you wish to go home.” Her eyes lit up in realization as finished her tea. “Oh, and I will see about Wyatt’s suggestion of adding a room to Golden Oaks. I know someone who can manage something like that who owes me a favor.” “Who did you have in mind?” Twilight asked, running her fingers through Sombra’s mane. “King Aspen,” Celestia replied, setting her cup down. “One of his subjects could surely shape your treehouse a new room. Though it would take a bit of time so you’d need temporary lodging for a night or two.” “King Aspen?” Wyatt questioned. “Never heard of the guy.” Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his head. “Then again, haven’t done much as far as world Geography is concerned.” “Aspen is the leader of the deer,” Celestia explained, rising out of her seat. “He and his people live deep in the Everfree forest; in a city known as Thicket. They’re very nature oriented, rejecting most progress other races have made.” “Huh, we had something like that back in the country I lived in,” Wyatt noted, standing up. “They were called the Amish and they rejected a lot of modern technology for religious reasons. Never seen one myself, they didn’t live in my area.” “That’s fascinating,” Twilight replied, standing up and putting Sombra on his hooves. “And thank you, Princess, I can’t wait to see the work done on the library.” Taking his hand, she added, “Do you think they’d put in a second addition, so Spike can have his own room?” “I am sure that can be arranged,” Celestia assured, opening the door. “Just be sure to give the worker any ideas for room sizes and shapes you wish. I’ll send King Aspin a message before the day is out.” “You’re a lifesaver, Princess,” Wyatt said, taking Sombra’s other hand. With a smile, he looked down at the colt. “Sombra, don’t you think you should thank the princess for her help?” Sombra looked up at the Princess, hugging Wyatt’s leg. “Um...thank you, princess.” “You’re very welcome,” Celestia replied, offering him a sweet smile. “You have a nice day with your family.” With a flash of her horn, she placed the remaining pastries into a bag. “Here, a reward for being such a good boy.” Sombra looked into the bag and his mouth started to water. “Thank you, Princess!” he chimed, taking a cookie from the bag and chomping down on it. “That’s all you get for now.” Twilight reached down, taking the bag from him. “You can have more after dinner, okay?” “Okay, Momma,” Sombra replied, continuing to eat his cookie while Wyatt led him out of the room. The colt couldn’t keep the smile off his face as the treat slowly disappeared. “Have a good day, Princess!” Wyatt called over his shoulder. “So...” he smiled, looking back at Twilight. “What do you want to do now that we’re cut loose? See how Spear and Shining are doing?” His smile waned a little. “Maybe...drop in on the ‘rents and show Sombra off?” Twilight paused, her eyes going wide. “Oh Faust, I can only imagine what they’d think if they heard I have a son.” Turning her eyes to the happy colt, her thoughts started to drift. “Actually… I think they’d just try to spoil him.” Wyatt took a breath, pushing down his dour thoughts. “I bet they’ll love him! I mean who wouldn’t love a good kid like this!” Reaching down, he scooped Sombra up and put him on his shoulders again. Giggling his head off, Sombra put his hands on Wyatt’s head. “Thanks, Papa! You’re the best!” Wyatt couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride rush through him at the praise and gave Sombra’s legs a squeeze. “Gotta be the best for the best son ever,” he replied, tilting his head back to grin at the colt. “Alright you two.” Twilight locked arms with Wyatt, steering them down the hall. “We can’t dilly dally all day, we have things to do.” “Fine!” Wyatt and Sombra whined in unison, the pair sharing a smile. “Geez, soon they’ll both be answering to ‘Wyatt’.” Spike smirked at the interaction. “How about we stop at Donut Joe’s? We can grab a box of donuts and drop by Mom and Dad’s.” Twilight couldn’t argue with her brother’s plan and steered the group towards the shop as soon as they exited the castle. Her eyes drifted towards Sombra every now and then and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety each time. Motherhood was always something that seemed like a distant worry, but now it was staring her right in the face. Pinkie grinned as she treaded the path leading deeper into the Everfree Forest. She couldn’t help but giggle at her idea. If her friends were all going to be doing fun things apart from one another, she just needed to find a way to be in two places at once. Lucky for her, Granny had told her about something that could do just that; the Mirror Pool! Somehow avoiding a manticore’s tail, Pinkie glanced around the path. “Seems like hardly anypony's been here in ages.” Scrunching her muzzle up, she frowned. “I hope I'm remembering the rhymes right from my Nana Pinkie's story. ‘Where the brambles are thickest, there you will find a pond