//------------------------------// // Laughter // Story: The New Moon Rises // by Kit Wolfkat //------------------------------// Laughter. “Alright, AJ! Lemme just… there!” Rainbow Dash untied the vine that was looped around one of Applejack’s hind hooves as she dangled from a tree upside down. Applejack had an irritated look etched on her face, her fore hooves crossing over each other. “This ain’t my finest time, ya know?” she said blankly to the others, with Fluttershy and Twilight watching her being untied from the ground. Rainbow took the liberty of using a sharp rock to cut the vine, swiping it to the right as if it were a machete cutting rice plants. Unfortunately, as she cut the vine strand, Applejack fell to the ground head first before falling on her back. Rainbow chuckled loudly at her while Fluttershy tried to stifle her laughter by biting her lip. Twilight, however, couldn’t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Y’all chuckle as much as ya want. At least Ah lasted much more than Rainbow here.” she retorted as she laid flat on her back. She stood up and dusted herself off from the dirt from her coat, but as she looked up her fur stood on end. Her eyes widened in fear and her hooves shakily pointed behind Fluttershy. Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion, “What’s wrong Applejack?” “Wha-wha, why’s the same manticore from earlier behind ya?” she stammered with a nervous smile of fear. Her ears raised in realisation and turned around to see the manticore licking its paw casually, “Oh, that’s Manny, he didn’t mean to hurt all of us. He got his paw stuck with a thorn. And was very frustrated.” she explained nonchalantly as she turned back to the farm mare. Applejack looked at Manny again, before going back to Fluttershy, and then Manny, before her eyes rolled behind her head and fell down semi-conscious from the lunacy of the situation. The others quickly gathered around her as Applejack voiced her thoughts,“So yer tellin’ me that Ah got flown up in the air and swung like a crane before landing a tree upside down by my hooves, only for that Manny… is just hurt from a darn’ thorn stuck in its paw .” Fluttershy gave an awkward smile, “Uh, yes?” Applejack slowly turned her head with tired eyes, “Twi, Ah think I get why ya get this done quickly. Cuz Ah feel like losin’ mah head here.” she said weakly, placing a hoof on her forehead. Well, I guess so much for enthusiasm. Twilight had a look at her current location and despite her reservations, she pulled up the map of the forest in hopes of seeing her current location. However each time she did, it seemed to get worse as the map itself never intended to go offcourse from its original mountain pathway, which they did, making it useless for her. And that’s just great. Now we’re absolutely lost, at a loss and with a loss of three… Twilight sighed, feeling the weight of the moment took over again. She tried to shake the worry out of her head, there’s more pressing matters for her to take. Like for starters, what in Tartarus she’s going to- BANG! BANG! BANG! Twilight’s heart raced as the sound of gunshots pierced through the air. Instinctively, she dove to the ground, while Fluttershy and Rainbow similarly ducked down together. Applejack hugged her hat tightly on her head, fear surging through her head. Manny meanwhile, ran into the other direction without a second thought, unbeknownst to them. After a few seconds, the gunshots stopped, and Twilight cautiously raised her head, her heart pounding in her chest. “What was that?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her senses were heightened, and every rustle of leaves made her flinch. The forest remained eerily silent, with no immediate sign of danger. Rainbow Dash stood up, her wings flared, ready to take flight at a moment’s notice. Her eyes darted around, searching for any signs of movement, but there was nothing. “Ah-ah think we should go,” Applejack said, rising from her position on the ground. Her voice was filled with concern as she looked at Twilight. “Ain’t worth sticking around here, and Ah ain’t gettin shot in the middle of the Everfree.” Twilight forced a weak smile, her nervousness palpable. “I guess so, we should probably continue on.” she said, her voice tingling with uncertainty. Turning around to face the forest, Twilight felt the weight of the dark trees looming over her. Their branches resembled gnarled claws, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The air was chilled, and the rustling of leaves created a haunting soundtrack. With her mind racing, she took a deep breath and led the way forward, the others following closely behind. “Darn Sparkster, can ya turn up that horn of yers a bit brighter?” Rainbow Dash asked her, her voice said unnervingly. “Cuz each step we’re taking, that magic light of yours is getting dimmer and dimmer. And I can’t see jack!” Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m trying. It’s not like I’m a generator or something,”she retorted, feeling frustrated. “And besides, the magical resistance in the Everfree will only get stronger and stronger the deeper we go in so you need to expect this.” Rainbow flew slightly above the two with Fluttershy behind her, scanning the area. “Ya know? Ever since we landed here, I haven’t heard nor even seen Winters, Rarity and Pinkie Pie anywhere.” Twilight gazed at her view across the dark forest, her worry intensifying. How well am I gonna sleep after this if they’re… I don’t know anymore… What am I doing wrong here? I mean we’re moving but, it just seems off? Why am I even hearing myself now, this is just… stupid. She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a sound, a rustling noise that didn’t sit well with her. As her eyes widened, she quickly turned around. Applejack was nowhere near a bush, and the two pegasi were nowhere near a branch. However, looking from the corner of her eye, she can see a raven flying from a nearby bush. Instinctively, she crouched down to a nearby tree, making a shushing motion with her hoof and signalling everyone to follow her. They followed her lead, lowering themselves to the ground, their bodies tense with anticipation. Fluttershy shivered in fear, and Rainbow covered her friend with her wing while Applejack gripped the ground tightly with her hooves. Twilight herself dimmed her horn ever enough so whoever was behind that bush wouldn’t hopefully see them. “What’d ya see, Sparkster?” “I don’t know, Rainbow Dash.” “Ya don’t know?” “I saw something, it could be something that can kill us or something torture and then kill us.” “Ooooooh Fauuuust….” “Whoopee doo, thanks for the common enthusiasm Sparksyan.” “Oh shut, yer trap Rainbow.” “Wait, what’s that?” The tension became increasingly higher as the rustling grew louder and a faint light emerged from the bush, a lantern light tied around a pink tail. A couple of voices accompanied the light, and Twilight couldn’t help but recognise those voices somewhere. “Pinkie darling, I don’t think this is the right way?” an elegant voice said worryingly. “Oh Rarries!” the first figure replied, her pink tail rising high with the lantern illuminating the path. “We’re definitely going the right way! My Pinkie Senses are tingling and jumping and-” “Seriously? Cause it looks like more of another dead end here.” another voice chimed in, this time a stallion with a north-eastern accent. Twilight’s eyes widened in realisation of who they were. Quietly laughing to herself, she decided to reveal herself from away from the tree, much to Rainbow’s attempt to pull her back. Her horn still dimmed, she approached the trio with a smile. “Hey, you three! I’ve been-” Twilight’s smile faded instantly as the lantern struck her head, sending her staggering backward. Pain radiated through her skull, and her vision swam with disorientation. She reached a hoof to her forehead, feeling the dull ache that was quickly turning into a throbbing pain. “Uh… whoopsie?” Pinkie said, a smile leaking onto her face. Twilight’s consciousness slipped away as her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed backward on the soft ground of the forest. Dr. Greymane’s horn slowly turned into a dimmer, as his fellow doctors and nurses finally finished stitching up Princess Luna’s wound. He stepped back, his hooves now bloodied and all of them weary from the stitches they did. The room was filled with a mixture of relief and exhaustion as the medical team took a moment to catch their breath. The princess laid restfully on the operating table, her breathing calm but heavy. The room was quiet, the electricity still hasn’t turned on since the other nurse has left for the backup generators. The absence of electricity left the room dim, save for the soft glow of his horn. He turned to Dr. Care, one of the junior physicians on the team. “Dr. Care, have you heard any news from Nurse Snowglobe? Electricity’s still not on.” The physician shook his head, and spoke with a solemn tone. “No, I had one of the other nurses check on him but the doors on the eastern wing are blocked off.” he pointed to a female nurseling. Raising one of his eyebrows, Greymane’s concern turned to confusion. “What do you mean by that?” he asked the nurse. “Local militia told us not to, said there was an accident in the electrical room and it has a chance for a fire hazard.” she responded, averting the gaze of the doctor’s eyes. Nurse Redheart’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Fire hazard? We have fire extinguishers in there, every electrical room has one!