Chapter 63: Nightmare Market
In Bridlewood at night, the Mane 7 are at the Night Market with Alphabittle as they watch a stallion put something in a cauldron and some green mist bursts out of it while they give awed sounds from what they say.
“Cauldrons! Get your cauldrons!” The pony trader exclaimed as he twirled around.
Then Izzy went to a stand as she twirled a globe around with sparkly eyes, Zipp saw a unicorn levitating three balls while on a unicycle with Rocky, Posey, and an Earth Pony stallion watching as the group kept walking around the Night Market as Alphabittle, Misty, and Izzy saw a pegasus mare walking by with stacks of ice as the two latter gave sparkly eyes at the sweets.
Hitch and Sparky are now looking at a silly mirror, which makes their heads huge while Sunny is next to them, “Does my head look big in this?” Hitch asked with an amusing smile while Sunny laughed with tears of laughter coming out, which made Hitch blush in embarrassment while also giving Sunny a loving gaze at seeing her laugh.
Sunset was looking through some items before she something of interest she grabbed a potion and paid the vendor, “Thank you.” She said as the vendor nodded.
Pipp stood in front of the pony juggler with her phone on her selfie stick, “Oh, I loooove the Night Market!” She said to her followers, “Look at all this great content!” She exclaimed.
Alphabittle and Misty are then walking together, “So excited to finally get some quality time together, Misty.” He said to her daughter as he smiled at her and she returned the gesture. “Now we can make up for all those foalhood memories we missed, huh?” He asked as he gave Misty a cotton candy.
Misty smiled as she accepted the cotton candy, and then Alphabittle gave her a lollipop, and then a unicorn plushie as he rubbed Misty’s mane, which she blushed in embarrassment. “Daaaad!” She said embarrassedly since her father is treating her like a filly again, not that she blames him since they were separated for many moons.
Alphabittle gave Misty a warm smile with sparkles in his eyes, feeling joyful to spend more time with his daughter to make up for lost time.
Then the rest of the Mane 7 went up to a glitter stand as ZIpp picked up a hat. “Wow!” Zipp exclaimed as she tried on the hat.
“Wow!” The rest of the Mane 7 all said as they looked at the different colored glitters.
“Talk about glitter pharmacy,” Sunset commented with a smile before she noticed something at another corner, “Huh, that lamp is interesting,” She said as she walked up to the stand next to the glitter stand.
Pipp eyed a familiar pink glitter, which she recognized as she gasped in shock before Izzy appeared between her and Sunny.
“Ooh! Glitter!” Izzy gasped as she held up the pink glitter bowl with sparkling eyes before Pipp gasped from that.
“Hold it! I've seen this stuff before!” Pipp said while giving a nervous look at the glitter, “You've got to be super careful, or it'll totally turn you—” She tried to explain, but then Zipp tried on a hat with feathers as it tickled Hitch’s nose.
“Ahhhh…” Hitch started as he felt like he was about to sneeze, which made Pipp and the others nervous about what came next, “CHOOOO!” He sneezed, causing the pink glitter to cover him and his five friends.
Then Sunset came in after checking the stand, “Well, ponies, I take it that Izzy found some glitter that she…” She trailed off when she saw something that made her go wide-eyed, “Sweet Celestia!” She exclaimed in shock.
And then Alphabittle came beside Sunset with a tray of ice cream, “Hey, ponies! Who's ready for some ice cream—?” He tried to ask before he looked at Sunset’s shocked expression, which made him confused before he turned to see what Sunset was looking at he screamed in shock and tossed the tray away.
What Sunset and Alphabittle are seeing is that they saw the rest of the Mane 7 turn into foals again while Sparky is on Foal Hitch’s head, unaffected by the glitter since he was already a baby while he looked in shock at seeing his friends and adoptive father turned into babies while the foals giggled playfully in the mess of glitter.
“Oh, not again!” Sunset exclaimed with her hooves on her head while Alphabittle looked in shock.
“Again?! What do you mean ‘again’?!” Alphabittle asked in shock.
“They must’ve found a sample of Sunny’s magic glitter in that vendor stand!” Sunset explained quickly while noticing the pink glitter on the ground, “It happened once before to Cloudpuff, Izzy, Sunny, and Hitch, but now all of them are foals again!” She exclaimed.