beyond the most twisted of vines!’" Her frown turned into a look of confusion, hearing her words bouncing back at her. “Who's there!? Are we playing a game?” Her palm met her forehead as realization came to her. “Pinkie Pie, you silly filly, that’s just your echo!” Closing her eyes, Pinkie broke into a giggle fit as she continued on her way. Her giggling was short lived as the trail gave way to a slope, sending her tumbling downward. “Oof!” Landing in a leap, Pinkie blinked the dirt out of her eyes. “That wasn’t a nice trip at all!” Pulling her face up, she found herself in a rocky alcove. It was hidden from view by a thick canopy of trees at all sides, with only a bit of sunlight poking through. And at the cove’s center was a glittering pool, the water catching what little light there was. “The Mirror Pool!” Scrambling to the edge, she stared in wonder at its shimmering surface. “I really found it! Thank you, Nana~” She approached the edge of the pool, staring down at the glimmering water. After a moment, she closed her eyes and tried to recall the words used with the pool. Opening her eyes, she looked down into her reflection. “And into her own reflection she stared, uh, yearning for one whose reflection she shared, and solemnly sweared not to be scared at the prospect of being doubly mared!" She dipped her head below the surface of the water. Pulling her head up, she watched with glee as her reflection reached out of the water. “It worked!” Pinkie cheered, taking in her clone. “This is amazing!” “Fun!” The newborn Pinkie clone shouted, bouncing up and down. “Yeah! We’re gonna have lots of fun!” Pinkie agreed, her smile growing. “Come on, I’ll tell you about my friends on the way back to Ponyville!” There was no way Pinkie would ever miss out on having fun with her friends now, no way in Tartarus. Nearly a week had passed since Wyatt and the girls had returned from the Crystal Empire. Like Celestia had said, a deer had shown up to remodel Golden Oaks. The worker was a young buck if the small horns were anything to go by, though the slender frame nearly threw Wyatt off. What shocked Wyatt was the method the deer used to remodel; nature magic of some kind. “It’s like watching the elves from Lord of the Rings,” Wyatt muttered, watching as the tree moved under the buck’s command. “I wonder if this is what the deer medal can do...” “I’m kinda hoping so,” Spike chimed in, not looking away from the deer’s work. “Plant magic is pretty cool. Betcha he can make flowers that shoot poison needles, or pony-eating plants!” “While I could do those things,” the buck said, continuing his work. “It is highly frowned upon to use our magic to kill. Even in self defense.” “Good to know.” Wyatt got to his feet, brushing himself off. “We’ll let you get on with your work. Come on, Spike. Flash is expecting us in the gorge.” Standing up, Spike stretched his arms over his head. “Yeah, best not to keep her waiting.Otherwise we’ll probably get punched in the gut. Are we stopping to get the Pie’s?” “Of course we’re stopping to get them,” Wyatt told him, leading him towards Sugarcube Corner. “They’ve wanted to get in on the training and now’s as good a time as any.” Since Maud had arrived in town, she had been shacking up with Pinkie Pie. She had more or less co opted Twilight’s lab. Subsequently, Wyatt found more and more of his room taken up in the pursuit of science. On the bright side, he and Maud had gotten to know each other pretty well during the amount of times she had come over. He even swore he was beginning to be able to pick up on actual facial expressions and tone shifts from the mare. On the other hand, she had woken him up early more than once due to her work. “Think she’ll teach us some awesome moves?” Spike asked, jabbing at the air. “She looks like she knows what she’s doing!” Wyatt was pulled from his train of thought and turned to the drake. “I hope so, a man can only get by on fundamentals for so long. Getting Pinkie into shape is going to drive Flash up the wall.” Snickering, Spike replied, “Oh, I can see it now. Flash is going to be shouting at her to lay off the cupcakes and start doing crunches.” Scratching his cheek and looking up in thought he added, “Can’t even imagine what Pinkie would look like without that bit of pudge on her.” “Into the pudge huh?” Wyatt grinned, elbowing Spike gently. “Nothing wrong with that.” Spike blushed, returning his gaze to the street in front of him. “I mean, Pinkie is really cute, but it sort of feels wrong to think of her like that. Sorta like she’s too innocent, ya know?” “That’s just want she wants you to think.” Wyatt wagged his finger. “It’s always the nice ones.” Spike tilted his head at the man. “Uh, what do you mean? It’s always the nice ones that what?” Wyatt shook his head. “Oh no, that’s something for you and Twilight to talk about. And if she won’t, then go ask your dad.” Spike groaned and rubbed the back of his head. “I doubt Twi would tell me anything even if she