Twilight felt Dizzy, she and the other elements had been blasted back by Havok's seeming Self Destruction to activate his prank.
"Dam him," Twilight hit the ground in rage before she picked herself back up, Rarity and Rainbow attempted to locate Pinkie, who had ended up inside a Barrel that had landed square on top of her and sent her spiraling away. Fluttershy was now in a tree, having failed to close her wings in time she had been swept away and managed to grab onto both the tree and Applejack's Hat, the latter of whom was gratefully thanking Fluttershy for saving it from being lost.
"I Love this hat," Applejack said as she shook it slightly before patting it back onto her head. "So," Applejack looked around, the crowd having also been blasted back were still recovering from the effect of Havok's explosion "Half of all Equestria is now populated by Mimes?"
Twilight shook her head irritably before lighting her horn. In a flash, all 6 Elements of Harmony were teleported to the Cutie map, inside the room they Found Spike and the Cmc along with Babs and Rumble playing on top of the table with Shining reading on Twilight's Throne.
"Oh," Shining ears perked at the sudden arrival of his sister. "Done playing with Havok already?"
"Wait," Applejack frowned "I thought Havok said he was gonna turn every creature in Ponyville who wasn't at the game into Mimes, he even announced it to the town"
"Oh, weird I didn't hear anything," Shining rubbed one of his ears.
"Well I was disappointed," Rumble said as he and Spike Pretended to Crush Canterlot "Spike invited me over and we thought it'd be funny to turn into Mimes,"
"We were trying to help Spike catch up with where we are in school," Applebloom called out as she waved her hooves through the clouds on the Cutie map "We figured becoming Mimes would be a good way to get out of Homework," Applejack gave her little sister a look, and she, in turn, stuck her tongue out.
"I tried to tell them," Sweetie sighed "Ponyville's county line ends about twenty hoves before it hits the front door, "Havok said every creature 'in' Ponyville, this Castle is technically just outside of it,"
"Stupidest 12 bits I ever lost," Scootaloo said irritably as she tried to look like she hadn't just been waddling a rubber duck across the cutie map," Spike hopped off the table and walked up to the Barrel that had come with the other five.
"Why'd you bring a Barrel?" he inquired with interest.
"OH," Rarity walked up and lit her horn "Pinkie do forgive me let's get that off of you," Spike ignored Rarity and instead pulled on the bottom to lift it up, Rarity picked it up and the room went silent as Pinkie stood before them, her coat was striped pure white and black as ink down to her waist, where it and her Mane had become Black as well. she had a little beret resting on her head. her lower body was black, and her hooves were shining white.
Pinkie waved to her friend before bouncing up to the table without making a sound. Twilight and her friends all took a step back as the children all began laughing.
"Hey Pinkie that's a fine look on you," Spike chuckled as he walked up to Pinkie and nudged her with his elbow, as soon as he touched Pinkie his scales began losing their color, and within a few seconds Spike had joined Pinkie in Mimehood.
"It's contagious," Shinning declared as he hopped out of the throne and backed away from Pinkie and Spike.
"Alright, I get the Apocalypse part of the prank now," Rainbow noted as she took care to fly above the mess. Spike took off his Beret, examined it for a moment, and shrugged before tossing it back on top of his front-most spike. Spike's body gave the appearance he was wearing overalls.
Pinkie and Spike looked at one another before Pinkie smiled and merrily walked over to the CMC, who all reached out in unison.
"Opps," They all declared as they all poked her and became Mimed as well.
"Applebloom I'll be informing Mrs.Cheerliee that you mimed yourself on purpose," Applejack warned "So you best finish up your homework," Applebloom silently puffed smoke from her nostrils before turning to Babs, who quickly backed away.
"Hey, I don't need any of that thank you very-" In her haste to escape Applebloom, Babs bumped into Spike and proceeded to throw her Beret angrily on the ground before she and all the other children look to Rumble, who jumped past Twilight and ran straight out the door, Spike and the others immediately gave chase and Twilight took care to shut the door behind them to avoid being mimed herself.
