Deep in the Undiscovered West the rogues were once again trying to make a plan. While they were trying to think something up the rogues had built several houses for themselves as well as trained with each other quite a bit. "Those are quite a few spells you have Scar Flank," Weather Warper complemented.
"If you think I'm good you should have met my grandfather. He said he could fire a spell right through a mountain."
"Could he?"
"Probably, he was the toughest stallion around."
Mad Alicorn then flew down to where the others were. "As powerful as he might have been, I doubt he could have defeated Super Stallion. None of us can and even if we gang up on him somehow he always has backup so maybe we should get some as well."
"What do you mean?" Mimicry asked.
"We need to start building an army and not just expendable thugs, individuals that can hold their ground against Super Stallion and his friends."
"Where do we start from?" Scar Flank asked.
"I know let's make an army of Wacko's," Weather Warper suggested.
"Only Prank Master knew how to get to put the crystals together right and besides, 1 Wacko is more than enough," Mad Alicorn said as she looked at Wacko who was trying to sit on his own head. "For all we know we could make something even more… defective."
"Good point, too bad Discord isn't on our side. He could probably take down Super Stallion by himself in fact I think he did that a couple times," Weather Warper said.
"But then he'd make the entire continent into absolute madness and we'd have to fight him instead," Scar Flank said.
"Oh right, wait I remember a while back this creature broke out of Tartarus."
"Yeah we heard about that too," Inferno said. "Tirek while Mimicry, Payback, and I were putting things in motion we saw him a bit while we were hiding in Ponyville. He stole the magic of ponies and even managed to steal Discord's magic until Super Stallion came along and defeated him."
"You don't say?" Mad Alicorn asked as she approached Inferno and Mimicry. "What happened to him?"
"I told you Super Stallion defeated him."
"After that!"
"He broke out of Tartarus so I imagined that after he was beaten he was taken back," Mimicry said.
"And what is Tartarus?"
"A place where all sorts of dangerous creatures are locked up."
"Is that so? Well well it seems I'm about to start another prison break."
"Uh not quite," Mimicry said. "Tartarus is locked up good and tight & there's a giant 3 headed dog guarding it."
"But there is a way we can get in," Inferno said, getting everypony's attention, even Wacko. "There's this artifact, some sort of crystal key that can open the gates of Tartarus. Our brother was looking for it to use so he could get another army to help with the attack on the Crystal Empire."
"So do you think he might know where we could find it?"
"Probably, but you won't be getting any information out of him."
***
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be returning from their honeymoons with their husbands Prince Squeaky Clean and Prince Swift Sweep with them. Princess Twilight wanted to make sure the castle was in perfect condition by the time they got back. "It looks like everything is perfect."
"That's how I feel whenever I check you out Princess Twilight," Flash Sentry said whose line was so corny the princess couldn't help but laugh.
"Flash, do you think you can tone down those cheesy 1 liners for later?"
"No promises." Flash Sentry and Princess Twilight afterwards welcomed the return of the royal pony sisters with the entire royal guard.
"Twilight, did you do all that just for us?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Of course this is your home and I wanted to make sure you felt welcomed back."
"Thank you very much Twilight." Princess Luna said. "This gesture is most thoughtful so have you managed to run things smoothly while my sister and I were gone?"
"Oh of course it's nothing that I couldn't handle."
"Especially since she had me around to make sure she didn't screw up," Flash Sentry said.
"Don't flatter yourself, Flash, there was nothing I couldn't handle."
"Oh was that what you called almost breaking that thing the other princesses gave you that lowers and raises the sun and moon?"
"Well excuse me if I'm not used to moving celestial bodies on literally a daily basis."
"Don't worry Twilight, you get used to it." Princess Celestia and Princess Luna then made their way into the castle with their husbands. Soon after doing that Celestia and Luna made their way to Celestia's chambers so they could catch up and while they did that Squeaky and Swift decided to do the exact same thing.
"Swift Sweep, how have you been?"
"I've been on a honeymoon so I've been doing really well. It's a shame that Luna probably won't be wearing that wedding dress anymore because she looked kicking."
"Yeah so did Celestia but between you and me I couldn't wait to get out of that tuxedo."