knew. Fine, I’ll ask my dad the next time I visit him.” Taking some coins out of his pocket, he tossed them into the air. “Maybe I should ask Grandpa too?” “That’s the spirit!” Wyatt replied, grinning and giving the drake a thumbs up. “I bet he’d teach you how to woo a lady in the traditional dragon way while he’s at it.” Spike tried to picture what that would entail. All that really came to mind was a display of bravado and fire. “I don’t think dragon pick up lines would translate well to ponies, Wyatt.” Wyatt chuckled, his grin turning impish. “Well, you could always try my method; nearly turn evil and have someone confess their love for you to pull you out of it. That was pretty effective.” “That sounds like fun!” The two let out a pair of yelps, turning to see Pinkie grinning at them. “Can we do that?! I really like fun~” “Uhh, Pinkie, are you feeling okay?” Wyatt quirked a brow at the pink mare. Sure, normally she was energetic, but the mare in front of him was less peppy and more ADD squirrel that had drank a Red Bull mixed with crack. “You look like you’re tweaking.” “What’s tweaking?” Pinkie replied, bouncing in place while she whipped her head around. “Is it fun?!” Wyatt shared a look with Spike, frowning. “Pinkie, how about we go see Maud, okay? I think that would be a lot of fun.” He took the mare’s hand, starting to walk towards Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie let out a cheer, skipping happily while swinging her arm. Wyatt glanced back at the mare, gears turning in his head. The mare he was leading seemed like a shallow shell of the Pinkie he had come to call a friend. Was this a Dai-Shocker plot? Wyatt wracked his brain, trying to think of what kind of monster would cause something like this. The only thing he could think of was a Power Rangers monsters that could create copies of things… including an evil white ranger. That couldn’t be it, Dai-Shocker had never used something from anything but Kamen Rider. Then again, the original Dai-Shocker wasn’t led by an anthropomorphic pony. A frown found its way to his face, suddenly fearing evil Rangers in his future courtesy of his Decade branded bad luck. Wyatt’s pondering made the trip to Sugarcube Corner go by in a blur. Once they reached the building, Pinkie nearly wrenched Wyatt’s arm from his socket as she zipped towards the door. He stumbled along, barely able to keep up with her. Bursting through the door, Pinkie called out. “Hey Maud! Are you home?!” “Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake asked, frowning at the hyper mare. “I thought you were taking the day off?” “I am?” Pinkie replied, tilting her head in confusion. This lasted all of a second before her cheerful demeanor returned. “Right, I’m just looking for Maud so we can have some fun!” “She should be upstairs,” Mrs. Cake replied, her frown morphing into a look of concern. “Are you sure you’re alright, Pinkie Pie? You aren’t feeling sick, are you?” “Never better?!” Pinkie replied, dashing upstairs. Once she reached the door to her room she knocked rapidly. “Maud, are you in here?!” “Come in,” came Maud’s voice from inside. “Hiya Maud!” Pinkie cheered, not even waiting for the door to fully open before speaking. “Wanna go have some fun?!” Maud paused, having been in a fighting pose. She stared at Pinkie before closing the distance and punching through Pinkie’s gut. Pinkie spasmed before exploding into pink dust. Wyatt stepped into the doorway just in time to see Maud punch the other mare into a cloud of dust. He stared slack jawed for a moment before collecting himself. “Okay, knew something was up with Pinkie, but was not expecting her to poof away like that.” Tearing himself away from the slowly forming pile of Pinkie Dust, he weakly smiled at Maud. “Figured you’d know better than anybody if we were dealing with an imposter.” Maud brushed herself off, looking down at the pile. “My Maud sense told me something was wrong. I know my sister like the back of my hand.” Stepping over the pile, she moved past Wyatt. “We need to find her, she might have found the Mirror Pool.” “Have I ever told you how cool the family super powers you Pies have are?” Wyatt inquired, following her out into the street leaving Spike looking confused behind them. “Also, what’s the Mirror Pool?” “It’s an old mare's tale,” Maud explained, glancing up and down the street. “It can duplicate any pony that stands in front of it. Our grandmother used to tell us stories about it. Pinkie must have found it.” “So that wasn’t the real Pinkie?” Spike questioned, seeming to come to a realization. “Um, did the stories say someone could only make one copy?” “The story didn’t give a limit.” Maud stopped in her tracks, watching ‘Pinkie’ bounce around Lyra and Bon Bon. Another Pinkie burst out of a trash can, scaring a few foals. “We need to find the real Pinkie.” “Maybe we should split up?” Wyatt suggested, looking between the two. “We should each get some of the others and search the town. We