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. Care looked at him with a worried tone. “That’s what Nurse Rollers told them, but they’re keeping the area off limits to anyone. Regardless!” Dr. Greymane felt a slight pain in his head, a sign of growing frustration and concern. The situation was becoming more challenging with each passing moment. The lack of electricity was hindering their ability to provide proper care to their patients. Not only that, but the potential panic and hurried movements of staff members and patients in the darkened hospital could lead to further injuries. Then he had an idea. Quickly turning to his staff of nurses and doctors, Greymane addressed them with a sense of urgency. “Unicorns and lings, use your horns to create a source of light in the hallway due to the limited flashlights. Help the ones in the hallway if you can!” he said, his eyes focusing on the races he mentioned, who nodded back at him. As they left the room, their horns shining brightly in the dark, he turned to the other non-magic users. “The rest of you, use the remaining flashlights conservatively. We need them for more crucial operations. Make every beam of light count!” The others nodded somewhat enthusiastically, quickly taking the remaining flashlights and distributing them to themselves. Dr. Greymane smiled slightly, something’s working out after all. He walked over to the window and looked out to town. The absence of electricity had plunged the entire area into darkness and chaos. Everybeing was still panicking, in their rush trying to leave the town but still somehow in a standstill, even though the chaos had started 20 minutes ago. There were even a few of those trying to loot and break into a local repair/hardware store, but were swiftly driven off by a young mad thestral with a revolver who was taking potshots at them. He remembered as he and his staff were in the hospital staff room, watching on the hospital’s only television set half an hour ago. A nervous Princess Luna speaking to the crowd during the celebration speech, and the arrival of Daybreaker, which caused the entire town to suffer an unexpected power outage. The chaos and panic had ensued ever since, and the situation seemed to be worsening with each passing minute. And now, the hospital is having an influx of injured patients seeking medical attention. To the point where they had to start turning the lobby into a makeshift triage station to handle the growing number of injuries. He sighed. How worse could it get? “Twilight!” “Twilight!” “Twilight!” “Twilight!” “TWILIGHT!” Twilight’s eyes went up, her head still throbbing from the impact of the lantern. The voices calling her name seemed distant and muffled, as if they were coming from underwater. She blinked a few times, trying to steady her head with a hoof. “Ow… where am I?” she asked in a groggy tone. Winters smiled but a tad bit nervous, his vest covered in dirt and leaves. “Still in the Everfree, unfortunately.” he answered. “You feel good, Twi?” Twilight shook her head, her eyes slowly blinking. She turned to the others who were standing beside her. Her eyes scanned from Winters all the way to - “Pinkie Pie….” she said, her eyes glaring venomously as the pink earth pony grinned at her. Pinkie quickly rushed past the others, gave Twilight a tight hug and spoke enthusiastically. “Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh! I thought you were dead! Or unconscious. Or worse! Or-” Twilight pushed Pinkie off her forcefully from the hug and glared at her, “What in Faust’s name would you throw a DAMN lantern at me!” Pinkie’s grin remained plastered on her face, seemingly unfazed by Twilight’s anger. She tilted her head slightly,“Awww, that? Sorrie!” she said as she poked a tongue out of her mouth. “I didn’t mean to, thought you were a scary monster like a Timberwolf, or a Manticore, or a ghost!” Twilight struggled to immediately facehoof herself, but she restrained her impulse to do so. “Pinkie Pie… I almost caused a cliff side collapse and I thought I killed all three of you, I dangled myself off the ledge fearing for my life, and then I had to outrun in a circle against a GIANT-ASS MANTICORE!” Her voice echoed throughout the Everfree after her yell, the intensity of her emotions reverberating in the air. The others looked at her with a mix of surprise and concern as Twilight stepped closer to Pinkie Pie with a scalding look. “And let me tell you, Miss Pie,” she said, poking a hoof onto the pink chest. “We are in a national