Chapter 16:
Power Ponies
At the Golden Oaks Library, Midnight is sleeping in her bed as she has done every night since she came to Ponyville. During the middle of the night when she went to get a glass of water she decided to take a peek at her crystal orb to see what every pony is up to. A majority of the ponies were sleeping of course including the Mane Five and the Princesses. Well, except for Princess Luna who ventures into other ponies’ dreams to make sure they are having pleasant dreams.
Even though Princess Luna could, she can’t venture into her own dreams without risking a confrontation with her, as it would only end badly for her considering what power and skill Midnight has up her hooves. Before she knew that she was really Twilight Luna only saw that Midnight was having pleasant dreams of seeing herself as an alicorn princess every pony looked up to. Although of course, her visions don’t exactly align with what she and Princess Celestia had in mind.
However there was one that still was awake at this hour even though he has to help with the girls in tidying up the old castle they torn up in their panicked running away, Spike.
He was secretly in the castle library reading a comic book he has taken interest in the Power Ponies. It was a story about a group of super powered ponies who try to fight and take down the evil supervillain “The Mane-iac”. The Power Ponies' most evil nemesis who was once the power-mad owner of a hair-care product company until a tragic accident at her shampoo factory in Maretropolis not only gave her mane strange new powers, but also caused her to go completely insane. She and her henchponies have been planning to break into the Maretropolis Museum and steal the Electro-Orb, so she can use it to power up her doomsday device and they would have succeeded if the Mane-iac hadn’t been given the heads up thanks to Hum Drum.
Hum Drum is the guy in the blue boots and pointless red cape who is portrayed as the Power Ponies' bumbling and totally useless sidekick.
It is very crucial for the Power Ponies to stop Mane-iac or else Maretropolis is doomed the moment when she successfully powers her doomsday device.
Spike is so into the story he can’t stop reading it even when he should be sleeping.
Midnight takes a close look at the comic book and sees very tiny print on the last page. By using her hoof to zoom in on the comic book she was able to get a good look what is written and when seeing this begins thinking of an idea of how to turn this to her advantage and she begins formulating another plan in her mind as she goes to back to bed placing the glass of water next to her nightstand.
The next day, the Mane Five are working on cleaning up the castle. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are lifting up tarps up on the ceiling. Rarity is lifting up banners and tapestries. Pinkie Pie is sliding around the floors scrubbing the floors clean wearing soaped brushes as skates. Applejack is hanging up portraits around the main throne room.
Spike on the other hand can’t find anything to do as everything was pretty much covered by every pony present so he decided to catch up on his Power Ponies comic before he heads of to do so he asks every pony one last time if they need help.
“You sure you don't need any help?” Spike asked every pony once more.
“Nah, that's okay.” Applejack answered as she tapped a hoof on his shoulder.
“We have everything under control!” Pinkie Pie quickly said as she scrubbed and slide across the walls.
“Dash?” Spike asked.
“I'm good!” Rainbow Dash replied as she hung another banner on the wall.
“Don't worry about it, Spike! It's all good!” Pinkie Pie quickly replied again as she continued scrubbing the floors.
Seeing that they have made it perfectly that his help is not needed, Spike sighs seemingly distraught that he can’t find anything to contribute to the cleaning wanting to help out and be part of the team like them as he walks off as a bucket falls onto his head again.
Midnight herself secretly witnessing this from the hallway so they don’t see her, sympathizes with his plight as she too knows what it is like to be left out and alone when feeling like she could help recalling her first experience of Winter Wrap Up where when she tried to help out, but it only made things worse before finding her true talent relies on her excellent organization skills. But she plans on changing that with what she is about to as she secretly follows Spike to the small library behind the castle library bookcase where he, Midnight, and Angel spend time together the last time they were in the castle.
“Mane-iac breaks into the museum... Okay, here we go…” Spike as he reads as Midnight secretly observes from the window outside. Spike seems interested about what happens next only to be disappointed when he flips to the next page. “...Ugh, what a surprise! Hum Drum is in the way again while the Power Ponies do all the work! I guess I know what that feels like...” He sighed to himself as Midnight could only say to herself “I know.”
