“Greetings to you three ponies.” Slash introduced. “My name is Slash. It is a high honor to meet you all.”
“OH MY GOSH!! This is sooo amazing!! A talking panther!!” Fluttershy squealed excitedly. “Please! Tell me! What are you thinking right now?!” She pressed her face against Slash’s while her eyes grew larger in excitement. The panther had never met a creature...or pony in this regard react to his presence like that. While highly pleased to see some creatures give him so much attention and some kind of adoration, he was already over their same repetitive reaction.
“What I am thinking right now is for you to get OFF of my face!” Slash yelled.
“Oh, right! Sorry!” Fluttershy apologized, blushing in embarrassment. Rainbow Dash and Applejack giggled from Fluttershy’s dramatic reaction. However, they too were surprised to see a sentient animal in Ponyville.
“I’m Applejack! Toughest pony ya’ll ever meet!” the farm pony introduced.
“And I’m the one and only Rainbow Dash! The fastest flyer in all of Equestria!” the Wonderbolt also introduced.
“What an impressive display of potential in these ponies. They will serve me well as my future commanders of my army of monsters.” Slash grinned in thought.
“Well then, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, I’m happy to meet you both.” He then turned to the shy pegasus. “And what is your name, young one?”
“Fluttershy! With two t’s!” she said, smiling brightly. Normally, she would be shy and quite whenever she would attempt to introduce herself. But seeing an animal with intelligence and sentience speak to her unlike how Angel the bunny and her own animals talk to her made her very happy and comfortable seeing she loved to care for animals.
“Ahhh, so you are the Fluttershy I keep hearing about. I’ve heard that you cared for animals. Is that true?” Fluttershy giddily nodded.
“Peace be unto you, dear Fluttershy.” Slash said, kindly.
“Oh, thank you, Slash.” Fluttershy thanked, blushing.
“Your fate shall be no different from that Dr. Fauna pony. I’ll show them all how animals ought to be treated!!” he angrily said in mind.
“There’s another friend whom I believe you would be very interested in seeing.” Twilight said. “Discord, you can come out now!”
Hearing that familiar name puzzled Slash. However, his confusion was completely wiped out once the all-too-well familiar dragonequus appeared in a white flash. “Welcome to Ponyville, newbie!! Glad to see another creature arriving here to meet new friends and family!!” Discord greeted while waving the ‘Welcome to Ponyville!’ signs and spraying confetti over the panther.
But once Discord opened his eyes, he was shocked beyond words. Slash also was flabbergasted in seeing this chaotic being. Once they locked eyes with each other, they both narrowed and glared each other down. “Discord, it’s you! I haven’t seen you for over five hundred years.” Slash growled.
“Indeed, old timer.” Discord said seriously.
“Wait, you guys know each other?” Rainbow asked.
“Of course. Let’s just say that we have quite a history together.” Slash said, still glaring at Discord.
“Hahaha! You got that right! I was...uhhh...his roommate back when Gusty and Grogar were around! My goodness, I couldn’t stand his loud snoring, sleepwalking, and his fur being shed every single night! Luckily, I was able to put anti-panther spray in our bathroom so he wouldn’t have to make a mess!” Discord lied.
“Do not even bring that up! That was humiliating! I had to do my business out of our house in his dimension very often! Ughh, such a roommate you were!” Slash whined, playing along.
“Wow! You two must have been great friends! I’m happy that you have reunited with each other!” Fluttershy said.
“Yes...indeed.” Slash growled before turning to Rainbow and Applejack. “You two have great spirits I can see. Judging by your attitude and personality, you both are courageous, strong, and steadfast no matter what, correct?”
“Yup!” Applejack nodded.
“Absolutely! You can always count on us whenever things can go south! Besides, I’m always 20% cooler, am I right?” Rainbow boasted.
“Yeah, yeah, sure ya are, Rainbow Dash.” Applejack said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
“I would love to get to know you more once we get along. Being your new friend would be an honor and privilege.” Slash said, offering his paw to them. Rainbow and Applejack graciously shook his paw in acceptance. Suddenly, they noticed his golden necklace glowing bright red on his chest.
“Hey Slash, was that your necklace glowin’?” Applejack asked.
“Of course. My mother gave me this; it represents my gratitude and love for every pony and every creature. I hold it very dear to my heart.” Slash lied.
“That’s so sweet, Slash. Please come to my cottage later today! Angel and my other animals would love to see a new friend at their doorstep!” Fluttershy said. Slash’s sinister grin immediately changed to a slight frown.
“Oh, I’m sure they will. Definitely sure about that.” Slash muttered. “The true Lord and Master is whom they’ll see.”
“Twilight Sparkle! I’m now ready for a friend picture which you asked for!” another pony shouted, running to her.
“Thank you, Photo Finish! Glad you can do it for us!” Twilight thanked.
Upon arrival, Photo saw Slash with Twilight, Discord, and the Mane 5. “This is a new friend of yours?” she asked. Twilight nodded while smiling. “All right! You all can gather around for the picture!” Photo said, getting her camera ready. Slash then looked upon the Friendly Plague artifact and saw that it had enough power to be fully activated. While he gathered with the ponies for the picture, he sinisterly grinned as the grand scheme he had been waiting to execute for a long time was about to become a reality.
“At long last, the glory, the fame, the fear, and the respect which could’ve been mine shall be mine forever! I’ve been dreaming that this day would come, and here it is!! Victory is mine for the taking!!” he internally gloated.