crisis that no one, I repeat, NO ONE. Has ever seen before. But here you are, I am trying to solve this problem and you just threw a lantern at my head!” Pinkie tilted her head in confusion and placed a hoof on Twilight’s head. “Oh, did it hurt ya that bad?” Twilight was in disbelief. This mare doesn’t even care about the situation! She considered at least a firm slap of a hoof or a bolt of magic just so she can bring this mare back to her senses, but she doubted even if that works against the eccentricity. “Oh wait, oh wait, oh wait! I have something!” Pinkie Pie suddenly exclaimed. She reached and grabbed her poofy mane and quickly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Before Twilight had a chance to ask her, Pinkie quickly and expertly folded a paper a dozen times. And before she knew it, Twilight had a paper boat in her head. Twilight’s face fell into a deadpan as Pinkie let out a cheerful laugh. Rarity sensed that Twilight’s gonna yell at her again so she decided it would be a good time to talk between them. “Well darlings, I think we should move on from this part of the forest. It is getting dreadfully dark and I don’t think the lantern will have enough time to sustain its light so can we please continue on our way?” she asked. Pinkie grinned and bounced to her, “Oh c’mon Raries, Twilight has to laugh a bit! And as the party pony of Ponyville, she has to laugh!” “Laugh?” Both of them turned to Twilight, her face slowly shaped into an ungrateful expression. “Laugh? LAUGH? Miss Pie, I used to think that you were somewhat innocent and a bit more gullible than Winters here-” “Hey…” Winters slowly croaked out. “BUT, after this. I think I know what you are really doing.” She continued sharply as she walked over to Pinkie with a glare, the former still smiling and grinning. “I think you’re a liability.” she said to her in a low tone. The others kept silent as the unicorn spat out those words, so personally, despite that they have only met on a few occasions. But Pinkie, instead of feeling frightened nor an ounce of sadness on her face, simply looked confused. She looked in the air and thoughtfully put a hoof under her chin. After a few seconds, Pinkie turned to her with a grin. “What’s a liability? Is that like a nickname for a friend or something? Like how the griffons call each other by curses, like ‘fucker’ or ‘cockhead’ instead of the traditional friend nicknames?” The response caught Twilight off guard, and again, she’s at a loss for words and groaned in finality. Im-fucking-possible. She’s ACTUALLY more gullible than Winters, and even more annoying at that. Twilight looked up from her self-stupor and looked at the others, most of them apparently just so managed to stifle their giggles, hoping that Twilight wouldn’t get more offended than she needed to. With a sigh, she walked past Pinkie and the others. “We should keep going, might as well find the castle and do something before we all inevitably die.” The others looked at each other and nodded after the earlier situation and walked behind her. Pinkie, however, cheered loudly and pulled out a party horn. Ugh.. The least you could do is keep quiet. 10 minutes later “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we-” I’m really gonna blast this mare in the face if she keeps that up with me. Pinkie Pie has been asking the same question every few seconds. For the first few times, she just responded sharply, hoping that she’d get the hint. But for some reason and somehow, she managed to continue her questioning for minutes on end. Her next step was to ignore her completely, which is currently doing now but it only seemed to energise Pinkie further into more questions. Twilight sighed in her mind, she could feel her mental state being pushed to the peak. She felt her head getting heavier and her eyes getting more tired, and the absence of the moon light is definitely not helping her mind right now. Opening her eyes, the trees in front of her seemed to be getting bigger and their branches became more elongated and pointy, as if they were sinister claws trying to snatch her from her life, while the view itself became darker and darker, making it harder for her to see what’s ahead. Damn.. Must be my eyes playing tricks on me. I should’ve taken a nap before all of this. Great… Now you’re not only gonna be tired once you reach Sisterswith, you’re also gonna be way too tired to even- “Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Tw-” Pinkie Pie enthusiastically called out as she suddenly bounced right up in front of her. “WHAT!” Twilight furiously shouted to her. The others stopped in their tracks as Twilight glared at the grinning party pony. “Wanna hear a