can meet up in an hour no matter what we find. Don’t poof the copies you come across. That’d just make a scene and delay finding the Pinkie that isn’t a fun zombie.” “Right.” Spike nodded, slipping his belt on. “I’ll go to the school and get Twilight. She has to know a spell that’ll help or something, right?” Twilight had to know a spell, some kind of... anti-clone magic or something. “Yeah, good thinking,” Wyatt agreed, summoning his own driver. “I’ll grab Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Eyes in the sky will help too.” “I’ll ask Applejack for help,” Maud noted, striding down the street towards the farm. “The two of us can check the pool to make sure no more clones get made. If you find Pinkie, keep her in one place.” Wyatt and Spike quickly agreed and the three ran off in different directions. Wyatt found a secluded spot and changed into his Cassie form to take to the sky. With a bird's eye view, he could see just how crazy things had gotten. Dozens of Pinkie clones swarmed over the town, like a pink plague of locusts. “Talk about too much pink energy,” Wyatt muttered under his breath, looking away from the insane scene. He flew up higher, landing on the edge of Dash’s cloud home. “Dash, you in there?!” he called out, keeping his wings out. The last thing he needed was to go skydiving by accident. Seconds passed before Dash poked her head out of a second story window and yawned. “Wyatt? What are you doing here all armored up?” “What if I told you that Pinkie found a magic puddle that let her make clones of herself and said clones are running rampant?” Wyatt asked in return, adjusting his stance and crossing his arms over his chest. “...She started a Pinkiepocolypse?!” Dash bolted into the air, peering down at Ponyville. “I knew she was a bit out of it, but I didn’t think she’d end the world! Whaddya need me to do?” “We’re grabbing Fluttershy and searching the town from the air to find the real Pinkie,” Wyatt answered, flying up to her. “She’ll be the one capable of an emotion beyond ‘fun’.” Beating his wings, Wyatt dove back towards town; hoping Pinkie clones were the worst they’d have to deal with. Once Wyatt managed to grab Fluttershy, the aerial trio spread out and took stock of the town. There didn’t seem to be an end to the clones; more and more of them appearing from random locations. Despite scouring every inch of the town, Wyatt couldn’t find any trace of the real Pinkie. Cursing under his breath, he took a pass by the town’s clocktower to see the hour deadline was quickly approaching. Looking back down at the streets, he couldn’t help but imagine a zombie movie once again. “This isn’t going anywhere.” Wyatt groaned, watching as a few Pinkies bounced a market stall to pieces. “They’re gonna break the damn town!” Maud walked down the trail of the Everfree with Applejack in tow. The grey mare was reeling from what Pinkie had done. Seeking out an object from their grandmother’s stories was reckless at best. She could only hope that the others could find the real Pinkie quickly. Applejack stepped over a fallen tree, catching up with Maud’s purposeful strides. “Ya sure she’s still out here?” “Even if she isn’t, one or more of the clones must be creating the horde that’s showing up in town. If we put a stop to that, then we make it easier to find the real Pinkie,” Maud reasoned, looking down at the ground for any signs of Pinkie’s tracks. “And we can prevent others from abusing it too.” “Ah’ve been livin’ in Ponyville all my life, Ah ain’t ever heard of no Mirror Pool.” Applejack wracked her brain, trying to recall if Granny had ever referenced such a thing. Nothing came to her, making her frown deepen. “You also didn’t believe the Elements of Harmony were real despite being a stone’s throw away,” Maud retorted, leaning down toward the ground when she saw something that looked suspiciously like a hoofprint. “Granny Pie was full of stories from all over Equestria.” “Ah suppose that’s true...” Applejack came to a stop, watching Maud with no small curiosity. “Ah’m tellin’ ya, we shoulda brought Winona. She’d have found Pinkie’s trail faster than a boar findin’ truffles.” “I didn’t want to put your pet at risk in this forest,” Maud answered, tracing the hoofprint with a finger. “Besides, with all the clones that would throw off her tracking.” standing back up, she pointed into the treeline. “Pinkie went this way.” “That is a good point.” Applejack moved after Maud, eyes scanning the ground. “Ah had no idea ya’ll was so good at trackin’. That somethin’ all the Pie’s do?” “Most of us,” Maud replied, pulling back a low hanging branch and heading into the brush. “Pinkie never took it all too seriously, but most of the tracking we know involves spotting disturbances in soil. Lucky for us, Pinkie’s heavyhooved so she makes tracks in this hard dirt.” “Good fer us then.” Applejack went quiet not wanting to disturb Maud’s concentration. The tracks became much more numerous, very much so in