"I know what you mean, Squeaky that thing was really itchy."
"Yeah, that's what I meant."
"Well now that we're princes are we still gonna be able to clean? I really like doing that?"
"I feel the same way, no worries. I checked with Celestia. It's still our job among a few other things." Before long the royal pony sisters thanked Twilight for filling in and relieved her of new duties.
"Well Princess Twilight since you don't have to run the entire country anymore, maybe the 2 of us could go do something together."
"What do you have in mind Flash?"
"Well I was thinking that we'd go on a short zeppelin ride."
"A zeppelin ride? That's quite a surprise coming from you.."
"It is? I guess I never told you about that part of me, the kind that likes things that can fly. I've even been saving up to fly a helicopter."
"Don't you need a license for that?" Flash then showed that he indeed has a license. "I guess that's another thing I didn't know about you. Maybe going with you on that zeppelin will help learn even more about you, and it could help you learn more about me."
"I don't know, I've learned quite a bit, I'm not sure there's anything left."
"Oh yeah I bet you had no idea that I first met Spike my number 1 assistant-"
"When you hatched his egg trying to get into Celestia's school for Gifted Unicorns."
"Oh, but I bet you didn't know that the pony I look up to as much as Princess Celestia is-"
"Star Swirl the Bearded."
"Oh right, I told you about that last week. Well how about this I have this secret fear of-"
"Ladybugs because when you were young a bunch of them swarmed into your house and your brother Shining Armor said the black dots on them were extra eyes always watching you."
"I told you that too? How could I have forgotten that?"
"You got me."
***
"Ah this is the life," Super Stallion said as he was flying around Equestria. "While I'm glad Super Stallion didn't need to pop up during Squeaky Clean's honeymoon, it's nice to just fly around. Besides, the sooner I lock up the loose rogues, the better. The fact that they haven't done anything during my honeymoon makes me rather nervous."
Suddenly Super Stallion saw the Super Stallion Signal flashing in the sky and flew straight to Canterlot and saw Princess Luna was the one that turned it on. "Princess Luna, it's new to see you turn the signal on what's up?"
"A series of disturbed dreams."
"You're having trouble with numerous nightmares?"
"No, not disturbing dreams, disturbed dreams. Somepony besides myself has found a way to enter the realm of dreams."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you didn't teach them."
"Correct and I believe their motive behind this will prove to be quite sinister."
"Well normally I'd get right on it but I don't know how to get to the dream realm."
"No worries Super Stallion, I am more than capable of taking you." Princess Luna then opened a portal to the realm of dreams and Super Stallion then flew in and Princess Luna followed close behind. When Super Stallion arrived in the realm of dreams he was rather amazed over what he saw, many spheres that looked like stars.
"What are those?"
"The dreams of all who sleep get close enough and you can see and even enter a dream."
"Oh now that I gotta see."
"Perhaps later remember we need to do something about those who came here on their own."
"Right, sorry."
"Quite all right." Luna then flew around the dream spheres and Super Stallion was not too far behind.
"So do you know the ponies that managed to get in here?"
"Yes a group that you are all too familiar with those who have endangered Equestria many times."
"The rogues."
"Yes indeed, the Mad Alicorn most likely trained herself to get her magic to work similar to mine."
"It's bad enough she tried to take over Equestria and broke the other rogues out of prison now she's invading dreams. There's invading privacy and then there's that."
"Actually that's the part I can't quite figure out, they've only been invading the dreams of 1 pony."
"1? Who is this 1 pony?"
"I'm not internally sure I saw them enter a dream a while back luckily they didn't see me so I stayed hidden until they left and then entered the dream they went into. When I entered it, well you're about to find out for yourself." Princess Luna and Super Stallion entered a dream sphere and found themselves in a labyrinth.
"What's with the maze?” Super Stallion asked.
"This pony's mind is very convoluted to say the least,” Luna answered. “But I have yet to find the root of the reason why." Super Stallion then gestured to Luna to be quiet as his super hearing had picked up other voices far away but not too far away.
"How much longer is this going to take?" Mad Alicorn asked her voice, starting to be heard a bit by Princess Luna.
