//------------------------------// // Chapter 54 (Power Ponies) // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// It was late at night. I was so entranced in one of my comic books. I was reading the latest issue of Power Ponies Origins. This one talked about Mane-iac’s and the Power Ponies’ established rivalry. I intentionally bought the issue from that House of Enchanted Comics because I wanted the “Power Ponies” episode to happen. It would’ve been epic to be a superhero every now and then. “Spike, you really need to go to sleep!” Twilight called out from her bed. “I will, I will,” I replied. “I’m just getting to the part with the Power Ponies and the Mane-iac.” “‘The Mane-iac?’” “She’s the main antagonist of the Power Ponies.” I showed Twilight the first pages. “After a freak accident at her shampoo factory, the Mane-iac turned insane and her mane ended up getting strange powers. Right now, she and her henchponies are gonna break into the museum to steal the Electro-Orb in order to power her doomsday device. Of course, that wouldn’t have happened without Humdrum spilling the beans.” “Humdrum?” “The sidekick of the group.” I pointed to a green colt with a red cape, blue boots, and a black mask. “He’s the only one without any special powers, but that doesn’t mean he's useless, contrary to popular belief. He always helps out whenever possible, and no matter the circumstances, luck is usually by his side. He’s just as important as the rest of the Power Ponies.” “Sound familiar?” Twilight asked. “Anyway, I’m at the part where the Power Ponies are about to stop the Mane-iac from stealing the orb, and I don’t want to miss that!” “Believe me, Spike. If anypony understands what it's like to get caught up in a really good book, it's me. But if we're going to make any progress fixing up Luna and Celestia's old castle tomorrow, we all have to do our part. We don't want to be too tired to lend a hoof...or claw.” “Oh, alright,” I said as I bookmarked my comic book. “Why do we need to do that anyway?” “I was thinking we could restore their old castle as a gift for them. Maybe we could also turn it into a museum or something if they want that.” At least I knew why the girls wanted to clean the castle. I didn’t know why that plotline was abandoned later on in the show, though. I yawned and decided not to think about it at the moment. I put my comic book away and went to sleep. The next day, Twilight and I headed to the castle. By the time we got there, the rest of the girls were already there. “Alright, everypony,” Twilight announced. “Time to restore this castle. I’ve given each of you different tasks to complete based on your strengths.” “Including me?” I asked. “Of course, Spike. You think we would cast you off?” “Well...to be honest, part of me did.” “Come on, Spike. We would never do something like that. Moving on, I conducted a list for each of you.” Twilight handed us each individual scrolls. “If we all do our part, we can get this castle in shipshape in no time.” “Don’t you mean ‘castle-shape in no time’?” Pinkie asked. “Because this is a castle, not a ship.” “You know what I mean,” Twilight said. After reading our scrolls, we set out to do our respective tasks. I was mainly in charge of making sure the place was structurally sound and to toss out anything that was damaged beyond restoration, except the books of course. I was surprised Twilight got me to help out. In the show, Spike was brushed aside whenever he asked for help with the castle, despite Twilight bringing him. Then again, given how I helped so much, this change was to be expected. Hours later, we sat at the library to take a break. I continued reading my comic book. “All this hard work is truly strenuous,” Rarity said as she ate some biscuits. “I don’t think we’ve made a significant improvement to the castle since this morning.” “The castle has been unkempt for nearly a thousand years,” said Twilight. “Restoring a place such as this doesn’t take place overnight, even with magic. Canterlot wasn’t built in a day, you know.” “Does anyone want to see if the organ still works?” Pinkie asked. “NO!” we replied loudly. “Sheesh, I get it. No need to shout in unison.” When I got to the end of my comic book, I pretended to gasp. “Oh, no!” “What’s wrong, Spike?” Twilight asked. “It’s my comic book! I think I got ripped off!” “Whatever do you mean?” “I’m at the part where the Power Ponies are battling their enemy at a museum, but then...it just ends there. There’s nothing left but a blank page.” “That’s what’s called ‘a cliffhanger,’ Spike,” Rainbow said. “No big deal. It’s what draws the reader into looking forward to the next issue or book.” “Mighty cheap tactic if ya ask me,” Applejack pointed out. “Why can’t them authors just conclude the story right then and there instead of makin’ their fans get more twisted up than a wet towel in a bathtub? I’m sure it’ll be worth the extra pages or so.” “Well, there are many reasons why authors do so,” Twilight said. “Some haven’t finished adding details to their stories, while others...” “Girls! Girls!” I shouted. “We’re getting off-topic. That’s not the problem. Usually these comic books would have something at the end, like a ‘To be continued...’ or a ‘The End...?’ But this comic book doesn’t have it for some reason.” I placed my comic book down and pointed at the panels. “See? The last panel has the Mane-iac (the joker with the green mane) taking the orb from Humdrum, and that’s it. Nothing to tell us what happens next. I checked for any tears, but there aren't any.” “That does sound unusual...” Fluttershy said. “Where did you get this comic book from?” Twilight asked. “You should stay away from discount store items; they always have questionable quality.” “I got this brand new from a comic book store in Canterlot,” I replied. “The comic book guy said this had an enchanting story.” “Well, when we get back, tell them that it was a misprint.” Twilight shrugged. “I’m sure they can get it replaced for you.” “Say, what is that written at the corner?” Rarity pointed to some scribbles at the bottom right of the blank page. “Somepony please get me a magnifying glass,” I said. Twilight handed me one. “Maybe it’s an apology for the incomplete comic.” I read the text, “‘You can return to the place you started when the Mane-iac is defeated. Take a closer look to join the adventure in this book.’” “Join the adventure?” Rainbow asked. “Is that some sort of ‘giveaway’ or something?” Before anypony could respond, a white light appeared from the book. The ponies quickly jumped away. “Spike, when the comic book pony said it had an enchanting story,” Fluttershy said, “is this what they meant?!” Soon, I felt the suction coming from the book like a vacuum cleaner. “I think it wants us to jump in!” I shouted. “Let’s go!” Before anypony could say another word, I dove right into the glowing orb. I was introduced to many swirling colors just like the Equestria Girls mirror. By the time I got to the other side, I was already sporting Humdrum’s mask, cape, and boots. I guess my role in this universe hasn’t changed. “Somepony wanna tell me what the hay is goin' on?” A voice asked. I quickly turned around to see each pony in their respective superhero outfits, just like in the show. “Holy persona! You ponies have turned into the superheroes of my comic, the Power Ponies!” I announced. “Each of you have unique abilities given to you based on the character you’ve become.” “Did you plan all of this?” Twilight asked. “Believe me, I wish I could. Now listen very carefully! In order to get out of here, we must defeat the Mane-iac. That has to be what the comic book wants us to do. I’ll quickly explain what each of your powers do before the Mane-iac shows up.” I quickly started with Twilight. “You’re the Masked Matter-Horn, Twilight,” I said. “You shoot special energy beams from your horn. It should be like shooting magic.” “It’s that simple?” Twilight asked. “I never shot pure energy before.” “Trust me, you’ll get the hang of it.” I then turned to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, you’re the fastest pony alive.” “You’re thinking of Dashie, Spike,” Pinkie said. “No, that’s not what I mean. You’re Fili-second. Your power is super speed. Basically, you’re a wingless Rainbow Dash who runs fast instead of flying.” “Oh, I get it!” “Woah, woah, woah!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Why does she get to have super speed? Why not me? I’m the fastest pony alive in real life!” “Because you are Zapp,” I replied. “You control the weather, but not the usual pegasus way. You use that lighting bolt necklace to summon tornados, lighting, and more.” “Okay, I admit that is an awesome power.” “Rarity, you are Radiance.” I pointed to the bracelets on her hooves. “Whatever you can think of, your bracelet can create it.” “Really?” Rarity pointed her hoof in the air, and a mirror appeared out of nowhere. “I’m starting to enjoy this power.” She looked at her reflection. “Same goes for this costume.” “Applejack, your power comes from that golden lasso,” I said. “You use your mind to control it. You’re Mistress Mare-velous.” “Control it with my mind?” Applejack rubbed her forehead. The lasso slithered out of its pouch and danced like a charmed snake. “Well, would ya look at that!” “So...uhm...what’s my superpower?” Fluttershy asked quietly. I rubbed the back of my head. “Your power is to grow to an immense size out of anger. Basically, you become Bulk Biceps after losing your temper. Hence, the name Saddle Rager.” “Oh, gosh! That wouldn't be very polite!” “Well...somepony has to push your buttons the right way in order to do that...but