fact. Most of them led out of the forest, but there were one or two sets that pulled them deeper into the dark forest. A loud rustling around them broke Maud’s attention. Had one of the nastier denizens of the Everfree managed to sneak up on them? “Applejack, be ready to run.” “Yeah, Ah hear it,” Applejack replied, bending her knees slightly as she watched the rustling. “Whatever’s makin’ that noise sounds big. Might be a Timberwolf pack.” The two continued to listen to the rustling, checking to see if it would pass. As soon as it came, the rustling stopped. Before the two could relax, a Pinkie clone burst out from the brush. Unlike the other clones, this one had insectile growths across its body. It’s chest and arms were covered in corrupted OOO armor, its hands replaced with wicked green scythes. “That’s not a Timberwolf,” Maud observed, watching the Pinkie clone let out mangled cries of ‘Fun’. “Run.” Applejack didn’t need to be told twice, the pair tearing away back towards the trail while the corrupted clone slashed the spot where they had just been standing. The two stopped for nothing, knowing the clone was behind them from its mantra of ‘Fun’. “Can’t ya rider up, or whatever it is ya’ll do!?” Applejack asked, ducking under a branch. “Take out that monster Pinkie!” “Pinkie went out today without any of her Gaia Memories,” Maud explained, pulling a  tree branch down and letting it fly back at the clone in an attempt to slow it down. “That means I can’t transform until we find her.” The clone slashed at the tree branch as it came to her face, causing a clean cut to appear and the two pieces of the branch to harmlessly sail past the corrupted mare. Pinkie whimpered, staring in horror as her many copies mutated. Her ears pinned to her head, trying to block out the deranged cries of fun. “I-I didn’t want this...” Her words slipped out unheard, overwhelmed by all the commotion. Blending in with the cries of the clones were the shrieks of horror from the townsponies. Pinkie watched from her hiding spot as ponies scrambled to get to some sort of safe haven from the monstrous horde. “I’m such an idiot!” Pinkie hugged her legs, her mane deflating. “I just wanted to spend time with my friends!” “Fun!” a clone cried, ripping off the lid of the box that Pinkie was hiding in. It raised one of its arms, showing off the wicked blade on it to the trembling mare. “Fun!” Closing her eyes, Pinkie awaited the inevitable as the clone brought its arm down at her head. A part of her couldn’t help but think she had earned it. “You truly are pathetic, you know that?” Pinkie cracked an eye open, the clone of her gone and in its place was something almost as strange. It was another her, this one with her fur paler and her mane hanging limp down her back. The other Pinkie pulled her out of the box, tossing her into the dirt. “Look at you, sniveling little wretch. Gonna cry your eyes out, Pinkie Pie?  Cry for your friends? You sicken me.” “What are you doing here?” Pinkie questioned, propping her upper half onto her elbows. “Are you with those meanies in Dai-Shocker?” The other Pinkie sneered, pressing Pinkie’s head into the ground with a hoof. “I’m the part of you you squirrel away. That part that’s always reminding you of what a failure you are. You should have just stayed on the farm, can’t get anyone killed there, can you?” Pinkie squeaked, dirt entering her mouth and coating her tongue in an awful taste. Spitting it out, she turned her head to look at the other mare. “I don’t need you to tell me when I’ve messed up.” “Messed up?” the other Pinkie scoffed, putting a hand on her hip. “You really think your precious friends are gonna want you back after this? They’ll take one look at this and realize just how worthless you are; something the both of us already know.” Pinkie balled her fists, scraping dirt into her hands. She managed to glare up at her doppelganger and shot back, “No! You’re wrong! My friends won’t abandon me! I might’ve failed today, but they’ll stay at my side!” The other Pinkie leaned down, locking eyes with Pinkie. “You really think that? You’re a waste of skin, Pinkie Pie. You were worthless before you left the farm and your worthless now. Lie to me all you want, you know I’m telling the truth.” “I’m not lying,” Pinkie said firmly, her look hardening further. “You’re just trying to get me to give up, but I won’t listen! None of my friends would give up after something like this!” The Other Pinkie dug her hoof in, drawing a knife from her pocket. “You fucking simpleton,” she began, her eye widening, voice dripping in hate. “You still think the world is laughing with you. Guess what? It’s just laughing at you!” Drawing her arm back, she plunged the blade at Pinkie’s stomach. Just as the blade dug into Pinkie’s shirt, a grey blur slammed into the other Pinkie and grabbed the knife. After a moment of losing the other Pinkie in a tangle of limbs, Maud wound up on top with the knife pointed at the doppelganger’s