“Well, that’s shocking and something!” Alphabittle exclaimed before the two ponies heard giggling they looked down and saw a Filly Misty holding Alphabittle’s hoof as she gave a cute giggle. “M-Misty? Is that you?” He asked in surprise as he looked at his now filly daughter, who was giving a cute face with sparkles in her eye.
“Aw, Misty is cute as a filly,” Sunset said with a gushed expression at seeing Misty as a filly.
“Yeah, it sure is,” Alphabittle said in agreement.
Sunset then snapped out of it as she shook her head, “Focus, Alphabittle. We gotta round up these foals and return them to normal age,” She reminded him.
Alphabittle understood what Sunset meant as he shook his head and placed a hoof on his head to recollect himself, “Okay! Okay, okay! Nopony move!” He ordered the foals.
“You all stay right there!” Sunset firmly ordered, but as the Foal 6 looked at them, they zipped off and they scattered around the market while giggling, “There they go!” She exclaimed.
“No!” Alphabittle screamed in panic with his hooves on his head as they looked around, “Ponies?!” He called out.
“Sunny!? Izzy!? Hitch!? Anypony!?” Sunset called out next.
And then Filly Misty got behind her father as she began to trot off, “Ponies?! Misty!” He called out as he and Sunset ran after her, but Misty was already out of sight, “I-I can't— I won't lose you again!” He said determinedly, not going to lose Misty again like what happened so many years ago.
Sunset saw Alphabittle’s determination as she placed a hoof on his shoulder, “Don’t worry. We’ll catch them,” She assured him with a small smile, “Now, the best course of catching these foals is better if we split up and see if we can catch them,” She stated.
“Agreed, let’s go!” Alphabittle declared as the two ponies went after the foal versions of their friends
In a different part of the market, Sunset is chasing after Filly Izzy, who is giggling excitedly as Sunset jumps towards her, but misses as she falls to the floor as Filly Izzy rushes off.
Alphabittle jumped through a fabric stand to catch Filly Zipp but missed as she took off with giggles as well and he hit the fabric counter, which startled Windy and a Breezie.
At a fruit stand, Filly Sunny giggled and jumped into a purple apple crate as she chomped on it, but then her hooves started sparkling as she took off into the air while leaving a trail of purple, mist, startling the unicorn mare. “Aah! Whoaaaa!” Filly Sunny called out in startle, which Sunset noticed.
“Sunny!” Sunset exclaimed in great panic as she saw Filly Sunny flying around.
Filly Sunny flew in the air before she twirled around and took off high as she made a firework display go off she gently went back to the fruit stand and fell back into the purple apple crates, much to Sunset’s relief. Filly Sunny poked out with exciting giggles with sparkles in her eyes as she picked up another apple, wanting to go again.
But before Filly Sunny could take another bite, Sunset rushed in and swatted the apple away from her, “Oh, no, you don't young filly! You’re not taking another bite!” Sunset scolded her now filly friend/
“Awww!” Filly Sunny said in disappointment as she blew a raspberry at her for ruining her fun.
“Don’t give me that look, young mare!” Sunset scolded firmly, which made Filly Sunny give a sheepish look as Alphabittle came to them before Filly Zipp hopped off his head.
“Whoo! Ooh-ooh-ooh!” Filly Zipp cheered as she hopped on the top of the stands and moved around.
Alphabittle and Sunset noticed this as they gasped in worry, “Aah! Zipp, get down from there!” Alphabittle called out.
“You’re gonna get hurt!” Sunset exclaimed in anxiety as she and Alphabittle rushed after Zipp.
“Ooh!” Filly Zipp kept hopping on the top of the stands as she did a flip and fell through one. “Aah! Ugh!” She exclaimed as she fell into a cotton candy stand, which startled the unicorn stallions she popped up unharmed while giggling before she noticed the cotton candy on her head, “Ooooh!” She exclaimed in awe while rubbing the cotton candy on her head and having sparkles in her eyes.
Sunset and Alphabittle pushed through the crowd while looking exhausted, “Don't... worry...! We... got you...!” Alphabittle panted as he and Sunset went next to Zipp.
“This… is… tiring then… three foals before,” Sunset pants as well, finding that six foals are harder to handle than three.
Then they heard babbling sounds as they turned and saw Filly Pipp climbing next to a cauldron. She looked at it with sparkling eyes while the unicorn stallion was distracted by his phone.