“Everypony ready?” Photo asked as she adjusted her camera. Seeing it as the right time to begin his chaos and terrorism, Slash raised his right paw toward Discord and shot at him with a lighting bolt behind the ponies’ backs. The blast struck him and sent him flying towards Sugercube Corner. The ponies were shocked at what happened.
“Discord!!” Fluttershy screamed.
“What just happened?!” Rainbow shouted.
“I HAPPENED!!” Slash called out. He then generated a magical spear and impaled Photo Finish through her chest. He pushed the blade further to crush the life of her. After the energy constantly electrocuted her, her mouth spilled blood out. He released the spear and kicked her corpse away from him. He crushed her camera.
“SLASH! WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!” Twilight shrieked. Deciding that he carried his charade long enough, he revealed his true colors.
“I am establishing my permanent territory here, Twilight! The time has come for me to rule the land that should have been mine long ago!!! YOU ARE ALL MINE, PONIES!!” Slash declared. He levitated himself in the air and the Friendly Plague started to glow dark red. “Allow me to demonstrate who you ought to be to me.” The artifact shot it first magical dark red blast at Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
They screamed in pain while the surge of magic penetrated their bodies. They stopped screaming and started to slowly mutate into gigantic beasts. Rainbow mutated into a giant pterodactyl-like monster with a dark blue color scheme, blood red eyes, darkened rainbow cutie mark, and razor sharp claws. Applejack mutated into a humongous rhino with dagger-like horns on her head, dark brown color scheme, bright orange eyes, and rotten apples as her cutie mark.
“APPLEJACK!! RAINBOW DASH!!” Fluttershy screamed in terror. Once Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike, and Starlight arrived, they beheld Rainbow’s and Applejack’s monstrous forms in total shock.
“What’s going on?! What are those creatures?!” Spike shouted in fear.
“HAHA!! Those ponies are now become the fear of the land and will become the scourge of this accursed world!” Slash proclaimed.
“Why are you doing this, Slash?! I thought we were friends!” Twilight said.
“Friends? I see no friends. I see ourselves as preliminary and temporary allies before we commence a more appropriate type of relationship: slave and master type to be precise.” he grinned. He then shot another wave of corrupt magic directly at Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike, and Starlight. They all mutated into blood-thirsty monsters. Spike became a T-Rex-like dragon in full form while breathing molten lava and fireballs; Starlight transformed to a huge glow worm that produced chemical-reacted blue orbs and sharp teeth at her mouth; Rarity was a skyscraper sized rattlesnake with indigo eyes and fangs made up of iced crystals; and Pinkie Pie was a monstrous hydra. Her six heads spewed cupcakes, pies, cakes, and even cookies detonated to blow.
“Thus begins a new age of Slash the Mighty! My ferocious monsters, destroy and kill all that get in your way!!” Slash commanded. The monsters mightily roared in willing compliance and began to ravage Ponyville. The ponies and non-ponies ran for their live everywhere. The beasts grabbed several ponies by their claws and either, devoured alive, smashed, killed, or blew them all. Spike and Rarity ran off to Canterlot to continue their onslaught.
“SLASH!! Stop!! You can’t do this!!” Twilight begged with tears on her eyes. Fluttershy hugged her tightly as she also beheld the massacre in horror.
“Oh, don’t you worry, my sweet princess, you will live to sit by my side and be my faithful queen once I take over the entire kingdom.” Slash said, holding Twilight’s head in mocking comfort. Twilight smacked his paw away in disgust and anger.
“I will never be your queen! You betrayed me, my friends, and all of Ponyville!” she defied, glaring. Slash chuckled in amusement.
“Funny. Gusty also refused me when I proposed to her as well. Speaking of the ancients, you will realize what I’m truly capable of. They didn’t imprison me in Tartarus for 500 years for no reason, Twilight.” Slash said. Twilight and Fluttershy gasped at the new revelation.
“WHAT?!” they both shouted.
“Yes! I mean after all...I am Grogar’s brother.” Slash confessed.
“YOU'RE GROGAR’S BROTHER?!” Fluttershy asked.
“Unfortunately. He took every single love and affection from our mother for himself and she just shut me out like I meant NOTHING to her!! He stole my glory, my reputation, my honor, my future, EVERYTHING!! He got what he deserved and so did his mother when I killed her! Now, this artifact, the Friendly Plague, will make everything right and make you ponies fear my powerful name!” Slash exulted. He then lunged at the two while roaring aloud.
Twilight shielded herself and Fluttershy from his assaults. “I have to hold him off! Go help Discord and the others! Get them all to safety!” Twilight ordered.
“I am not leaving you!! He will turn you into a horrible monster!” Fluttershy cried.
“I’ll be okay, Fluttershy! Go! Now!” she shouted. After Twilight blasted Slash away, Fluttershy opened her wings and flew off. Slash recovered himself from the blast and immediately caught one of her blasts in his left paw.
“How pathetic, really.” he taunted. “You do realize that I’ll always get what I want, right? You’re too precious to be a mutated monster; you will obey my command and be my lovely co-ruler next to me on the throne.” Slash again spoke. Twilight spat at Slash in defiance. He wiped off the saliva from his face nonchalantly.
“Hehehe, I guess I’ll do this the hard way.” Slash said. He scratched her and stunned Twilight’s face with his electric claws so hard that she slowly passed out. Her last sight was the houses being sent on fire, the smoke filled clouds blinding the sun and covering the sky, and...a lot of ponies being maimed and killed by the violent beasts. She closed her eyes.