"You're the one with the wings, use them to get a bird's eye view oh fearless leader of ours," Inferno said to Mad Alicorn rather upset.
"I already told you there's nothing I see up there that I don't see down here, I mean besides all the various angles of this giant mindscape maze."
"We'll keep searching as long as it takes, it'll all be worth it in the end," Mimicry said. "He has to be here somewhere, this is his mind after all."
"Hey look at that Mimicry!" Inferno called out the 3 rogues then rushed over to whatever got Inferno's attention. Super Stallion and Princess Luna looked around the corner and saw a strange bright light.
"All right we're getting closer, let's move it big time!" The 3 rogues then ran off while Super Stallion and Princess Luna then went over to where the light was.
"Mad Alicorn, Inferno, and Mimicry those 3 make a bad combination. Any idea what that light was?"
"Yes actually," Princess Luna answered as she walked towards where the light came from and Super Stallion and Princess Luna found themselves in Canterlot but a rather shady part of it.
"How did we get to Canterlot?" Super Stallion asked as he looked around and out of the corner of his eye saw 3 young ponies sitting very close to one another within a small alleyway.
"This is a memory," Luna answered as they got closer to the 3 young ponies.
"Can anypony spare us some food?" A small purple filly asked.
"They can but they don't want to," A young colt answered. "They think nothing of us because we are nothing. At least we are now but 1 day we're gonna be running everything around here."
"How are we gonna do that bro?" A red filly asked.
"I'm not sure, at least not yet but 1 day I'm going to find a way to become king of Equestria!"
"Do you know that colt?" Luna asked, noticing Super Stallion was focusing on the young colt.
"He was a rogue by the name of Payback. He did a lot of bad things, one of them was creating a brainwashing device that he accidentally used on himself."
"I see I get it now, that maze is a result of the damage done to his brain." Luna then led Super Stallion out of the memory and back into the said maze. "Those 3 rogues must be traveling further and further into the maze to find the true Payback that possibly remains in the maze trying to escape out of his damaged psyche."
"If they do manage to get him out of here that would be bad news for us. He's dangerous and he didn't care about who he had to hurt to get what he wanted."
"If that's the case we need to stop those rogues in their tracks."
"Don't worry your highness, it's what I do best." Super Stallion then took to the air and like Mad Alicorn couldn't really see anything else other than the angles of the maze. But he was searching for the rogues and when he saw them further in the maze he flew straight down and Princess Luna wasn't far behind. "Hold it right there you 3!"
"No way," Mimicry said in sheer disbelief. "There's no way that was, it can't be it just can't be-"
"Super Stallion!" Mad Alicorn said as he came down with Princess Luna right behind him.
"How in the world are you here? Not even you could have followed us here this time!" Inferno said.
"I had a little help." The 3 rogues then noticed Princess Luna was right beside him.
"Oh that makes sense," Inferno said as she put the pieces together. "But that's not going to be nearly enough this time." Inferno then lit up her entire body forcing all of the others to get back. "Mimicry you and Mad Alicorn go, I'll hold them off!" Mimicry hesitated at first but knew when to let her sister do her own thing and took off with Mad Alicorn.
"You've had a bad idea here and there but fighting the 2 of us all by yourself is possibly the top of the list."
"I think I'd have to agree with Super Stallion on that," Princess Luna said.
Inferno made even more fire around her body and it started to spread. "Don't underestimate me. Mimicry and I are on a mission to rescue our brother and let him continue with his master plan that you ruined. My passion to defeat you is now stronger than it ever was before and now-" Inferno was cut off when all of her fire was put out right away by a large sum of water that came right out of nowhere.
"Thought that would shut you up I mean sheesh blah blah blah you're Mimicry and Payback's sister all right," Super Stallion said.
"How, how did you do that I didn't even see you gesture a spell or whatever you do to make magic despite not having a unicorn horn?" Inferno asked.
"We're in a dream, remember you can do anything in a dream," Super Stallion answered.
"You're right, this is a dream, that's very good to KNOW!" Inferno then made the entire area of the maze they were in utterly filled with fire. Luna and Super Stallion were almost engulfed by the flames but Super Stallion got the 2 of them out of way just in time.