Spike then gasps when he already finds himself on the last page. “Wait. What? How can that be the end?!” Spike asked out loud as he flipped the book around trying to see if he missed anything before eyeing the tiny print Midnight secretly saw last night. “What's... that? You can... retr- What? You can... return... Urgh!” Spike struggled to try to make the small words out before deciding to find a magnifying glass to figure it out. “I know I saw a magnifying glass laying around the last time I was here...”
At that moment Midnight and Spike both hear Applejack calling the latter’s name.
“Spike! Where are ya, Spike?” Applejack called out.
“We're breaking for tea and biscuits!” Rarity called out as well.
Hearing this as Spike continues trying to make out the tiny wording causes Midnight to light her horn up and get in position ready when Spike reads the tiny print and when the girls arrive.
"You can return to the place you started when the Mane-iac is... defeated." Huh?” Spike started to read while sounding confused by what that meant as the Mane Five approach the room. "Take a closer look to join the adventure in this book? What does that even mean?” And that’s when the comic book lights up. “Whoa! Cool!” He remarks on the sight as the Mane Five enter the room and that’s when Midnight blasts the comic book with her magic as Spike finds himself sucked into the book.
“Heeeeeelp!” Spike cried out as he is being sucked into the book.
Rainbow Dash acting quick tried to grab Spike to pull him away but Midnight’s magic is too strong for her as she finds herself being pulled in as well causing Applejack to try in vain to pull Rainbow back by grabbing on to her tail with her mouth causing Fluttershy to try to grab a hold onto Applejack with Rarity trying to grab on to her in turn but all wind up sucked into the book despite their best efforts.
“Weehee!” Pinkie Pie happily said as she voluntary jumped into the book as the book closed appearing on the stand with the front cover facing up.
Seeing that she has succeeded in her task decides to fly into the room and pull up a chair as she reads the comic book with all six now stuck in it until the story is completed now part of the story.
“Good luck.” Midnight said while looking at the comic book as she starts to read. “You’re gonna need it.”
Inside the comic book Spike awakens from the shock and gets up on his feet wondering where he is as he looks over a building from a rooftop.
“Is this... Maretropolis?” Spike wondering as he looked over town through the rooftop as he is wearing a costume similar to Hum-Drum from his story.
“Somepony wanna tell me what the hay is goin' on?” Applejack asked as Spike turned around and gives a surprised look as he sees them in costumes similar to the ones in his story.
“Holy new personas, ponies!” Spike exclaimed in surprise. “You're the...Fili-Second!”He said to Pinkie who is jogging in place in a white and purple super suit. “Zapp!” He said to Rainbow Dash wearing a dark blue super suit with her mane combed up as a Mohawk. “R-Radiance!” He said as Rarity admires her costume and mane style which is covered in diamonds. “Mistress Mare-velous!” He said as Applejack smiles at her costume as she is a cowgirl superhero. “Saddle Rager!” She said as Fluttershy nervously walks up not sure what to make of her costume. “You're the... Power Ponies!“ He exclaimed in further surprise which is interrupted by the sound of a thud which is sound of an explosion of the building in front of them which draws every pony’s attention as a voice is heard from inside the dust.
“Power Ponies!” The voice said revealing to be a mare with a huge mane appearing as many large tentacles she emerges from the opening revealing herself as Mane-iac as she evilly laughs “How kind of you to join us!” She said to the costumed ponies while holding an electric orb.
“Huh?”As every pony asked confused of what she is talking about as the Mane-iac evilly laughs again.
“Did she just call us... Power Ponies?” Applejack asked the other ponies if she is hearing things correctly here.
“You're the... the superheroes from my comic book! It somehow zapped us all in here!” Spike said coming to the realization of what had just happened.
“So somepony zap us back out!” Rainbow Dash frustratingly said.
“My comic book! It said the way to get back to where we started was to defeat the Mane-iac! Your arch-nemesis!” Spike added as she pointed at the Mane-iac who is ready to attack them.
“Time for the mane event!“ She evilly laughed and threw in a pun as she threw a pretzel cart at them and then threw a mailbox right at Pinkie who screamed at the sight of the incoming object as it crashes onto the roof.