"So," Shining said, looking around expectantly "How does this prank end?"
"Oh," Fluttershy rubbed the back of her head "Havok didn't tell us, he just said to enjoy his Mime Apocolyps, and then told us to take this as a lesson to never cheat him out of his own game again,"
"Hey," Rainbow called out loudly "Havok you forgot the rules,"
"Did I now?" Havok asked as he lay sideways on Twilight's Throne, laying his tail across the tiny one next to her that belonged to Spike while reading a Power Ponies Comicbook "Hu, Must have slipped my mind," Havok pointed to Pinkie and declared with gusto "Get a Mime to make a sound," There was a moment of silence as Havok went back to Reading, Twilight motioned irritably and he looked up "Don't look at me, I'm still mad about having a Fluttershy thrown at my face,"
"Not a lot of creatures would be mad about that," Rainbow responded in jest, making her friend blush.
"Welp, good luck and whatnot," Havok snapped and disappeared without a trace.
"Alright," Rarity turned to look at Pinkie for a moment "Does playing an instrument count as her making a sound, or do you suppose she has to speak?"
"Just bounce," Rainbow recommended "You always make a boing when you bounce," Pinkie blew into her hoof in an attempt to whistle, upon failing to make even the tiniest noise she tried bouncing with soundless results.
"You can do it Pinkie," Fluttershy cheered from across the table, the other Main six and Shining taking care to keep their distance to avoid joining her in forced silence.
"Well, this sucks," Vile said as he sat on the roof of the floating tower and held onto the boxy side of a measuring tape, across from him Storm had the other side of the tape, next to her Rot was using her tail to hover at her side as they discussed how far out they should go.
"It can't always be fun and games," Havok noted from below, both he and Rust taking care to hold the Tower in Place while Storm walked along the inside rearranging their Spy-globe shelf "Sometimes it's work, How's it looking up there Storm? you two decided how it should work?"
"Not yet," Storm called back before turning to Rot "Come on work with me here Rot, We should just have the Towers all rotate in the same direction, it would help make the Rope bridge actually usable.
"No," Rot said firmly, shaking her head as she spoke "Listen, two rope bridges that wrap around each other double helix style, the Towers spin in opposite directions, and the Bridges themselves are something that doesn't obey the laws of physics,"
"Look I won't deny, it's a cool concept on paper, but trying to get them to work functionally would be a nightmare, who's gonna oversee repairs? who's gonna untangle them when they inevitably get tied up in a knot? How would we connect both sides of the two bridges to the towers?"
"That's the point," Rot countered "It's mindless Chaos,"
"I feel like you're trying to sell it too hard," Vile called back, "The Chaos behind it I can respect, but having to fix it every time a thorn cloud floats past would get old fast,"
"Vile you voted yay on the twin bridges during the last vote,"
"I've become more enlightened," Vile called back.
"It was seven minutes ago," Rot shot back irritably.
"Seven minutes is a lot of time," Vile countered "It was Storms' original idea, now she's its primary opposition,"
"I just thought it would look badass," Storm said with a sigh "But all my models over the past week have just been messes, and not the fun kind, the kind that results in one of the towers eventually being thrown off its axes and causing a whirlpool effect that results in one or both towers swing into the castle,"
"But it would be Chaotic," Rot responded.
"I'm sorry, Rust what is happening?" Havok asked, getting the sneaking suspicion that Rot had something other than just building a bridge on her mind.
"You made Shade second in command," Rust replied casually "I'm guessing Rot and Storm are in competition to get your attention and be named third in command or something," Havok looked at Rust for a very long moment of silence before slowly shaking his head.
"I don't think that's a thing," He decided.
"Well Shade is your right hand, logic dictates the chain of basic command ends there, but being that we're chaos I guess Rot and Storm decided that you'd eventually assign us all a limb or something, As the late comers Vile and I are the feet of the operation guess, Meaning all that's left is your left hand, and your tail,"
"You're trying way too hard to work in the use of body parts as metaphors," Havok chuckled back as the two watched Rot and Storm argue, with Vile hopelessly stuck holding onto the measuring tape that Storm had firmly in her grasp.