Both Sunset and Alphabittle screamed in panic as they rushed to Filly Pipp after she sniffed the mist of the cauldron, “No, no, no, no!” They cried out as Alphabittle grabbed Filly Pipp.
But as soon as Filly Pipp was grabbed, her wings turned into dragon wings as she gave a burp, which resulted in her breaking out dragonfire that hit Alphabittle, which made Sunset look in shock at what happened before Filly Pipp stopped.
“Aah! My eyebrows!” Alphabittle cried out as his left eyebrow was on fire.
“That’s unexpected. I hope this dragon spell is temporary,” Sunset said hopefully as she summons a water spell and put out the flame in Alphabittle’s eyebrow.
“Yeah, me too,” Alphabittle said as he shook the water drops off him.
“Wheeee!” Filly Izzy cheered as the two turned and saw her jumping back into the glitter stand, which was restocked before Filly Izzy jumped onto a pink glitter, which made her mane have multicolors of orange, yellow, and light green as she jumped into an orange glitter, which made her horn orange like a carrot, and then into the purple glitter, which gave her a glitter beard like the one as she giggled with sparkles in her eyes before she trotted off.
Alphabittle and Sunset groaned tiredly, “This is getting tiring,” Sunset moaned as Alphabittle gave Filly Pipp to Posey and trotted after Filly Izzy before Sunset looked at Posey, “Watch Pipp until we get back!” She firmly said as she trotted after Alphabittle.
Posey watches the two ponies go after flinching from Sunset’s words as Filly Pipp gives giggles while Posey looks at the dragon-turned-filly nervously with an eye twitch since Filly Pipp is part dragon.
Both Sunset and Alphabittle chase after Filly Izzy, but then they turn and see Sparky and Foal Hitch at the crystal stand while Sparky is tugging on his foal adoptive father from touching a familiar gem that makes Sunset and Alphabittle worried.
“Oh no. Giga gems,” Sunset said in a slight panic, knowing what would happen if someone touched those crystals.
“Don't do it. Don't do it!” Alphabitle cried out in worry,
“Hitch! Don’t you dare!” Sunset called out as Foal Hitch is sticking his tongue to the gems.
“D-Don't, don't, don't, don't!” Both Sunset and Alphabittle cried out as Foal Hitch’s tongue touched the gem as he shrunk, which surprised Sparky as he fell to the floor when he lost grip of Hitch’s tail, which made both Sunset and Alphabittle groan at this.
They then rush to the stand for a sign of Hitch, “Oh, no! Where'd he go?!” Alphabittle cried out in worry.
“Here’s Hitch!” Sunset cried out.
Sparky gurgled as he pointed to the floor in front of him when he saw the tiny small Foal Hitch, they saw him as Foal Hitch tough the gia gem again, which caused him to grow and double in size with Sparky on his back, which shocked both Sunset and Alphabittle as they gave nervous chuckles.
“And there he is,” Alphabittle said nervously.
“A big boy already, apparently,” Sunset added nervously.
Big Foal Hitch gave a low-pitch giggle as he jumped around, causing the market to shake as he trotted off with Sparky while the ponies ran for cover.
“I am too old for this!” Alphabittle cried out, feeling overwhelmed at trying to handle six foals at once.
“This is way harder when it was only three foals, but six is too much!” Sunset cried out while rubbing her head, “At least Sparky is easy to handle, but the others are too excited as foals!” She added.
“No kidding!” Alphabittle called in agreement, “Was this what it feels like when they first turned into babies the first time?!”
“Well, before it was only Izzy, Sunny, and Hitch. But the whole group, this is complicated!” Sunset cried out.
They then heard giggles as they looked up and saw Filly Misty levitating herself while holding a hat, “Whoo! Whee! Whoo!” Filly Misty cheered as she did a couple of spins before she started falling from the hat.
Both Sunset and Alphabittle panicked, more for Alphabittle, “Misty! Noooooo!” They both cried out.
“Catch that filly!” Sunset exclaimed loudly as Filly Misty got closer to the ground.
Alphabittle’s father instincts kicked in as he jumped to where Filly Misty was about to hit and caught her in his hooves as he held her closely, “I'll always be here for you, Misty! Hoof to heart!” He promised as he tapped his hoof with Filly Misty’s tiny ones.
“Ah.” Filly Misty said as she gave a small smile with sparkling eyes at her father.