throat. “Don’t insult my sister.” Maud held back a frown, concern rising through her. This ‘clone’ wasn’t like the others; they were mindless husks. This one was still a husk, her hollow gaze possessing an undercurrent of malice. It unnerved her on a fundamental level. “Ooh, haven’t seen you look that angry in a long time, Maud,” the other Pinkie said, a wicked grin slowly growing on her face. “Not even when you realized I sunk a knife in your gut. That look of betrayal.” She shuddered as something akin to ecstacy ran up her spine. “It was divine~” “You’re from Dai-Shocker,” Maud stated, not moving the knife an inch. “Why are you here? Just to try to kill one of our riders?” “What reason do I need besides ridding the world of a mistake like her?” The doppelganger leaned up, spitting in Maud’s eye. “Just admit it, the only reason you keep her around is to work that fancy system of yours.” “I love my sister,” Maud replied, not flinching from the spit as it dripped off her muzzle. “She’s more to me than a way to become W. I pity you if your version of me made you feel this way.” The other Pinkie reached up, gripping Maud’s forearm. “I loved her enough to make it quick, just like little Marble. I made sure she didn’t suffer. Limestone on the other hand? I made that bitch scream.” “You monster!” Pinkie cried, pulling herself to her feet. “Limestone might be cranky, but she’s still my sister! I’d never hurt a hair on her head!” Wrenching Maud’s arm to the side, the other Pinkie slammed her head into Maud’s. “That’s because you’re under the delusion that they love you!” Snatching her knife back, she rose back to her hooves. “Don’t worry, I promise to make it quick.” With a groan, Maud reached into her bag and pulled out the pair of drivers. Tossing one to Pinkie as well as a couple Gaia Memories, she put hers on her waist. “You’re the delusional one,” she stated firmly, slowly rising to her hooves. “A sad, paranoid mare who thinks that nopony could really like her.” “Maybe I am,” the other Pinkie admitted, slapping an unfinished driver against her waist. “It doesn’t matter when I’m the stronger one.” Out of her pocket, she produced a pale white memory, emblazoned with an E. Maud’s eyes widened in recognition of the Memory, her thoughts snapping to her research. “No, there’s no way you have that. I’ve never gotten that past the research phase.” “You didn’t.” Slotting the memory into her driver, she activated it with a manic grin. “Eternal!” A projection of an “E” grew from the driver, obscuring the other Pinkie from view. A light flashed and white armor formed around the mare.  The Rider form consisted of a plain white suit. Her gloves were a rich red and went up to her elbows. The most striking feature was the helmet; which featured flat yellow eyes that regarded everything coldly, a tri-pointed crown that extended up past the helmet and a red jewel resting at the midpoint of the crown. Maud let her eyes rove over the suit, taking it in. She felt a bit of relief, her research had indicated more for the Eternal Memory. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the Joker Memory and slotted it into her belt. “Pinkie, are you ready?” Pinkie’s response was to grab her Cyclone Memory, press the button on it and slap it into her driver. “Yeah, let’s teach her a lesson.” Her body crumpled to the ground as Maud transformed into W. The doppelganger cracked her neck, watching Maud’s movements. “I’ve been waiting for this for ages. I’ll have so much fun testing out those memories of yours. I suppose I should be fair, I can’t share my name with that urchin, so just call me Pinkamena.” “You’re not going to be testing anything,” Maud replied, getting into a fighting stance. “And nobody calls my baby sister an urchin.” “But Maud, I am your sister,” Pinkamena countered, touching a hand to her chest. “Or does family really mean nothing to you?” “You gave up on family the instant you murdered your versions of my sisters and me,” Maud retorted, circling Pinkamena in search of an opening. Spotting one, she darted forward; swinging her leg at Pinkamena’s shin. Pinkamena was prepared for this, hoping back to avoid the kick. Before Maud could retract her leg, her arm shot out and grabbed Maud’s ankle in a vice grip. “Not quick enough, ey Maudalina?” Pulling Maud off her hooves, she delivered a stomp to her chest. Grunting, Maud could feel the air leave her lungs. Mustering up her strength, she grabbed the hoof on her chest and pulled the evil rider down to the ground. “I’m fast enough.” Rolling over, Maud slammed her fist into Pinkamena’s helmet. Pinkamena pulled her knees to her chest and kicked Maud off of her, sending her flying into a wall. “You call that a punch?” Pinkamena taunted, standing back up. “It tickled.” Her trash talk was interrupted by a Pinkie clone drop kicking her in the back. “Fun!” It cried, possessing corrupted Batta legs. “Ugh, how obnoxious,” Pinkamena groaned, rising up from her knees. “These things are