That last one sucked, I didn’t mean to hurt Rainbow Dash like that. Let’s hope I don’t have to fight this one.
I appeared in a large, grassy field. Tall, chest-high grass grew for what felt like miles around. There were a couple of short trees here and there, their far-reaching branches spread wide to shade the ground below. Far off in the distance I could see a tree line, and a snowy-topped mountain behind them. The sky was light blue, without a cloud in sight. A light breeze blew by, pleasantly warm yet unseasonably so. I could smell nothing but fresh grass and dirt. The bright green grass waved in the wind, making the field look like an undulating green sea.
I can't be in North America anymore. Nothing could be this green and this warm at this time of year.
But without my phone, which is back at the Moon Palace, I have no way of getting a GPS lock.
I guess it doesn't matter, I just have to find the Bearer and get her Element. Then I can go home.
So, which Bearer is here?
I slowly rotated in place, and looked everywhere I could see for anything that was out of place.
The remaining Bearers are pink and purple, since Fluttershy wasn't with Celestia in the clearing. Their coats should stand out like a sore thumb in this green grass.
And...nothing. Nothing but grass and trees. Where could she be?
As if on cue, a goofy pink mane popped out of the grass some hundred or so feet away.
"Hey, Mister Cat-Man! Looking for me? Betcha can't catch me!"
Just as suddenly, the pink pony disappeared back into the grass.
I'll take that bet, Pinkie. Never challenge a predator to the Hunt.
Of course, her Pinkie Sense must have told her that I won't hurt her, so there's no danger in playing Hide and Seek with me.
Time to deploy my Shadowcats.
I summoned Kusac, Bastet and Isis from whatever place they hide in. As soon as they appeared, the felines looked around and sniffed the air delicately. All three cats were in their Shadowbolt forms.
"Okay kids, take off the uniforms but stay big. It's time to hunt."
In a flash, all three cats appeared in their large feline forms.
"Hunt down the pony in this field. But when you find her, it's play time. No claws and no biting, but you can pounce her. Got it?"
I was answered with a chorus of "Yes, Master!"
"Good."
I teleported my armor off and stuck it in my hammerspace, then crouched down low in the grass next to my feline companions.
"Let's hunt her down.”
The cats streaked off into the tall grass, and I followed close after. I had a moment's worry of being attacked by a Pokemon in the tall grass, but I pushed the thought off to the side. For I was HUNTING. I stalked over to where I saw Pinkie last, and quickly got a faint whiff of candy. One sniff of the air, then another. Suddenly, my senses locked on to the sugary scent. My world narrowed down, filled only with stalks of grass and the tantalizing scent of sugar and pony. I slipped quietly through the grassy field as I followed Pinkie’s scent. My fingertips gently parted the grass fronds as I passed through them, and my feet were just as silent as they padded through the soft dirt.
Soon, I found a trail in the grass. It was only made of grass fronds crushed under hooves, but it was all I needed. My pace quickened as I followed the trail in the grass. The scent of crushed grass and sweetness assaulted my senses as the trail weaved and bobbed one way, then another. The intoxicating smells and adrenaline rush from the hunt threatened to drown me, but I managed to dance on the razor edge of reason and instinct. The thrill was incredible! Sadly, it didn’t last long. Not far in front of me, I heard a cat growl followed by a giggle.
"Hehe, you found me!"
I inched forward and slipped my head through the fronds of grass into an impromptu clearing. The grass had been crushed down by rolling pony and cat into an area roughly five or six feet across. Pinkie Pie was lying on her back with a black cat lying atop her. She was playfully batting at the cat’s paws with her hooves. The sunlight glinted off a familiar golden necklace around her neck. The pink pony was squirming around on the ground and giggling as the cat playfully nipped at her. All of a sudden, Pinkie got her hind hooves under the cat. With a shove, she sent the cat (who I recognized as Kusac) flying up and out of the clearing. Kusac let out a surprised yowl as he disappeared into the tall grass. Pinkie then rolled over and got to her hooves, just in time for a chubby black cat to run out of the grass and tackle her back to the ground. Pinkie giggled as Isis tried to lick her face, then she suddenly turned her head to look at me.
"Hi, Mister Cat-Man! Your kitties are mighty big!"
"Yup, but they're still itty bitty kitties at heart."
While I spoke, Bastet had run out into the tiny clearing and pounced onto Pinkie's mane. Kusac returned to the clearing a few seconds later, and began to play with Pinkie's twitching tail. I no longer needed to sneak up on Pinkie, so I walked into the clearing and sat on my haunches.
"Here, let me show you. Kids, take your small forms and pounce!"
The three large cats flashed a bright white, then reappeared in their original, smaller forms. Bastet dove into Pinkie's mane and promptly disappeared. Isis stood on Pinkie's chest and resumed licking the pink pony’s chin. Kusac was holding on to Pinkie's tail for dear life as he and it thrashed all over the ground. Pinkie saw the smaller Isis and squealed! She grabbed the kitty and cuddled her close in her forelegs. Isis didn't like being squished, so she yowled and tried to push herself free. But the pink menace would not be denied, and she just cuddled Isis closer.