you shouldn’t worry for now.” “Okay, so we know our superpowers, what about yours?” Rainbow asked. “I’ve noticed you never turned into a pony.” “Uh…” I sighed. “In the comic books, Humdrum doesn’t have any superpowers.” “What about your fire breath?” Twilight asked. “Can’t you use that?” I blew as hard as I could, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was air. I shook my head. “It looks like in the comic book world, we can only use the same powers as the characters,” I said. “This might be a challenge for us.” KA-BOOM!! A loud explosion shook the building we were standing on. We peaked over to see a nearby museum missing its front door. What came out was a purple pony with a long, green prehensile mane. She was holding the Electro-Orb, an important artifact. “That’s the Mane-iac,” I said.  “Power Ponies!” Mane-iac laughed maniacally “How kind of you to join us!” “I guess she’s referrin’ to us?” Applejack asked. “Power Ponies!” I raised my fist in the air. “Assemble!” The girls gave me confused faces. “We’re all here, Spike,” Pinkie said. I groaned. “Just try to defeat her!” “Time for the mane event!” Mane-iac shouted. She tossed a pretzel cart straight at us, but we dodged at the last second. Pinkie nearly fell off the building. “Wow! So this is how Dashie feels!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Gotta go fast!” She zipped down the building and down the streets. “Alright, lasso!” Applejack shouted. “Tie the maniac up!” The rope dove down to grab Mane-iac by the legs, but she evaded it. Applejack tried again multiple times, but the crazy villain kept eluding her. “Stand still, ya bad-mane-day pony!” “Let me try!” Rainbow pointed her necklace to the sky. “Give me lightning!” Storm clouds instantly formed in the sky. The lightning bolts quickly struck the ground. “Ha-ha! I’m the goddess of thunder and lightning!” Rainbow did her best to shoot Mane-iac with the thunderbolts, but the combination of her poor aim and the swiftness of Mane-iac made it so she too couldn’t land a shot at the evil-doer. “We’re barely harming her!” Rarity cried. “This mare is impossible!” That’s when I had an idea. “Rarity! Make me scissors!” “Scissors? Alright!” Rarity’s bracelets glowed and a pair of scissors appeared in my hand. I slipped the pair into my belt and hopped on Twilight’s back. “Fly me down there, Twilight! The rest of you keep Mane-iac distracted! I’ll try to grab the orb!” After Twilight landed on the ground floor, I quickly hopped off. Twilight then ran to the front of Mane-iac. “Alright, Mane-iac!” Twilight shouted. “It’s time you learned a lesson in stealing.”  Twilight’s horn glowed, but she could not shoot an energy beam strong enough to hit Mane-iac. “You know, I'm beginning to enjoy this.” Mane-iac cackled. I quickly snuck behind cover until I was close to the orb. Feeling like I had nothing to lose, I snatched the orb from the Mane-iac’s green mane and dashed in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, I didn’t go far when Mane-iac stopped right in front of me. “Where do you think you’re going with that?!” Mane-iac barked. “You should never take products from the grown-ups!” I pulled out the scissors like a gun from a holster. “Don’t make me use these! I’m warning ya!” “Didn’t your mother teach you not to run with scissors?!” Suddenly, I felt my cape pulling over my head, blocking my vision. My hands suddenly became empty. “I’ll have that back if you don’t mind.” I pulled my cape back to see the Mane-iac holding the Electro-Orb. “Well, this has been quite the mane-raising experience,” said Mane-iac. “But I really must be going.” She cackled once more as she swung away like Spider-Man with her mane. “That could've gone better,” Applejack said as she put her lasso back. “Well, Spike’s comic book did end with Mane-iac taking that orby thing from Humdrum,” said Rainbow Dash. “You can’t change that.” “But we can change how this ends,” I said. “Power Ponies, we gotta get to Mane-iac’s top-secret lair before she launches her doomsday device.” “But where in...whatever this place is...would her hideout be?” Twilight asked. “There’s a shampoo factory a couple blocks from here that she uses. My comic book was generous enough for providing a panel that showed the map of this city, Maretropolis. I was able to memorize it fast. Now follow me!” “Lead the way, Spike!” Applejack said. “And we’ll all kick that Mane-iac’s butt all the way to the barber shop!” Rainbow Dash declared. We hurried down the streets to find the factory. Without all the fighting, I could clearly see how rundown the city was. There was trash everywhere despite obvious “Do Not Litter” signs. Carriages and carts were parked in forbidden areas; some were piled with tickets. Police officers were busy catching minor thugs and other violators that weren’t that big of