knock-knock joke?” Twilight sighed and face hoofed herself in the face again. It’s becoming a regular occurrence now whenever Pinkie’s around. She irritatedly looked up at Pinkie Pie. “Are you serious?” “Knock-knock!” “For Faust’s sake…” “Branch!” “Oh, just-” “Branch out! Or you’re gonna stuck in a-” “SHUT THE FUCK UP WOULD YOU!” Pinkie recoiled a bit at Twilight’s extremely angry yell, her body instantly freezing in place. The joyous expression was still there, but a slight drop on a curve in her mouth startled Pinkie. “Uh.. Why? You should have a little laugh when-” Pinkie tried to explain, but Twilight wasn’t hearing any of it. She stomped right up to her face with a mean glare and pulled her close until their noses were touching each other. “Listen to me, Miss Pie. I’m not here for a laugh, nor a giggle, nor a chuckle, nor snort nor a snarkle! And I don’t wanna hear another joke outta your mouth, you hear?” “Yepperoni?” Pinkie giggled nervously, her laughter tinged with unease as she found herself being held by the neck. With a sudden release, she dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Applejack rushed over to Pinkie Pie and helped her up while Twilight walked past her, continuing to walk forward with a frown on her face. Rainbow was almost straining herself not to punch the unicorn, but with Winters and Fluttershy watching her move it seemed fruitless. As the group followed silently, Winters ran up to Twilight, concern etched on his face. He reached out a hoof to touch her shoulder gently. “Twi, are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with worry. Twilight’s horn slowly flickered into a dimmer as she turned to him, a tired look on her face. “I’m tired, but I have a duty as well. I don’t want to laugh, I don’t want to even think about anything else other than stopping Daybreaker, so maybe… I’m not okay.” His eyes looked at her with uneasiness, “Sorry, didn’t mean to pry…” “Whatever, Winters. For now, I just hope that the rest of this journey is gonna be less of a hassle from now on.” she replied back, continuing to walk forward. Winters looked back at Pinkie, a look of conflict on her face different from her continuous smiling persona earlier. “Twilight Sparkle, darling? Is it just me or are the clouds getting darker up here?” Rarity suddenly asked her as her eyes fixed upon the dark night sky. Twilight looked at her curiously, before stopping in her tracks and looking up, as did the others. Indeed, the clouds were growing darker, swirling ominously in the night sky. The once faint glimmers of stars were now obscured, and an eerie feeling settled over the group. “It’s it gonna storm RD?” Applejack asked Rainbow, her voice tinged with concern. Fluttershy shivered in fear at the fear of a possible thunderstorm. Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed as she looked up at the clouds, her experience in the weather team kicking in. She turned to Applejack and the others with a smirk, “Pffft, I think it’s just a minor one you guys. Light glaze and-” CRACK Before the pegasus could finish her words, a large lightning strike in the air illuminated the area they traversed for a brief moment in an extremely bright light. In that moment, their eyes settled in front of them, revealing a horrifying sight. They stood frozen in fear as a twisted, terrifying face on a large tree in front of them. Standing tall and imposing was a gnarled, twisted tree, its branches contorted into grotesque shapes. The lightning’s glow emphasised the malevolent face etched onto the tree’s bark; with hollow glaring eyes that seemed to penetrate the darkness itself. As the lightning slowly faded, the darkness closed in once again, with only Twilight’s dim horn as the only source of light. “What in the world was that?” he said to himself nervously, as he quickly tugged his revolver in his vest pocket. Twilight glanced at the others, Rarity quavering in her hooves, Rainbow and Applejack hugging each other in fear, Fluttershy hiding under her wings and closing her eyes. But peculiarly Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to be fazed but instead smiling. She shook her head, the others were frightened but not her. She walked forward, her hooves shaking slightly on the ground as she approached the tree. “Twi, what’re you doing?” Winters asked her, now shakily pulling out his revolver and aiming it at the tree. Twilight ignored his question and turned to them, “Lo-look everybeing, it’s just a tree. Nothing to be-” CRACK-ROAAAAAAAR Another lightning strike, this time accompanied by a monstrous roar shook everyone’s senses. Twilight turned around and screamed in terror, falling to the ground and backing up to Winters. The