Sunset gave a warm smile at the two before she looked around the market as her eyes widened, “Um, I hate to break up this family moment, Alphabittle, but we still have five more out-of-control foals to catch!” She called out while gesturing to the market.
Alphabittle went wide eyes as he looked around and saw the rest of the Young 6 running around, Foal Hitch still being huge, Filly Zipp was flying around, Filly Pipp was also flying but still part dragon as she released a dragon fire, Filly Sunny was flying around leaving a trail of sparkles and purple mist, having eaten another purple apple again, and Filly Izzy is just running around while her mane and tail are still multicolored, her horn still orange, and still have that glitter beard.
“Yeah, we gotta round up these foals,” Alphabittle said as he stood up while holding Misty.
“I’ll round them up and try to find counterspells,” Sunset quickly said.
“I’ll get a wagon,” Alphabittle said as the two ponies split up.
At the Dark Castle, Opaline is looking at her phone as she sees a livestream that is going on in the Night Market while having her mane rolled and wearing her cloak.
“Look at them,” Opaline said as she chuckled in amusement before she gave a sinister look, “They're weak. Vulnerable. Now's my chance to get those cutie marks!” She exclaimed before she remembered her current appearance. “I certainly can't go out like this.” She said as turned to both her side, “Jade! Charcoal! Fetch my power crown!” She ordered her two minions.
A little bit later, Sunset and Alphabittle manage to get the Young 6 under control and return them to normal while gathering them into a wagon with Sparky in Alphabittle’s bag Sunset is dragging the wagon while the two ponies are exhausted after handling six foals.
“Thank goodness we caught them all,” Sunset said tiredly as she kept dragging the wagon with her foal-turned-friends.
“Yeah, that was even harder than handling one foal,” Alphabittle said tiredly as well.
“They have so much energy, that’s for sure,” Sunset commented.
Filly Sunny and Foal Hitch saw a Breezie fly by as they were about to jump off the wagon to follow it, but Alphabittle caught them and put them back on the wagon.
“Good catch. But we know we can’t leave them like this,” Sunset said to him since they need to return their friends to normal.
“Agreed,” Alphabittle said as he and Sunset thought of a way to turn their friends back to normal age, “Think, Alphabittle, think. There's got to be some way to get these ponies back to normal,” He said.
“Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.” Filly Izzy said while rubbing her rainbow glitter beard.
Alphabittle then turned to Sunset, “Sunset, do you know anything to reverse this?” He asked.
“Well, when Pipp used it on her face masks since those masks can make ponies feel younger, using Sunny’s glitter makes them turn younger,” Sunset started while recalling the last time this happened, “But when she made a facemask that makes them feel older, it returns them to normal. So maybe if we find some items for older ponies and get them to drink them, it will reverse the aging effects,” She explained.
“Great so we just need some remedies to make the ponies normal again!” Alphabittle said with a wide smile.
“But with what? Because I don’t think we can use a facemask again since it took a day for it to work, we need something to speed up the process and something they could drink,” Sunset pointed out.
Alphabittle nodded as he looked around for anything suitable for them before he noticed Onyx at a tea stand, “Come get your herbal teas. Calming teas. Relaxing teas,” Onyx said to the customers.
“That's it!” Alphabittle called out, already having an idea as he turned to Sunset, “Come on, Sunset! I have an idea!”
“W-Well, okay!” Sunset exclaimed as they rushed to Onyx’s stand.
“Excuse us! This is a tea-mergency!” Alphabittle exclaimed as he pushed Onyx away, “Sunset, keep an eye on the ponies!”
“On it!” Sunset exclaimed as she kept watch of her six foal friends while Alphabittle started putting in some adult ingredients in the teapot as fast as he could the kettle startled whistling before Alphabittle poured the hot water in it and started stirring.
“Ooh!” Filly Zipp was about to fly after a Breezie before Sunset grabbed her hind legs and put her back with the others.
“Uh-uh, young filly, you’re not going anywhere,” Sunset firmly said.
“Nice try!” Alphabittle scolded with a firm look as he went back to the tea while Filly Zipp blew a raspberry them.
“Don’t you stick your tongue at us young princess!” Sunset scolded with a motherly look, which made Filly Zipp stop and shrink down a bit with a nervous look.
“Sunset, the tea is ready,” Alphabittle said as he showed the pot to Sunset as she inspected yet.