such an eyesore.” In a flash, Pinkamena let loose a flurry of punches into the clone’s head, chest and stomach. Her assault finished with her knife digging into the clone’s skull. The clone shrieked in pain before disappearing in a cloud of dust. Maud pulled herself out of the wall, shaking her head. “Alright, Pinkie. I think we should use a new pair of memories.” Closing her driver, she removed their current memories and plugged in a new pair. “Rock” “Venom” Maud’s half of the armor turned brown, while Pinkie’s half turned purple. Raising her fist, Maud showed off the knuckle duster like device that had attached to her left hand. “This might be more what you’re looking for.” Maud rushed Pinkamena, crouching low and throwing her entire body into an uppercut using her left arm. Catching Pinkamena off guard, Maud dug her knuckle duster into the opposing rider’s face. Pinkamena’s head snapped back and she had to fight to keep herself upright. Capitalizing on her newfound advantage, Maud followed up with a high kick to the other rider’s stomach. Recovering quickly, Pinkamena caught Maud across the chest with her knife. “It doesn’t matter what memories you got, Maudalina, I am Eternal!” Pinkamena slashed wildly, backing Maud into an alley. “And you won’t ever be rid of me!” “Sounds like a cliche villain line to me,” Maud replied, barely managing to block all the slashes with her knuckle duster. “Or the boasting of an insecure filly in a mare’s body. You need mental help.” “No!” Pinkamena screamed, her slashes getting more erratic. “No more doctors! They just poke and prod and never help!” Realizing that she had Maud cornered, Pinkamena emitted a rather unhinged giggle. “Let’s just see how tough that armor is~”  Pulling her arm back, Pinkamena stabbed her knife at Maud’s heart. Maud leaned to the right, causing the knife to graze against her side. The armor was able to withstand the blow, but the scraping sound filled the alley. Retaliating with a jab at Pinkamena’s throat, Maud began to push her out of the alley. Maud didn’t let up, punching Pinkamena relentlessly as the nearby street got closer and closer. “I’ll make sure you see the right doctors.” Hitting Pinkamena square in the chest, Maud sent her flying into an abandoned cart. Growling, Pinkamena quickly pulled herself out of the cart and lunged forward with her knife. Maud redirected Pinkamena’s wrist with her right hand, avoiding being stabbed and pulling the mare towards her to punch her in the face with her left. “Oooh, you know how to hit just right~” Pinkamena swung her leg, sweeping Maud off her hooves. “I wonder, if I kill you as W, will dear sweet Pinkie Pie become a vegetable?” “You’re not going to find out,” Maud replied as Pinkamena pinned her. Pinkamena held her knife at the side of her head, letting it hover before dropping her arm towards Maud’s neck. Maud struggled to free herself, the world around her slowing to a near standstill as the knife inched ever closer. Maud’s eyes locked onto the tip of the knife, noting it was nearly pressed against her throat. “I’d ask if you have any last words, Maudy, but it’ll probably be about rocks.” Pinkamena giggled, all pretenses of sanity discarded. “Lemme guess, something something rocks, something something dirt. That about right?” Maud didn’t respond, finally managing to free her legs. In an instant, she pulled them up tight against her chest and heaved the deranged mare off of her, the knife burying itself into the dirt right beside her head. Maud grabbed the knife and tossed it as far from Pinkamena as she could while returning to her hooves. “Think I need a weapon to kill you?” Pinkamena regained her footing, staring Maud down.  “Using one’s hands makes the act of killing so much more...intimate...” “You need to be able to reach me in order to kill me,” Maud replied, removing the memory from her left side and inserting it into a slot on the back of her left gauntlet. “Rock! Maximum Drive!” Dark  brown energy surrounded the knuckle duster and Maud crouched down in a wide fighting stance as her eyes bore into Pinkamena. In a quick motion, Maud punched the ground at her feet and coated her fist in a dome of dirt and stone. “Aw, that’s cute.” Closing her driver, Pinkamena removed her memory, placing it into a slot on her belt. “I’m tired of playing super heroes with you two; as I’m sure you are too. How’s about a lullaby?” “Eternal! Maximum Drive!” The Eternal memory glowed, the light growing stronger until it unleashed a burst of energy. Maud attempted to execute her own finisher in retaliation, only for her powers to cut out. Maud stared down at her now armorless body and her mind raced into a panic. Her attention drifted to Pinkamena, who’s form had stopped glowing. Based on her own research into the Eternal memory, she could only guess at what it could actually do. Never once had she considered an ability like that. Pinkamena giggled, stepping forward. “Is that...fear I see in your eyes, Maudalina? Don’t