"Okay Super Stallion don't give the bad guy an idea," Super Stallion told himself as he bonked himself on the head.
"Super Stallion I think I should go on ahead. Do you think you can defeat Inferno all on your own?" The fire Inferno summoned only moments ago was then all collected into a giant ball of flames and it started to grow larger and larger. Super Stallion made snow appear and froze the fire ball completely and it landed on Inferno.
"Yeah I'm pretty sure I can handle this on my own but don't get too reckless fighting the others."
"Noted. I’ll be careful."
"You'll be toast," Inferno, who burnt through the ice sphere said. Inferno then made a series of fire beasts and used them to surround Princess Luna as they turned into fire rings but Super Stallion then opened a door within the fire allowing her to escape.
"Your fight is with me Inferno now let's fight fire with fire," Super Stallion said as he and Inferno shot powerful beams of fire at each other. "Impressive yours was on the same par as mine."
"What'd you expect?" Inferno asked who appeared behind Super Stallion with a pair of wings she made. "Fire was always my specialty." Super Stallion then got hit up close by fire but he endured it.
"And defeating ponies that make too much of a habit of causing trouble is mine." Super Stallion then forced Inferno to the ground and then threw her through several walls of the maze. Inferno made herself into a giant and tried to hit Super Stallion with fire balls but they all missed. During all the dodging Super Stallion flew straight at Inferno and prepared one of his meanest left hooks. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Super Stallion uppercutted Inferno sending her flying and as a result Inferno had a very unpleasant landing.
"No it won't end like this again," Inferno said as she shrunk down to her original form.
"You can't beat me."
"I don't have to, I just need to run out the clock so Mimicry can save our brother." Inferno then made several fire tornadoes appear. "Though if I beat you and give Mimicry enough time to save him that's fine too." Super Stallion countered by making water tornado. "STOP RIPPING OFF MY ATTACKS!"
"STOP DOING BAD THINGS!" Super Stallion flew towards Inferno who launched herself at Super Stallion as well surrounding herself with fire ready to hit Super Stallion like a torpedo. They clashed and Super Stallion while he received quite a bit of nasty burns managed to push Inferno back who tried to counter but Super Stallion wouldn't let her and he hit her making her land in the maze again.
"I'm gonna beat you if it's the last thing I do!" Inferno got ready to attack but Super Stallion stopped her when he flew down to her and blasted her through another wall.
"Not even in your dreams.”
***
Princess Luna made her way to where Mimicry and Mad Alicorn ran off, determined to stop them in their tracks. Suddenly a magical beam was fired at Princess Luna who was able to summon a magical barrier around her to block it just in the nick of time. "Well it seems I've caught up to them."
"I'm surprised you were able to block that," Mad Alicorn said as she flew up to meet Princess Luna. Mimicry went on ahead while Mad Alicorn stayed behind this time. "But let's see how you do against all of these." Mad Alicorn then fired spell after spell at Luna who tried to block them all but the overwhelming numbers of the firing spells forced the barrier to break.
Luna was forced to the ground by the remaining spells but she was able to get back up only moments later. "It's going to take more than that if you want to take me down."
"Well then it's a good thing I'm just getting warmed up." Mad Alicorn cast another spell beam and Luna fired a beam of her own and they clashed and canceled each other out.
"Even after all those spells you fired, you still had enough energy to fire a spell that powerful," Princess Luna commented who couldn't help but be impressed.
"I've been training myself since my last failure to raise my endurance, speed, and power." Mad Alicorn then flew right over to Princess Luna and decked her right in the face as hard as she could. Luna was then forced back to the ground once again. "Looks like all the long hours were worth it if that's all it took to take down one of the royal pony sisters."
"This fight is far from over." Princess Luna flew back up and charged straight at Mad Alicorn and managed to hit her dead on with a spell that nearly forced Mad Alicorn straight out of the dream. "I am the Princess of the Night, the guardian of the realm of dreams. I will not let you have your way in here or the waking world."