area was bathed in an eerie light, revealing the presence of more monstrous trees that seemed to materialise out of thin air, surrounding them on all sides. CRACK-ROOOAAARRR-CRACK-ROAAAAAAAR The others most notably Rarity shrieked in horror and fainted, while Fluttershy lay under her wings. “It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream…” she told herself as more lightning strikes and roars occurred continuously with each other. Applejack and Rainbow Dash found themselves back-to-back, their bodies tensed as they surveyed the eerie forest surrounding them with their eyes darting frantically. Twilight turned to Winters. “Winters! You-” He dropped his revolver, his eyes widening in disbelief and fear. His hooves shook and cold sweat formed on his brow as he struggled to comprehend the nightmare he’s seeing. “This ain’t real, mate..” he said to himself, frozen in fear and indecisiveness. CRACK-ROAAAAAAAR Twilight herself couldn’t believe it, the situation was turning into a nightmare. She could feel her nerves getting hold of her, and for a moment, her mind told her to run away and seek safety. But in all of that panicked and fearful chaos, she looked behind her to see Pinkie Pie smiling widely and grinning. Is that mare crazy? These tree-monsters are nightmare fuel! “Miss Pie!” Twilight shouted at her, her eyes in nervous fear. “We gotta get out of here!” But Pinkie didn’t share the same sense of urgency. Instead, she continued to wear her unsettling grin, seemingly unfazed by the surrounding horrors. She bounced in place, her giggling being cheerful amidst the chaos. Twilight’s eyes widened at Pinkie’s laughter, her confusion growing. “Wha-” “Silly! It’s just a bunch of mean trees trying to be scary, you know? But it’s not that scary, I think it’s funny and superduper funtastic!” Twilight’s eyes widened in disbelief and confusion. “Pinkie, are you out of your mind? These trees are not just trying to be scary, they’re-” Pinkie interrupted her with another round of laughter. “Oh silly Twilight, you worry too much that you’re almost gonna get grey in your mane. Let me show you!” Pinkie said as she hopped towards the nearest and scariest tree. Twilight and the others (with the exception of Fluttershy) could only watch in shock as Pinkie faced the tree with no sign of fear at all. As she looked at the tree, its branches as it were preparing to strike her, Pinkie bursted into a giggle fit and poked the tree with her hoof. Much to everybeings’ shock, the tree’s branches retraced and its wooden claws started to break. And to even a bigger shock, the face started to smile, SMILE! That’s-that’s impossible. “Oh, it’s very possible Twilight! Here, lemme poke another one and give it a tickle!” Pinkie said as if she read her mind again. Twilight’s jaw dropped as Pinkie skipped over to another tree and ticked one of its branches with her tail; the moment she did the branches started to shake and its face transformed itself into a silent albeit merry laughter. “What in tarnation..” Applejack said while exchanging incredulous looks with Rainbow Dash, who looked back at the scene in front of her. After a few seconds, she began to laugh along as well. Rainbow Dash’s laughter joined Pinkie’s, the sound echoing through the once eerie forest. Rarity, awakening from her momentary faint, began to laugh as well. Even Fluttershy, as she unfurled herself from her wings and smiled and giggled amongst the group. Winters smiled and started to chuckle at Pinkie who was busy poking and tickling every tree she touched, earning an enormous silent laughter from each of them. Twilight could only stand there, awestruck by the scene before her. Pinkie continued farther and farther to poke and tickle every tree in front of her, and the others followed her along in the dark forest. On every side, almost each tree has their own unique laughs, ones with smaller silent chuckles while others with boisterous and equally silent guffaws. And as they finally exited the forest of laughter, almost all of the group was laughing in pleasure. Except Twilight, she’s only shocked in wonder. How did that work? She turned to Pinkie Pie with a speechless expression, and Pinkie Pie gave her the biggest smile she ever gave to Twilight. “I hope that you’re laughing in your mind! Because I can’t see it, hihihihi!” Meanwhile, in another part of the Everfree. Manny the Manticore winced in pain as its paw has another thorn lodged in from the tree branch he tried to perch on but snapped quickly off as he sat on it. He tried pulling it out but the pain in his paw was irritatingly painful, causing him to roar loudly in pain. If only that kind yellow pegasus would still be here...