"Now now Pinkie. Let Isis breathe."
At the sound of my voice, Pinkie instantly let Isis go. The pink menace then rolled to her hooves and sat down on the grass. Isis lay on the ground on her back, eyes wide and breathing hard but otherwise unhurt. Pinkie reached out to rub a hoof on top of Isis’ head.
"Aw, I'm sorry little kitty! I didn't mean to hurt you!
"Your kitties are really fun to play with! Are they really your kids?"
"No, I just call them that. I adopted them when they were little kittens, and they're part of my family now."
"Aww, that's sweet!"
Movement in Pinkie's mane got my attention. Bastet's head and shoulders popped out of the pink curls, her ears up and her eyes wide. She looked like she had seen some serious stuff. The tortoiseshell cat had a colorful swirly lollipop stuck to the back of her head, with the paper stick pointing up into the air. Just as suddenly, Bastet ducked back down into Pinkie's mane and out of sight.
"Hee hee, that tickles!
"So, did you come from Equestria too?"
"Nope, I was born on this world. Nightmare Moon gave me this cat form and some of her power when I agreed to work for her."
"But why would you work for Black Snooty? You seem so nice!"
"Well, Nightmare Moon is a lot nicer now than she used to be. She's actually Princess Luna, Celestia's sister."
"WOW! I didn't know that!"
"Yeah. She became Nightmare Moon when her sister was mean and everyone ignored her. She had no friends."
"Aww, that's so sad! Everypony deserves friends!"
"Exactly. While I work for her, I am also her friend. And she's been getting nicer the longer I am her friend."
"That's very nice of you! But she was really mean to Princess Celestia earlier today."
"That's true, but they're sisters. Sometimes they get angry and fight. Didn't you ever get into fights with your sisters?
"Sometimes. But I never meant to."
Pinkie flopped onto her back in the grass. Unfortunately, she had laid down on her tail and Kusac was still clinging to it. He yowled and squirmed, but he couldn’t escape and Pinkie didn't seem to notice he was there. When I realized that Kusac couldn't free himself and Pinkie wouldn't help, I stood up and walked over to where Pinkie was lying down in the clearing. I lifted her body up just enough to free Kusac, who scrambled off to a safe distance. I set Pinkie back down on the grass, but left my hand resting on her side. Pinkie turned to look at me, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mister Cat-Man, why can't every pony just get along?"
"I don't know, Pinkie. I really don't."
Pinkie closed her eyes and let her head rest in the grass. Then she uttered two words.
"Nap time."
I took that moment to cast a sleep spell on her, and her body went limp. I reached under her neck and unclasped her golden necklace, then placed the Element of Laughter in my pocket dimension.
"Come on Bastet, it's time to go."
Bastet's head popped out of Pinkie's mane. She looked at me, then ducked back into the pink curled mess. She emerged a moment later with a rock candy necklace in her mouth. The tortoiseshell pranced out of Pinkie's mane with her tail in the air, a proud smile on her muzzle and a bounce in her step. Isis padded over to my side along with Kusac, who warily started at the pink menace.
"I hope we can be friends soon, Pinkie. I really do. But for now, I have a job to do."
I stood up and walked away from Pinkie, and disappeared into the tall grass. When I found my starting point, I put my armor back on. Pinkie’s words rang true for me, and after signaling to my Queen that I was done I spent the remaining time thinking.
Why CAN'T we all just get along?
I arrived back in the Washington DC park yet again. Nightmare Moon was sitting in the grass with her eyes closed, and her horn was alight in her magic. I knew that disturbing her while she meditated was a bad idea, so I looked around the park to see what had changed. To my surprise, the police cars and the SWAT trucks were gone, and so were the fallen officers. The only sign that any of them had been there were tire tracks in the grass. I looked all around, and could not see anyone save Nightmare Moon and myself. With nothing else to do, I watched for attackers and waited for my Queen to finish whatever she was doing.
I did not have long to wait. Mere minutes after I had returned to the park, I heard my name called.
“Ah, you have returned.”
“Yup. Where’d all the cars and cops go?”
“It was most unusual. I received a verbal request to retrieve the fallen guards and their metal machines. I asked for a guarantee that their request was not a cover for a sneak attack, and was given it. So I allowed their request. I watched as several large machines arrived, each one with a large red 'plus' symbol on their sides. The humans inside the machines exited and gently retrieved the fallen guards. Afterwards, larger vehicles arrived to pull the leftover machines off and away from here. It has been quiet since then.”
“Oh. I guess that’s good.”
“I surmise so. I spent the remaining time searching for Celestia's location, until you arrived. Sadly, she still eludes me.
“Were you successful?”
My answer was the Element of Laughter, held in my right hand.
“Very good. There is but one left, then we can pursue my sister to wherever she has been hiding.”
The familiar flash and feeling of teleportation washed over me. While I did not know where I was going, I knew who I would be facing as there was but one Element left. This was the strongest one, and I had a feeling getting her Element was not going to be easy.