"How do you suppose the Mime-okolipsis is going," Rust asked Havok in an attempt to alleviate her growing boredom with Rot and Storm's argument.
"Wanna go watch?" Havok inquired.
"Oh, you sly dog, trying to get me along and romance me?" Rust asked, She and Havok stared into each other's eyes for half a second before exploding into laughter, after a comment from Vile the two had confided they both lacked any romantic interest in the other and had quickly overcome the awkwardness of the situation and made the prospect of the two being involved romantically a running joke.
"Oh yes, a romantic evening of watching ponies becoming Mimeified," Havok and Rust made doppelgangers and teleported to Ponyville to watch the prank together,"
Luna woke up with a start, she looked around in a sleep-induced daze, unsure what exactly had startled her awake. "It's quiet," She realized nervously, since her return from the moon the castle had been filled with nonstop movement, the sound of guards noisily stomping down the halls, maids laughing and gossipping, Nobels whining and complaining at all hours of the day, the non-stop hustle and bustle of Canterlot itself echoing through the castle. Luna very cautiously walked up to her door and made sure it was locked before going to her window to inspect what was wrong.
"Oh, what in the name of Tartarous?" Luna looked out in confusion as hundreds of Mimes crowded around the castle, all trying to push their way silently inside, Luna quickly locked her Window when she saw enough Mime Pegasis crowding the air space to constitute calling an army. "Tia," Luna lit her horn, calling out to her sister magically "Why are hundreds of Mimes invading the castle?" Luna waited for her sister to respond, and after a moment received a written letter.
"Don't let them touch you, you'll become one of us," Luna looked at the letter for a very long moment before lighting her horn.
"Explain," She demanded, she heard a loud swear and the sound of breaking china, followed by Rust howling in Laughter. With a loud snap, Havok and Rust appeared in Luna's Bedchamper, Havok in the middle of cleaning Hot Chocolate off his chest with Rust still laughing at him.
"Twilight cheated me out of my own game and it pissed me off," Havok said calmly "So I started the Mime-okolips," Luna lit her horn and informed her sister it was the Work of Havok before motioning for him to keep talking "She threw Fluttershy at me," Havok said with an air of great offense.
"And how does one end this prank?" Luna asked.
"Oh, a Mime has to make a noise," Havok said simply.
"And how would one do that?" Luna inquired.
"Royal Canterlot Voice," Spike said with a grin.
"Oh you cheap bastard," Luna chuckled "So only a Mime Princess can end this,"
"Yep," Havok confirmed as he raised his hand to snap "Although, if I'm being honest, this one's kind of boring, nothing much we can do since technically only you can end it now," Havok smiled and Luna for a moment before frowning "are you still mad about to Magic Beans?"
"Not mad enough to do anything to earn a spot on your shit list," Luna said with a shrug.
"Don't be silly," Rust chuckled "We're Princess Luna's Protectors of Chaos!" Luna looked taken aback at the statement and Rust shrugged "Not Publicly yet mind you, but as soon as your ready to just royally piss off your sister we'll come running to help," Luna smiled at the offer.
"Well, now that you mention it...there is something I could use your help with, and I think you can distract every creature else with a prank while you do so"
"I am all ears," Havok said, "Seriously I'll beg for the idea, we need someone else to come up with a prank or two, we're running a little empty on creative mojo if this Mime crap is anything to go off of,"
Twilight and her friends sat in silence around the table, all of them looking at Pinkie, who had systematically turned each and everypony in the room into a mime in a vain attempt to have them aid her in making noise. Shining had gone back to reading upon being mimed and the girls were all taking a rest, worn out from trying to make noise. In a Blinding Flash, Luna teleported into the room, Twilight looked at her, and then moved swiftly away from her upon realizing Luna was not yet a mime.