"I didn't ask your permission," Mad Alicorn said as they charged beams once again but this time Luna was able to push hers back and hit Mad Alicorn. But after that Luna was forced to get back on the ground as she started to breathe heavily. "Well, it looks like you're almost at your very limit."
"I have not yet begun to fight."
"Oh please, who do you think you are?"
"Your worst nightmare!" Luna turned herself into Nightmare Moon then flew at Mad Alicorn, giving her the meanest right hook she could give.
"Is that all you got?" Mad Alicorn asked. Though at this point even she knew it was just bravado.
"No I also have these," Luna answered as she attacked physically and magically and there was hardly anything Mad Alicorn could do about it. Luna then turned back into her original form and almost fell to the ground once again. "Well looks like I managed to defeat her just in time but I may have to leave the rest of this mission to Super Stallion."
***
Mimicry had nearly made it to the very center of the maze.
"There has to be an exit around here somewhere, so why can't I find it already no matter what I do I always find myself back in the center of the maze," a voice not too far away from Mimicry said.
Hearing that Mimicry transformed into Rainbow Dash and flew to where the center was in no time at all. Once she got there she at long last found her brother and was so excited that she did a backflip.
"PAYBACK!" Mimicry cried out as she turned into her original form and jumped right at her brother who was insanely shocked to see his sister. Mimicry actually cried tears of joy.
"Mimicry? What are you doing here?"
"I came to rescue you. I'm from the waking world and I came to get you out of here. Or fix your head or whatever I'm too excited to think straight."
"You did all that for me?"
"Of course. We're family.”
"Oh that's fantastic I always knew you'd find a way to rescue me."
"Really?"
"Of course I always knew that you would always be there for me. You were always loyal to me, that's how I know you would always have my back." Just don't expect me to return the favor. "Now will you get off of me?"
"Oh right sorry." Mimicry then got off of her brother and once again took the form of Rainbow Dash and lifted her brother out of the maze.
Not too far behind Super Stallion who was helping Princess Luna fly. He was also using magic to carry a restrained Inferno and Mad Alicorn were making their way to where they figured Mimicry went.
“Thank you for helping,” Princess Luna said.
"No problem,” Super Stallion said. “I just hope Mimicry hasn’t managed to find her brother. That guy is trouble, hate to say it but it might be in the best interest of all Equestria if that guy never gets better."
"My my you must really not like this stallion, what did he do or rather I should ask what was he going to do?"
"He was the mastermind behind the attack at the Crystal Empire, the whole attack was a plan for him to become the new Super Stallion and use the power for himself. He didn't care who he stabbed in the back to get what he wanted; he was willing to let his own sisters rot in prison. "
"That does sound bad." Luna then saw a twisted version of Canterlot Castle in the sky and that the maze below her and Super Stallion was slowly starting to fall apart.
"Finally," Payback said as he was standing inside the castle that he made. "Now that I finally got out of that maze I can think much more clearly."
"Now all we have to do is wait for the others to show up and we can get out of here," Mimicry said, happy that a mission finally had gone the way that she wanted. "And with this castle in the sky you made, they can spot it from the very end of the maze."
"Why even wait for them, let's just get out of here right now."
"What? We can't do that Payback."
"Of course we can, they can get out on their own and catch up with us." Or at the very least slow down Super Stallion enough for me to get as far away from that mind maze as I can.
"No we literally can't, Mad Alicorn is the only one that can take us out of the dream realm."
"Mad Alicorn?"
"Oh yeah she's an alicorn that joined us and she's been leading the group ever since you got locked up."
"An alicorn you say." I wonder if she knows how to make me an alicorn too? Suddenly Super Stallion and Princess Luna appeared, having recently noticed the castle in the sky.
"Super Stallion even in my dreams you haunt me, so I guess that makes this a nightmare."
“Meeting you again isn’t exactly pleasant for me either,” Super Stallion said as he dropped Inferno and Mad Alicorn.
"Well at least he brought Inferno and Mad Alicorn," Mimicry said. "So we're practically out of here already bro."
"And in the meantime I can make this golden pretty colt pay for what he did to me." Payback then made his castle shift and shake and several stone hooves came right out of the walls and grabbed onto Super Stallion as well as Princess Luna.