a threat. “So...uh...let’s just say...in theory,” Fluttershy whimpered, “we couldn’t stop the Mane-iac from her doomsday device. What would happen then?” “Then I believe we would remain here until we do,” I replied. “But don’t worry, Fluttershy. Everything’s going to be alright. We can do this. We defeated many villains before. This won’t be any different.” “Aside from the fact we’re wearing superhero costumes and we only have powers that we’ve just gotten and nothing else,” Pinkie added. Eventually, we found a warehouse with a flashing neon sign of a shampoo bottle pouring onto a mare’s mane. “This is the place,” I said. “Obvious, I know, but I didn’t write this story.” Twilight cleared her throat. “All right, Power Ponies, here's the plan. Rarity, you, me and—” “Come on out, Mane-iac!” Rainbow shouted. “Or the Power Ponies are coming in!” She shot her lightning necklace up in the air, sending a lighting bolt to strike the neon sign. The short circuiting caused the sign to explode in a shower of sparks. “So much for the ‘element of surprise,’” Twilight moaned. “Stealth isn’t Rainbow’s strong suit,” I said. “Come to think of it, neither was Zapp’s.” “Oh, I don't think she's home,” Fluttershy said as we approached the factory. “Maybe we should just come back later.” An evil laugh echoed across the empty streets, giving Fluttershy the shivers. “She’s home,” Rarity quickly said. The garage door in front of us opened and out came multiple henchponies with styled manes. “Time to Power Pony up!” Applejack announced. “Ooh! Nice catchphrase!”  Pinkie exclaimed as she trotted in place. Both sides charged forward. I watched as the girls used their powers to stop the henchponies, while I did my best not to get held hostage. Suddenly, I felt a hoof slamming down on my cape, making me fall backwards. No wonder Edna opposes capes. “Any last words?” The henchpony asked. “Say, is that a split end?” I asked. The henchpony gasped and grabbed his mane. “Where?! Where?!” I quickly stood up and karate-chopped the back of his neck, knocking him down. “Nevermind,” I said as I rubbed my hand. “Just seeing things.” By the time we were done, every henchpony we encountered was either frozen, shocked, tied, or all three. “Nice work, Power Ponies!” Twilight called out. “Now let's take care of the Mane-iac and get ourselves home!” “I don't think so!” Mane-iac appeared from the factory. “I have a city to destroy, and I'm not about to let the Power Ponies stop me! Not this time!” “Just watch us!” Rainbow shouted. That’s when the Mane-iac pulled out a giant spray can. “Look out!” I shouted. “That hairspray will inhibit your powers and freeze you completely!” Before Dash could summon any lighting, Mane-iac quickly sprayed her. She froze in mid-air. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie tried to attack her, only to meet the same faith anticlimactically. Fluttershy quickly hid behind a mailbox while I hid behind a fire hydrant. “Just think of something that makes you angry!” I hissed. “Anything! Please!” “I-I-I can’t!” Fluttershy cried. “I-I'm not so much angry as I am concerned, b-bordering on terrified!” Suddenly the Mane-iac sprayed Fluttershy as well. She then pointed the can to me. I threw my hands in the air. “Don’t do it!” I firmly shouted. Mane-iac gave out an evil laugh. “Oh, Humdrum, why in all of Maretropolis would I use the Hairspray Ray of Doom on you? Rather pointless, don't you think?” “Excuse me?” Soon, the Mane-iac and her henchponies dragged the girls into her headquarters. I was left all by my lonesome. Finding the muggle sidekick pointless, hmph. Clearly, the Mane-iac never read any superhero comic books. I considered myself lucky that this happened just like in the show. I looked at the top of the building and noticed an air duct leading to the interior. “Alright!” I cracked my knuckles. “Let’s get dangerous! I’ve always wanted to say that.” My first task was to get to the top of the building and sneak in. I quickly searched around the perimeter until I saw a ladder in a dark alley. I quickly ducked behind a dumpster when I noticed a henchpony standing nearby. He seemed to be struggling with a lighter. “Come on, stupid lighter!” The henchpony grunted. “How am I supposed to light these sparklers? I’ve been assigned boring guard duty, so the least I can do is make this shift somewhat entertaining!” I scratched my chin. I had to think of something. I noticed an old tarp next to the dumpster and an old walking stick nearby. That’s when I had an idea. I quickly covered myself with the tarp and held the big stick out in front of me. I kept my eyes to the floor as I approached the henchpony. I heard him walking up to me. “Is somepony there?” I asked in a British child’s accent. “Are you the foster lady?” “Sorry, kid,” the henchpony said. “You’re in a...uh...forbidden