Midnight reading this couldn’t help but roll her eyes unamused at her over-the-top pun while taking interest in seeing their lives in danger as the group look to see Pinkie is nowhere in sight with the mailbox sitting where she was standing while watching them try to take on the Mane-iac but predictably their inexperience with their newfound superpowers makes it a scene of amusement for the Mane-iac as she decides to sit back on her mane and watch the show of her arch-enemies trying and failing to stop her.
Applejack trying to use her lasso ended up tying herself up to a lamppost, Pinkie Pie ended up running off, Rainbow Dash ended up summoning a tornado instead of lightning, Fluttershy predictably can’t get herself to act mean, and Rarity is trying to figure out her powers as she only managed to summon a tea set to fly right into Spike’s face.
“Masked Matter-Horn! Freeze her mane!” Spike cried out to her but to his surprise she is not in sight as Rarity the only unicorn isn’t Masked Matter-Horn. “Oh, no!” Spike then said worried and realizing they are really in trouble now. “Masked Matter-Horn isn’t in this story!”
“That’s right!” Midnight’s voice spoke through the story revealing her presence causing the ponies to be surprised to hear her as she taunts them from outside of the comic book. “If only I was around I could have made a difference in that but I’m not.” She commented while showing no remorse over the thought of letting her former friends down as Spike falls out of the tornado and sees the orb the Mane-iac held in one of her tentacles.
“The Electro-Orb!” Spike said as he places his hands on his cheeks in surprise.
“Well, this has been quite the mane-raising experience. But I really must be going.” The Mane-iac said as she rolled her eyes crazily at her mane pun again and laughs evilly with Midnight reading this from in the room and outside of the book groans in annoyance wondering if that’s the only pun she can come with.
Spike tried to get ahold of the electric orb while her back was turned and sneak away with it only to trip on his cape causing him to lose control of the orb as the Mane-iac takes notices and regains possession of it.
“Why, thank you, Hum Drum!” She evilly laughs as she makes her escape as Spike takes notice of his own costume and realizes he is dressed as the bumbling sidekick from the story.
“I'm Hum Drum...?! Oh no...” Spike said after realizing what the Mane-iac was talking about before turning his attention to the out of control tornado that sucks him back in with the other girls screaming.
Fortunately Applejack after hearing Spike out on how her superpowers work was able to free herself and destroy the tornado by closing the top of it shut causing it to explode like an overinflated balloon freeing everyone trapped in it.
Midnight watching this is finding herself amused as the Mane-iac with them trying to figure out their superpowers yet their inexperience makes it even harder for them to do but is impressed with Spike proving his worth by getting Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie to figure how to use their powers.
“That was spin-tastic!” Pinkie excitedly said as she jogged in place before running off again.
“Lemme get this straight: We've been sucked into some kind of comic-book world?” Applejack asked as she walked up to him.
“Technically, it's called Maretropolis.” Spike started while feeling the need to correct her. “And if we wanna get back to Ponyville, I think we have to stop the Mane-iac from using her doomsday device to destroy it!”
“No biggie. I was already awesome. And now we've all got superpowers!” Rainbow Dash said brushing the concern up to the sky.
“Almost all of us have superpowers... “Spike said solemnly as his role as Hum Drum doesn’t give him the ability the girls have.
“But you must have them too, Spikey-boo. Your character is wearing a cape!” Rarity said as she used her newfound superpowers to lift up Spike’s cape with a backscratcher having gotten the hang of her them now.
“Yeah, for absolutely no reason. He's pretty much useless...” Spike said unconvinced by her attempts to cheer him up.
“Come on Spike.” Midnight said with her voice echoing through the comic again. “You know for someone who managed to take on three Timberwolves on his own you disappoint me.”
“Midnight!” Rainbow Dash angrily called out to her voice. “You trapped us in here!” She said in an accusing manner.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash.” Midnight said somewhat amused. “Shouldn’t you have learned by now not to make bold accusations towards others?” She mockingly said causing Rainbow to growl in anger. “You are lucky that you are right this time.”