"Ah, I see you're all Mimes as well," She noted calmly with a nod "Well Have no fear, I know exactly how to cure you all of your ailment, but first I must be mimed, I tried to get my sister to do it but she just stuck me in a magical dome, I don't think she's aware Havok is the cause behind this," Luna calmly tapped Twilight and became a Mime, the girls, and Shining watched as Luna took a calming breath, and then shouted at the wall "Royal Canterlot Voice," She declared Proudly, a shockwave of Chaos Magic emanated from Luna's mouth and began spreading across Equestria, bringing a swift and uneventful end to the Mime-okolips.
"Yes!" Pinkie screamed out happily, earning a shove from Rainbow.
"Right next to you," Rainbow noted irritably as she rubbed her ear.
"That was Brilliant," Twilight Cheered "Thank you so much, Princess Luna," Twilight turned away from Luna and looked intently at the Cutie Map, going from happy to thoughtful in the blink of an eye, "This is starting to get somewhat out of hand, at first all I saw Havok as was a joke, but as time goes on he's getting to be more dangerous, first I find out he's pulling Children into his..."
"Twilight," Rarity suddenly jumped in, causing mild shock to the room, Luna noticed the door creak open and saw Spike was visibly interested at the sound of Rarity's voice as he and his team hide outside the door and listened in to Twilight and the others, "I'm sorry but I can't just sit idly by anymore, you are aware that Havok has stated, multiple times, that he's younger than most if not all of his teammates correct?"
"Oh don't tell me you fell for that," Twilight said with a roll of her eyes "Mind games Rarity, he's the god of Chaos why would he be honest about his age, I mean," Twilight shook his head "Why would Discord give his powers to some random baby dragon that he was 'friends' with?" Twilight looked at Rarity expectantly, who stared at Twilight slack-jawed, "Yeah, an obvious lie is obvious when you think about it, isn't it? Discord and Havok must go way back, hence why Discord chose Havok as his successor,"
Luna had to use all her power not to face-palm herself, and she could see Pinkie doing the same as the Main six began gathering around Twilight. Luna was about to join them but was stopped when she and Pinkie noticed two outliers standing in their place, Shining staring wide-eyed at his book, a look of realization on his face as he stared dumbfounded at the page without taking any of it in. Standing stiff as a board across the room, Rarity slowly turned her head towards the door and stared at Spike, who stood his ground and stared back at her, before raising his hands and snapping, a Chessboard appeared before her, with only a Pawn shaped like Spike and King shaped like Twilight resting on it, Rarity looked to it, and then back at Spike before slowly reaching out, and knocking over the King, She turned away as the chess board disappeared, shock still on her face as she walked up to the Main Six, who were too invested in their own planning to notice what Rarity had just taken part it, and proceeded to join them without breathing a word.
"Hu," Spike Smiled as Pinkie slinked behind Shining and slowly put a hoof to his mouth. Shining looked at her and Pinkie just winked.
"I suppose I should take my leave, but first, Shining Armor, I'd like a word with you in the halls," Shining set his book down, and followed after Luna, who closed the door behind them and stood in silence as Spike walked up to Shining, turned into Havok, and patted him on the back.
"Bet you feel really stupid right now don't ya?" Havok asked with a chuckle before adding in a chuckle "A friend of Discord, who is both a dragon and seems to have a bone to pick with Twilight, I mean, good lord whoever could I have been, I know, I know, I'm just so very well disguised,"
"Oh Sweet Celestia," Shining lightly headbutted the nearest wall "You're not disguised at all,"
"I know," Havok replied with a wheeze, I never intended to hide my identity, but Twilight was just like, oh whoever could you be, and I swear she has to know, she has to right?" Havok looked around at his friends as they all took on their Chaos forms "I mean I get my coloring is off, but come on I'm a damn-near spitting image of myself, I can get it not immediately clicking, but she should have figured me out by now right? I mean for goodness sake Rarity and you both just figured me out because of Twilight!"
"aah," Shining replied as he banged his head against the wall and Shade shook her head.
"Honestly it's kind of sad," She agreed "I still have no idea how we haven't been sold out, I mean hell Applebloom' even wearing her bow,"
"Big mac compared me to me," Rot realized "Oh shit, come to think of it he's been leaving me to do more and more chores, saying he knows I can get it down in a sna-" Rot face palmed herself "Oh, yeah no he totally knows doesn't he,"
"And you knew about this?" Shining demanded as he turned to Luna.