area.” He placed a hoof on my back. “Don’t worry, I can guide you out of here.” “Thank you. You’re as kind as you are handsome.” “Well, I’m flattered...wait, how did you know—?” Before the henchpony could speak another word, I swung the walking stick straight across his face. After he collapsed, I struck one more blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. I removed the tarp. “I never said I was blind.” I moved the henchpony up against the wall and covered him with the tarp. Thinking the lighter might be useful later on, I picked it up and slipped into my belt. I then hopped up and climbed the ladder. When I got to the top, I noticed a loose vent covering the air duct. I quickly opened the vent and climbed right in. And here I thought overly-large air vents existed only in movies, tv shows, comic books, and...oh wait. I crawled through the metallic passageway. I heard the voices of Mane-iac and her henchponies. “Hey boss,” one of the henchponies said. “This hairspray doesn’t last long. What are we gonna do when the Power Ponies break free?” “They’ll never break free!” Mane-iac rebutted. “Which is why your job is to make sure of that! Spray them every five minutes and you won’t have to worry about them escaping!” I spotted another vent ahead. I peeped through to make sure the coast was clear. When it was, I kicked the vent open and dropped down. That’s when a small can of hairspray caught my eye. I grabbed it and read the label. “‘Warning: Do not use near an open flame!’ Hmmm.” I tucked the can into my belt as well. Maybe Humdrum should make a utility belt. He could be like Batman without the dead parents. I’ve read that in one issue of Power Ponies Origins, Humdrum came from a normal background. His parents were alive and well and treated him fairly. His father was a 9 to 5 office worker while his mother was a nurse (Some very early issues depicted her as a housewife, but that was later changed). Aside from a few moments of being bullied, Humdrum had suffered no tragedies whatsoever. He joined the Power Ponies after helping the Masked Matter-Horn with stopping a ruthless thug. I peered over the overhang to see the girls trapped in a cage. They were still frozen from that hair spray. The Mane-iac stood in front of a large device that was covered in a red tarp. “Congratulations, Power Ponies!” Mane-iac guffawed evilly. “You shall live just long enough to see me fire...the instrument of your destruction!” The tarp fell to reveal Mane-iac’s superweapon in the shape of a hairdryer. And...cue the long villain speech. “Once the Electro-Orb has powered it up completely, this cannon will amplify the power of my mane one million times, expelling an energy blast that will cause everypony in Maretropolis's mane to grow wild!” As the ponified joker continued her monologuing, I began my second task. I quickly and stealthily grabbed the red tarp and hooked it onto two different chains. Both of them were conveniently connected to a crate that was on one of the walkways. I sneaked my way back and did my best to push it over the railings. When I overheard the Mane-iac explaining how useless I was without any superpowers, I rolled my eyes. “Maybe in your world,” Twilight said to Mane-iac. “But in our world, Spike...uh, Humdrum always comes through when we need him! Always!” Thank you. After mustering all the strength I could handle, I lifted the crate over the bars. The tarp quickly scooped up the majority of the Mane-iac’s henchponies and left them hanging. “What the?!” Mane-iac looked at the struggling bag. I grabbed another chain and swung towards the pony manning the Hairspray of Doom. I gave a mighty kick, knocking him off the balcony and bringing the giant can down with him. The hairspray showered some nearby henchponies, rendering them frozen. “Way to go, Spike!” Twilight called out. The rest of the Power Ponies unfroze themselves. Rarity summoned a giant nail file and cut the cage open. The girls escaped and attacked the rest of the henchponies. I climbed down the stairs to join them, but three henchponies stopped me. “Where do you think you’re going?” One of them asked. I quickly pulled out the lighter and small can of hairspray. I flicked the lighter as hard as I could to get a light. The second a flame appeared, I put it in front of the hairspray and pressed the nozzle. A great ball of fire came bursting out. “FIRE! FIRE!” Another henchpony shouted. “Don’t let it touch my mane!” The three henchponies quickly stumbled down the stairs. “Didn’t expect me to pack heat, did you?” I asked. I looked up at the ceiling and noticed a sprinkler system. I had another idea. “Rainbow Dash! Over here!” I shouted. Rainbow zipped up to me. “What is it?” “Fly me to the ceiling!” I hopped on her back. “I’ve got a plan.” Dashie flew up to where the sprinklers are. “Brace