“But why?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“If you think about and do the math, makes sense if it means an opportunity to trap you all here.” Midnight bluntly said with some sarcasm hinted in her response to Rainbow Dash feeling the need to ask pointless questions.
“Why I oughta beat you up for this!” Rainbow Dash furiously said.
“Really? How can you when I am outside of this story and you are not?” Midnight said further taunting her with that remark. “Besides you can’t beat me even if you tried like at the wedding. Now if I were you I’d focus on dealing with the Mane-iac if you ever care to get the chance to try again which you will fail miserably again like before.” She said as her voice stopped echoing when she was done.
Once Midnight stopped talking the Mane Five and Spike come to see that Midnight was the one who trapped them there with the intent of keeping them in there.
“I can’t believe she trapped us here.” Rainbow Dash said furiously.
“Well, makes sense since we pose a threat to her plans when we regain access to the Elements of Harmony.” Rarity pointed out somewhat unsurprised as she used a backscratcher to neaten up her mane.
“But still she has got some nerve to do this to us.” Rainbow Dash pointed out still ticked at what she has done.
“Very hypocritical coming from the same ponies who abandoned me.” Midnight said taking a moment to speak through the book again.
“Forget her.” Spike said “Right now we need to focus on stopping the Mane-iac from powering up her dooms-day device if we ever want to get out of here.” He added wanting her to focus on what they have to do now.
“So the six of us Power Ponies will take care of Mane-iac, and get us back to Ponyville!” Rainbow Dash said with determination.
“Spike, where is the Mane-iac building her doomsday device?” Applejack asked.
“Her top-secret headquarters! But you'd better get there quick. That glowing orb she just stole is what she's going to use to power it up!” Spike instructed the others.
“Lead the way, Spike!” Applejack said with the same determination Rainbow Dash has.
“Then leave the rest to us!” Rainbow Dash said causing Spike to sigh at her innocently insensitive remark as he leads them to the factory.
Midnight continuing to read sees the superheroes make their way to the factory where the Mane-iac had her accident that gave her superpowers.
Before Spike could come up with a plan, Rainbow Dash went ahead and shot lightning at the factory shouting “Come on out, Mane-iac! Or the Power Ponies are comin' in!” which alerts Mane-iac and her Hench-ponies as a result. The garage door opens as Mane-iac’s Hench-ponies come out ready to fight.
“Time to Power Pony up!” Applejack said
“Ooh! Nice catchphrase!” Pinkie commented as she jogged in place.
“Admittedly that actually is pretty good.” Midnight admitted to herself as the Power Ponies engage in the fight.
Throughout the fight the Mane Five proven they have improved since the first fight. Applejack managed to take down a hench-pony by tossing his horse shoes at the incoming pony causing him to trip, fall, and slide to a stop in front of her. Pinkie Pie after eating a pie uses her speed abilities to troll a hench-pony by tapping his shoulder and moving around to confuse him long enough for her to throw a pie in his face. As Rarity easily ties one of the hench-ponies another tried to kick the burnt sign down onto her which she narrowly avoids getting hit thanks to her own quick thinking by summoning an umbrella causing the sign to rebound and narrowly hit the Hench pony in return.
“Ooh, I do so love a functional accessory!” Rarity said admiring her functional super suit.
Fluttershy on the other hoof can’t get herself angry to activate her powers causing Rainbow Dash to come to her aid to stop a hench-pony from hurting her but regardless, the Power Ponies succeeded in defeating the Mane-iac’s hench-ponies even when the timid peagsus is unable to be of assistance.
However the Mane-iac determined not to be defeated again, unleashes The Hairspray Ray of Doom. A powerful hair spray that stops any pony it comes into contact with in their tracks and renders their powers useless. Within seconds all of the Power Ponies were captured and frozen in place by the hairspray leaving Spike as the only one able to escape as the Mane-iac doesn’t spray him deeming him a useless hero unable to stop her.
Spike later makes his way through the vents to figure out a way to save his friends. But he still doubts himself again feeling they have already escaped by now.
“What am I supposed to do? I'm useless. No wonder my friends never need me to do anything important. They're the ones with superpowers. They've probably already figured out how to escape.” Spike asked himself while feeling downcast.
