//------------------------------// // Night // Story: The Marvelous Six // by Chemtest //------------------------------// The six talk over mugs of cider in the Ponyville tavern. Each of them explain what they did with Thanos, and how they got there. Applejack smiles, “Apparently I am in the body of a family ordinated horse.” Pinkie interrupts, “Pony, Captain. I don’t think they would like if you called them a horse.” Applejack turns to her, “Really? And, why is that, Loki?” She shakes her head, “No, no, you absolutely suck at this illusion stuff. I am Pinkie, Applejack. Learn the names before ponies get suspicious.” She sighs, “Okay then, Pinkie. Why is that?” Pinkie smiles, “Well, I’ve managed to gain a lot of knowledge from being in this body. And calling one a ‘horse’ is derogatory. To them, ‘horse’ means fat.” Twilight takes a small sip, “And why is it that you were granted this knowledge?” She points to her eyes, “Unlike you bunch, I actually listen to my body and it’s previous inhabitant. The real Pinkie Pie rests far away, yet she is still able to communicate. Her being a part of the Space Stone would make that happen.” They all notice the faint, blue glow in her eyes, “So, you managed to communicate with the body’s previous holder? How is that?” She nods, “I opened my inner ears up to her. That moment that I woke up and was choking is the moment she reached out to me. She spoke to me, and taught me all about herself, her body, and the land.” Rainbow puts down her own flask, “Still, you must be haunted by the memories of what happened?” Pinkie looks around the table, and sees she is the only one with a smile, “Well... yes.” All of them slam their drinks down. Fluttershy is the first who can ask the question, “How?!” Pinkie shrugs, “I just have.” Applejack leans forward, “You were choked to death by Thanos. You lost to him. You saw half of your people die! How can you just get over that? The ghosts of your past should still haunt you!” Pinkie smiles, “Well, as Pinkie would say-“ She then giggles, and her way of speaking seems to pick up in pace, “Giggle at the ghosties!” The giggle then turns to a laugh, and her pace slows back down to how it was before, “Or, as Pinkie forgot to mention, titter at Thanos!” Pinkie laughs uproariously at her own joke, bumping her own hooves together. Twilight leans back, “Excuse me, but have you gone mad?!” She looks at her, hurt, “Mad? You do the same exact thing, Sparkle. Always making quips and jokes. I thought you would be happy. Well, happy after I got my revenge.” She shakes her head, “No, I do not laugh like a madman after every joke I say!” Pinkie smiles, and her speech picks up in pace once more, “Like a madman? Nopeadodil right there, Twilight! I’m laughing like a gladman!” Her pace then slows back down, “See, Sparkle, here is where we differ. I now see the truth of life. Life is given value not intrinsically but by how much you laugh within.” Twilight leans forward, “Excuse me, but did you just say life is a joke? We can’t defeat Thanos if you wont accept responsibility!” Pinkie snaps back, “And we won’t defeat him if we are all sad! Okay?! Here we are, shouting at each other over a table wherever we should be paying attention! Like the fact that we’ve gone back in time? Or that we are all ponies?!” She slams a hoof down on the table, “Think, Strange, for once in your mortal life before we lose again!” She sighs, “I never said life was a joke, Sparkle. All I said was that laughter is what defines life.” Twilight crosses her hooves, “So what? Oh boy, you found a meaning in life, how does that help us!?” Pinkie smiles softly, “Because, Twilight, that is a key to defeat Thanos. He may have Infinity Stones, but we have our minds, and we have the combined powers of these bodies and ourselves. Think, please, of how much better we have it now. With these powers, we can defeat Thanos. And where he has Space, we have Laughter.” Rarity speaks up, “She is right. Thanos was reset in time, we were sent back. We have time to prepare, to improve.” Pinkie nods, “Yes, exactly. Now, come on, night falls.” Pinkie stands from the table, and throws down a bag of bits, “How about we go see Celestia raise the Sun?” ——— The six of them move through the town hall, which has been left bland and undecorated. Some seem to glare at Rarity as she passes, but their anger soon changes to indifference. Rainbow decides to fly above the crowd, and Fluttershy decides to stick to the ceiling. The other four just walk to the front of the crowd, and wait. After a while, a mare walks out onto the balcony, “Mares and gentlecolts, I would like to welcome you to the One Thousandth Summer Sun Celebration! Now, without further delay, I present to you Her Majesty, Princess Celestia!” The impromptu curtains roll open, and reveal a whole lot of nothing within a few stage lights. Everyone all around freaks out at the absence of Celestia, until a dark fog rolls into the room. A mist condenses itself on the balcony as the lights go out. The only light is the bright shining of the moon, now pure white. The newcomer laughs, “You got Her Majesty right, but allow me to correct you. Her Majesty, Nightmare Moon! All of you shall bow to my royal right! And say hello to the beautiful, eternal-“ “Excuse me!” She shuts up and pays attention to the pony in a red cloak that floats up from the audience. Twilight smiles, the Time Stone within her pendent lighting up the room instead of the moon, “Sorry, I think the higher ups got confused. We ordered a vanilla Princess, not blueberry!” Nightmare Moon growls, “You would dare, imprudent unicorn?! You shall-“ She’s interrupted once more as Pinkie taps on her shoulder. Nightmare Moon turns to face the newcomer, only to receive a dagger to the chest. It pierces right though her armor. Pinkie smiles, “Hello there, Luna.” Nightmare Moon staggers back, but not from the wound, “You foal... how do you know that name!?” Another Pinkie walks into Nightmare Moon from behind, and many more appear out of thin air, and speak at once, “There is no escape from the Elements, Luna.” Nightmare Moon looks all around her at the Pinkies. They all draw a dagger as she speaks, “Ah, so you read a book? What do you think you are, a Champion of Harmony? Nay, or we would already be dead.” They all smile, “We might not be a Champion, but we are ready to Laugh.” Nightmare Moon smirks, “Then come after us, delusional Bearer. Maybe your delusions will be made clear to you!” With that final remark, Nightmare Moon fades back into mist, and rushes out the door. Pinkie bounces quickly out the door, “After her!”