worry, you might not be my Maud but I’ll still make it quick, promise.” With a burst of speed, she wrapped her fingers around Maud’s neck, lifting her off the ground. “Go on, squirm, make this moment something to remember!” Maud squeaked, her body going limp as her airflow was cut off. She could only hope that Pinkie had woken up and gotten to safety. Her vision dimmed, realization dawning on her that her last sights were going to be the uncaring eyes on Pinkamena’s helmet. “Get off my sister!” Pinkie appeared in Maud’s vision, her face contorted in rage. Brandishing Pinkamena’s knife, Pinkie dug it as deep as she could into her dopplegangers back. “You little bitch!” Pinkamena dropped Maud, reaching back to retch the knife out. In an instant, her aggression faded when her knife and hand came back red. “B-Blood? N-no... I’m not the one who's supposed to bleed! No! No! No!” With a primal scream, Pinkamena shoved past Pinkie, disappearing around a corner. Helping Maud to her hooves, Pinkie wrapped Maud up in a tight hug. “Thank goodness you’re safe! I was so scared she’d kill you!” Tears flowed freely from Pinkie as she buried her face in her big sister’s neck. Maud suppressed her own fear, hugging Pinkie as tight as she could. “It’s alright, Pinkie, I’m okay.” “That other me was nuttier than squirrel poop,” Pinkie commented. “I mean, killing her version of you…” pausing, a shudder ran through her. “...not even when I was at my saddest or angriest at the rock farm would I ever imagine doing something like that.” “I know you’d never do anything like that.” Touching her head to Pinkie’s, she let out a sigh. “We should find the others, they’re still looking for you.” Pulling away, Maud took Pinkie’s hand and led her carefully away from the horde of clones. “We were supposed to meet at Sugar Cube Corner after an hour.” The two silently crept the streets of Ponyville, avoiding the horde of Pinkies. Every so often, they checked their Gaia Memories, but found that they were still disabled. Eventually, the bakery came into their line of sight and they could see the girls peering out from one of the windows. The sisters bolted towards the bakery, ignoring the sounds of the clones as they barreled through the door. They fell to their knees and caught their breath while the others crowded around them. “Y'all look like somethin’ the cat dragged in,” Applejack commented, helping the two up. “What happened out there?” “One of Dai-Shockers goons attacked us!” Pinkie clutched onto Maud, shrinking in on herself. “But, it was me; a no-good, rotten Pinkie Pie. She said... she said she killed her family...” “It’s okay,” Wyatt said, putting a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. “She’s nothing like you. Now.” Wyatt pulled away, looking to the gathered faces. “I think I have an idea what’s caused these clones to turn into bug monsters. I think the Mirror Pool, if that’s what Pinkie used, might be powered by the three green core medals.” Twilight conjured up a notebook, flipping through a few pages. “That’s the ‘Gattakiriba’ combo,” she explained, going over her notes again. “It has the power to create copies of its user, which seems to max out around thirty.” “I could’ve told you all that, Purple Smart,” Wyatt teased, poking his marefriend’s cheek. “But, it’s good to see you take notes. Gold star for you.” “Okay, so if I get those medals, do you think the Pinkie clones would go away?” Spike questioned, looking between Wyatt and Twilight. Closing her book, Twilight hummed as she ran through the concept. “It’s certainly possible. However, the medals aren’t exactly Equestrian magic. I can only speculate on how they're even powering the Mirror Pool to begin with.” “The water might be a conductor for them,” Wyatt offered. “You’ve said before that things in the Everfree have strange properties so maybe when someone comes into contact with the pool, their desires are able to reach the medals and influence the user?” “Hello!” Dash pointed to the window. “Town under attack by Pinkie clones! Do your egghead thing later when ponies aren’t being harassed by bug-monsters!” Wyatt summoned his driver, attaching it to his waist. “Right.” He turned to Spike. “You take Pinkie and have her lead you to the Mirror Pool, the rest of us will keep the clones at bay in town.” Spike nodded, donning his own belt. “Can you guys handle fighting off a swarm of corrupted ponies?” Slotting a few medals in, Spike shifted into TaToBa. “Those hand blades look sharp as heck.” “I’ll be fine,” Wyatt assured, changing into his Decade armor before changing into his Link form. “The Master Sword and Hylian shield should be more than enough for those little scythes.” After a bit of preparation, the group split up to take on the clone threat. Pinkie had to keep her eyes on Spike’s back as they moved towards the Everfree. If there was one thing Pinkamena was right about, this whole mess was her fault. Setting her jaw, Pinkie swore to make things right.