He then reaches the end of the air vent as he falls down on the walkway as the vent he crawled on gave out unable to support his weight. He then gives a surprised look seeing the Power Ponies still caged and frozen in place.
“Or not.” Spike said with his thoughts now proven wrong now as whenever any pony starts to unfreeze the hench pony watching over the spray is alerted and immediately uses the spray to refreeze them in place.
“Come on Spike.” Midnight’s voice spoke to him getting the dragon’s attention. “I’ve seen you in action.”
“What are you doing?” Spike asked in confusion.
“Telling you something that you need to hear for yourself.” Midnight responded casually.
“Even though your role to them doesn’t equate to what they can do, you still come through in the end like you did with Applejack and when you helped me with undying loyalty to the end. Be helpful the way Spike does and not what Hum-Drum does.” Midnight advised the young dragon encouragingly.
“You know something. You’re right!” Spike said understanding what Midnight is trying to tell him. “I'm not like Hum Drum! When my friends really need me, I do come through! And they need me now!”
As the Mane-iac gives her speech of how she is going to take over Maretropolis with a cannon powered by the electric orb she stole will unleash an energy blast so huge it will cause every pony’s mane’s to grow wild like her. Spike looks around to figure out a plan and seems to get an idea as he sneaks up to a sheet and hooks a corner on one hook then sneaks to the other side of the room with the sheet in tow and then hooks it up to the same hook as he is preparing a net to sweep up the hench ponies together. He then activates his trap when he pushes a heavy crate chained up off of the walkway causing every pony to be trapped under the blanket which catches the Mane-iac by surprise.
Midnight watching this is impressed with Spike’s cleverness and creativity while eye rolling at the Mane-iac for making the classic monologue that opened the door for him a typical over-the-top mistake for villains.
"Ugh, classic monologuing, one of the biggest mistakes you can do at the worst possible timing." Midnight uninterestingly commented.
Just as the timer rings again the pony watching over the hair-spray is caught by surprise by an incoming Spike holding onto a chain kicking him over causing the spray can to spray and freeze the nearby hench-ponies caught by the spray.
Now that the Power Ponies are no longer being sprayed they are able to shake off the spray’s effects as Rarity manages to saw open the cage to free them and engage in a rematch with the Mane-iac's goons.
Pinkie repeated tags many ponies causing them to fall over and on top of each other unable to stop her due to her super speed.
The Mane-iac is screaming at her Hench ponies to stop them yet they are unable to overpower them.
“Over there! There! There! Idiots!” She screamed and pointed at the Power Ponies.
“Well that’s what you get for monologuing instead of taking care them immediately.” Midnight’s voice spoke to her which confused her as she didn’t know where the voice was coming from.
Applejack managed to lasso a group of hench-ponies trying to escape by tying them up to a metal support beam from the ceiling leaving them dangling in mid-air. Rarity was able to make multiple cages to imprison them. Rainbow Dash summons another tornado to suck them up into them.
As Spike watches over he sees Fluttershy trying to sneak away from the fight unable to get angry.
“Fluttershy, where are you going?” Spike called out to her after taking notice she is attempting to escape the scene.
“You seem to have everything under control.” She merely answered still wanting to walk away from the fight.
“Fluttershy, we need you! You have to power up!” Spike pleaded with her to come back and fight.
“I'm sorry, it's just that nothing is making me mad.” Fluttershy apologetically responded.
The Mane-iac seeing this tries to target her with her cannon only to see a firefly fly in the way. The Mane-iac annoyed simply flicks it across the room against the wall causing it to squeal in pain.
“Oh, goodness! Are you okay?” Fluttershy said to the firefly in shock seeing this and bending down to her eye level. And that was enough to draw Fluttershy’s anger. “Are you kidding me? I mean, I know you're evil and everything, but you hurt a teensy, little, harmless firefly?! Really?! Well you're just a great, big, meanie!” The Mane-iac was taken aback by this while Midnight reading to only see that she is big trouble as Fluttershy’s voice gets deeper. “There! I said it! What makes you think you're so special?! Like the rules of common courtesy don't apply to you?! Why don't you pick on somepony your own size?!” As she talked her eyes turned red and grew into a huge muscular hulk-like pony and then roared which got every ponies attention.