yourself!” I commanded. “This is gonna get hot!” Using my improvised flamethrower, I blasted fire straight at the nozzles. With a snap, the water came spraying out and soaked some of the henchponies underneath. “NO! I just styled my mane!” One of the henchponies complained. “Now, zap the wet floor!” I said to Rainbow Dash. “Ah, I get it!” Rainbow sent a lighting bolt directly to the giant puddle, giving the drenched henchponies a hearty shock and an afro-like mane. They fainted after seeing each other’s messed-up mane. “Heh-ha!” I chuckled. “I’d make a ‘shocking’ pun, but it would be too cliche even for this world.” “You just did.” That’s when I noticed Fluttershy heading towards the exit. “Fluttershy!” I called out. “I know battles aren’t your forte, but you need to get angry and help us out!” “I'm sorry,” said Fluttershy “it's just that nothing is making me mad.” 3...2...1… Suddenly, the Mane-iac quickly flicked a firefly away, which smacked against the wall. Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, goodness! Are you okay?” The firefly was a bit dazed, but it was alright. Fluttershy glared at Mane-iac. “Are you kidding me?!” Fluttershy barked. “I mean, I know you're evil and everything, but you hurt a teensy, little, harmless firefly?!” Like a ponified Bruce Banner, Fluttershy instantly bulked up and hulked out. Mane-iac tried to fire a shot at her with the doomsday device, but the projectile bounced back and hit her, tangling the villain in her own mane. Fluttershy then destroyed the device in a fit of rage. “Yikes. Remind me to never get on Fluttershy’s bad side,” Rainbow said. “Remind any of us to never get on her bad side,” I added. By the time the fight was over, every single one of the Mane-iac’s henchmen was locked up and defeated along with their boss. I hopped off as soon as Rainbow landed. I quickly grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped a lock off the Mane-iac’s mane. It quickly turned white. “Something to remember you by,” I said as I backed away. “Good job, Power Ponies!” “Now that the Mane-iac has been defeated, does that mean we are allowed to go home?” Rarity asked. Suddenly a white light appeared right above us. “I believe that’s a yes,” I said. The seven of us got sucked right into the orb of light. We fell back into the Castle of the Two Sisters on the other side. Our costumes and superpowers have vanished. I looked at my hand and noticed that the pieces of mane turned into scraps of paper. Aw, man. I thought I could make a fortune selling the official mane of the Mane-iac at the next pony convention. The girls exchanged excited chatter as I threw away the pieces. “Well, that was quite the adventure,” I said as I brushed myself off. “Wasn’t it?” “It certainly was,” said Twilight. “But please, Spike, please, please, please ask before you bring us into one of your comic books.” “I’m sorry, Twilight. But I didn’t know the comic book would do that.” I closed the book.  “It wasn’t all that bad, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “At least we got awesome superpowers while we were there!” “Yeah! I always wanted to go super fast!” Pinkie declared. “I could’ve made a Sonic Pinkboom!” “I’m just glad Spike was there to help us,” said Fluttershy. “We would’ve been goners without him.” “Thank you,” I said. “Alright, let’s get back to restoring that castle.” “Actually, why don’t we call it a day?” Rarity fanned herself. “All that hero work has made me feel winded. I do not think I have the energy physically or magic-wise to continue.” “I’m feelin’ tuckered out myself,” said Applejack. “It seems like we all are,” Twilight said. “Alright. We’ll put off this restoration project for another day. Grab all the supplies and we’ll head back to Ponyville.” I nodded and went to grab my comic book, but I noticed it wasn’t in the usual spot anymore. “Come on, Twilight,” I said. “You don’t need to confiscate my comics. I already said it wasn’t my fault the comic created a portal like that.” “What are you talking about Spike?” Twilight asked “I don’t have your comic.” “Then where is it?” The girls looked around the room, but they found no trace of it. “I don’t understand, it was right here,” I said. “It couldn’t have vanished, could it?” Twilight asked.  “I guess it did. Shame, though. I would’ve liked for us to try a sequel.” It really felt awesome being in the comic book world, and unlike the old Spike, I didn’t feel useless whatsoever. And despite going in against their will, the girls enjoyed being there as well. I thought about going back to the comic book store and buying another issue. It would be nice to try to battle the Mane-iac again. I wonder if there will be an alternate universe comic where the Mane-iac turns into a villain because of a messed-up society instead of falling into a vat of weird shampoo.