"Day one," Luna said with a smile "That, by the way, is why I gave them the castle, that bean crap is just Spike's Stupid Cover story," Shining let out a low moan and hit his head against the wall.
"Spike," Shining said as he looked to Havok "Take me home please, I...I can not keep a secret this big from Twilight while looking her in the face," Havok snaped and Shining was teleported to the Empire.
"Well this was stupid," Vile decided "Who's idea was this?"
"Yours," Storm replied instantly, Vile huffed and then turned away angrily.
"You guys just didn't do it right," He grumbled defensively.
"So we heading home to plan our next big outing?" Storm questioned "Because I think we need to talk about adding a few more steps to what passed to the becoming a prank stage,"
"Well you guys can take the rest of the day off if you wanna," Havok offered casually "I however have a prank Commission to discuss with our sponsor," Team Chaos looked at Spike in confusion before he pointed to Luna "it...it's Luna, Luna's our sponsor, she gave us a castle," a murmur of understanding spread through the team and they slowly dispersed, save for Rust and Shade.
"I kind wanna hear this out," Rust replied with interest, "better than listening to Storm and Rot argue about that bridge while Vile constantly changes whose side he's on,"
"And as Second in Command I think it's important I show initiative," Shade said firmly, giving Rot a slight bit of a side eye as she spoke.
"Very well then, Shade if you and Rot could take me home I'll fill you in on the plan while Havok goes and collects the final piece to set the plan into motion,"
"Very Well Princess Luna," Shade and Rot said respectfully before teleporting her and themselves to her bed chambers. Havok nodded to the empty hallway before doing a quick stretch.
"Alright then, let's see just how persuasive I can be,"
Cheerilee was hard at work in her schoolhouse, even though it was the weekend she was busy twiddling the day away on future assignments, grading, and other such work. She was in the middle of grading when her red pen went dry, she opened one of her drawers to retrieve a spar and was instead met with the sound of disco music as a tiny Havok spun record in her drawer. Cheerilee slowly shut the drawer and looked towards the door before sighing.
"As if I could outrun him," she groaned before reopening the drawer. "what do you want Havok?" Havok in response grew in size and poked his head out of the drawer with a large smile on his face.
"High Cheerilee," He said happily "How's it going?"
"What the's prank?" She asked, having been grading most of the day Cheerilee had missed out on the Mime-okolipse entirely thanks to her school house being just outside of Ponyville.
"Oh, well if you must know I have a bit of a big one coming up," Havok slide his upper body out and expanded it out, lending him the look of an inflatable tube man as he leaned slightly closer to Cheerilee, "And I just thought who could I use in the prank who would actually have fun, and I decided to use Team Back up Harmony," Cheerilee groaned and set her dead pen down only for Spike to waggle his finger at her.
"Oh no, we're not doing it yet, How's Friday sound? I'll even through in an all-expense paid field trip to Canterlot for you and your class since the prank will be entirely centered on the Equestrian Capital," Cheerilee frowned as she slowly looked Havok over.
"What's your game," Cheerilee questioned, quickly waving Havok off when he frowned slightly "No, not the prank itself, why are you telling me about it in advance,"
"Well if you must know I have a job to do for team Chaos's master, would you like to meet her?" Cheerilee looked taken aback at the request and Spike simply put his hand in the snapping position "Yeah, you do," He decided as he snapped them both away. Cheerilee found herself in a very nicely prepared office, sitting opposite a large back-turned chair, on either side of the chair stood Shade and Rust, with Havok appearing as a hula-girl Bobblehead that began lightly stunning on his Ukelayle and singing about Tropical Islands and Lava, Cheerilee's attention snapped to the chair as it slowly turned to face her.
"Hello," Luna greeted Cheerilee "Your my Nephew Spike's soon-to-be teacher are you not? A pleasure to meet you, you and I have lots to talk about,"