The Mane-iac frantically tries to activate her device against sending a beam at Fluttershy’s direction but it doesn’t affect her as she simply roars it off and redirects it back at her causing the Mane-iac to send flying away from the device.
She then rips the machine apart piece by piece as the other power ponies look at Fluttershy surprised and amazed by what she has done. When Fluttershy sees the other staring at her she places her hooves together with smiling in embarrassment.
“My mane” The Mane-iac screamed as her mane ties her up leaving her laughing manically in defeat.
Seeing that they have won Spike triumphantly says “Once again, the day is saved by—“ Only to be cut off when all of them to be sucked out of the comic book and back to the main room where Midnight was waiting for them.
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed
“Whoo-ee! “ Applejack said in the same tone.
“Did you see how I was raining down a storm of justice at the end there?!” Rainbow Dash asked Applejack
“You catch how I was wieldin' that lasso?” Applejack asked Rainbow Dash in return.
“Cupcakes?” Pinkie offered the other ponies who are surprised she somehow managed to produce a tray of them.
“How did you— “ Rarity asked confused to how and where did she get them.
“Eh, we had a good half second before we got sucked back out of the comic, and the Maretropolis bakery was only sixty-five blocks away!” Pinkie nonchalantly replied.
“I'm just glad to be back.” Spike said in relief as he fell back on a nearby pillow to rest on.
“Bravo Power Ponies.” Midnight said them as she helped herself to a cupcake with purple icing surprising the ponies with her reveal that she is in the same room as them. “Quick to adapt and think on you hooves and resourceful with your surroundings. I got to say I’m mildly impressed.” She positively commented.
“And now that you’re here you are going to pay for this, Egghead!” Rainbow Dash said ready to fight her again only to be frozen in place by her magic.
“Uh-uh.” Midnight said while raising and waggling a hoof at her. “You should know by now that jumping into a fight before coming up with a plan ruins the element of surprise.” She said recalling his decision to get the Mane-iac’s attention by summoning lightning which lead to the fight that led to them being captured before turning to Spike. “I am also especially impressed with you Spike.” Midnight said with her attention now focused on the young dragon. “Seems this experience I set up for you helped you out after all.”
“Wait you mean this was all a set up to prove my capabilities.” Spike asked in surprise.
“Correct! A test that you passed with flying colors.” Midnight commended Spike.
“Why are you doing this?” Applejack asked Midnight in a demanding tone.
“Let’s call that another test to tackle, perhaps for next time.” Midnight simply replied as she immediately waves bye as she teleports herself out of the castle. As soon as she left Rainbow Dash is free from Midnight’s freezing magic.
“I don’t know about the rest of you but is any pony finding it creepy that Midnight was able to nearly trap us in there and showed up like she knew what we were up to.” Fluttershy asked the other ponies which everyone agreed by saying "Mm-hmm! “ and "Yeah!”
“Not to mention how weird it was she actually helped Spike and managed to speak through to us through the comic.” Rarity added.
“But there is one thing I don’t get. Midnight was able to cast a spell on us to send us into that comic book. So where exactly did you get that comic book?” Applejack asked Spike.
“This one I got in Canterlot at the House of Enchanted Comics.” Spike answered honestly which earned himself bewildered looks from the others.
“Well, I didn't know it meant they were literally enchanted!” Spike honestly explained himself as the other ponies walked off ahead with amused disbelief.
“I thought it just meant, like, the comics they sold there had really enchanting story-lines!” Spike tried to explain himself further to the girls before running up to catch up to them. “Hey, wait up! I'm an important part of this team, remember?!”
As soon as Spike leaves Midnight uses her magic to summon the comic book to her so she can hold it to it for safekeeping as she flies off into the distance pleased with herself seeing that her plan to get the girls to learn how valuable Spike is to the team while Spike gets to further prove his capabilities which prove crucial to their victory over the Mane-iac worked flawlessly with some advice needed to boost Spike’s confidence.