"You did it to yourself. I tried to warn you that you were gonna land on your own brainwashing device but you didn't listen."
"Yeah well tell you what when my head clears up and I remember how to build it I'll use it on to rewrite your brain then you can remember it however you want."
"Yes now we can make Super Stallion pay for breaking apart our family," Mimicry said as she used her magic to teleport Mad Alicorn and her sister over to where she was and proceeded to wake them up.
"Your family was already broken, even more than you know," Super Stallion said.
"From what I've heard I'd have to agree," Luna said. "Your brother was willing to make his family even more broken to get what he wants. "
"Oh please now you're believing his lies too," Mimicry said.
"Yeah our brother always looked out for us and did so much for us especially when we started his plan to get his revenge on you," Inferno said as she and Mad Alicorn woke up but with little energy.
"Then perhaps we should see things from his point of view," Princess Luna said. “I am the Princess of the Night, I can find the memories of those whose dreams I enter.” Princess Luna then showed the time Payback fought Super Stallion at the Crystal Empire and was willing to abandon all who worked under him, even his own sisters to their utter shock.
"No don't listen to him, er me I was just, wanted to make him think I was gonna do that, so he'd think I'd-" Payback was then cut off when Super Stallion who got himself free along with Princess Luna attacked him and sent him through the floor.
"I think you better quit while you're behind." Payback then tried to counter attack in whatever way he could but nothing stopped Super Stallion. "Not so strong on your own are you? That's why you hide in the shadows while all the others do all the real effort."
"Not everypony is lucky enough to be a literal superhero." Payback then started to counterattack with a spell but Super Stallion deflected it effortlessly.
"Maybe you'd get a better idea on how to fight if you have some fresh air." Super Stallion then blasted a hole in a wall and threw Payback out of it only for Mimicry to grab him.
"Mimicry oh thank Celestia quick pull me up," Payback begged but she simply held onto her brother and gave him the coldest stare she could. Standing next to Mimicry was Inferno who also gave Payback the coldest stare she could. "What are you doing, help me!" Suddenly Mimicry's grip was starting to loosen up. "What are you doing stop don't if I fall in the maze I'll never get out."
"Yes, that's really too bad. I wonder how long you'll wander around the labyrinth of your own head before you realize nopony is going to rescue you." Mimicry then realized her brother and Payback fell into the maze which completely rebuilt itself trapping Payback once again within its walls.
"What are you doing?" Mad Alicorn asked as she arrived but with Princess Luna not too far behind. "He was the whole reason we came in here!"
"Everything we ever fought for was a lie," Inferno said. "There's no reason to fight anymore." Inferno and Mimicry then got into a surrender position.
"What are you doing? We can't give up now!"
"They already have," Princess Luna said. "You should do the same, your allies have given up your outnumbered and exhausted."
"I have enough energy to do this!" Mad Alicorn made the castle collapse and Super Stallion had to get Princess Luna and the rogue sisters out of there. When the castle collapsed Mad Alicorn was gone.
"She got away," Luna said.
"Well 2 out of 3 isn't bad."
"You saved us?" Inferno said shocked. "After everything we put you through."
"Why?" Mimicry asked.
"You have to ask? It's because I'm a superhero."
"Yes and you've done well, Super Stallion. I think we got out of here."
"Fine with me." Princess Luna then opened a portal and Super Stallion followed her out carrying the rogue sisters in each foreleg.
"No!" Payback called out in vain. "Come back please I promise I'll be more loyal don't leave me in here, please! Don’t leave me in this maze.” Payback then ran around once again in vain as he wasn’t able to find an exit and would continue to wander for quite some time.
***
After his adventure in the dream realm Super Stallion dropped off Inferno and Mimicry to the royal guard who took them into custody and soon after he made his change into Squeaky Clean and got to cleaning the floors but also helped his wife oversee a few royal issues. But he was having trouble staying awake during both of those events.
"Squeaky!" Celestia barked at her husband. "I'm aware this isn't exactly the most exciting part of being royalty but this is important."
"Oh go easy on him sister," Princess Luna said. "He had a rough night." Luna then gave Squeaky a wink that made him realize he'd have to have a talk with her later.