“Okay, good. Now the final ingredient to make it work,” Sunset said as she brought out a bag filled with Sunny’s magic glitter, “I knew carrying these things would come in handy one day,” She said as she poured some glitter into the teapot and stirred it up, “Okay, now pour them in the cub,” She instructed.
“Great,” Alphabittle said as he poured the tea into six cups and past them over to their friends, “Let's get you back to normal,” He said with a smile.
“So drink up, ponies,” Sunset said with a soft smile.
Foal Hitch picked up his cup and smelled it before cringing at the smell, “Bleh!” He groaned and pushed his cup away.
The rest of them smelled it and cringed in disgust as they turned away from their cups, which made Alphabitle and Sunset groan at that, “They think it smells, which sorta is, but still,” Sunset said with a sigh, “Got any other ideas on how to get them to drink?” She asked Alphabittle.
“Uhhh…” Alphabittle thought for a moment before he searched through the supplies and found six drinking straws, “This should do it,” He said as he showed the straws to the Young 6.
The Young 6 turned and started giggling in excitement as Sunset and Alphabittle started placing each straw in their cups and they started sipping and glowing as the effects were working.
“It’s working,” Sunset said with a smile as she put her final straw to Zipp.
Filly Misty is the last one Alphabittle was about to put her straw in her cup before he stopped and gave a look at his filly daughter.
“Goo-goo, ga-ga! Goo-goo, ga-ga!” Filly Misty said with a cute face and smile with sparkles in her eyes while Alphabittle gave a fond look with sparkles in his eyes as well.
Sunset noticed this, “What’s wrong?” She asked before turning to Filly Misty, “Oh. She reminds you of who she used to be,” She said in realization.
“The way we used to be,” Alphabittle said as he started having a flashback to his time with Misty when she was a filly before she disappeared.
Flashback.
Many years ago, before Misty disappeared while her mane was in pigtails, she was on the swing with her father, Alphabittle as she giggled at each push he gave his daughter before she flew back from the swing and Alphabittle caught her as she kept giggling as the two smiled at each other.
End of Flashback.
Alphabittle gave a fond smile at his daughter, “My little filly. You're just like I remember you,” He said with tears of joy in his eyes.
Sunset gave a small smile, “I think she would know that as well, at least you know she’s the same as she was before,” She said.
“Yes, and now it’s time to bring her back to normal,” Alphabittle said as he placed Misty’s straw in her cup.
Filly Misty then started drinking her tea she started glowing and still gave a cute smile.
And then in a flash, the six ponies returned to their normal age as they looked around in wonder, “Whoa, what happened?” Sunny asked in surprise.
“Yeah, I can’t remember much,” Zipp said while rubbing her head.
“You ponies were turned into foals, again. That’s what happened,” Sunset spoke with a smirk as they all turned to her and they all looked at her in shock.
“What?! Again!?” Pipp exclaimed in shock.
“Yep, and this time, it was all of you, plus Misty, to be foals,” Sunset said with a slight chuckle.
“And trust us, you two were really a hoofful,” Alphabittle commented as the two laughed together.
The rest of the Mane 7 turned to each other before they laughed as well, never thought they would be foals again and cause some problems. “But hey, it’s all over now and you’re back to normal,” Sunset said before she yawned, “So, how about we call it a night and get some rest after all that has happened today,” She said.
Alphabittle yawned as well, “Yeah, I could use some snooze,” He commented as they all chuckled together since they knew that handling six foals can be tiring before turning to his daughter, “So, Misty, whenever you want to spend time with your old man, just call,”
“You know I will, Dad,” Misty said with a warm smile, which Alphabittle returned it as they shared a short hug before they all walked out of the Night Market.
A little bit later, a portal opened up at the stem of the tree in the Night Market, a portal opened up as Opaline laughed evilly as she stepped out of the portal while wearing her gown and power crown.
“Time's up for you and your pathetic little friends, Sunny Starscout and Sunset Shimmer. Bow to—” Opaline called out before she noticed that they weren’t around and then gasped when she looked out the window and saw the Marestream flying away back to Maretime Bay,” No! They're getting away! Get back here!” She yelled out in rage since she arrived too late, which got the crowd’s attention.
Onyx then came up to Opaline with a cup of tea with her, “Oh, looks like you could use some nice, relaxing tea,” She said calmly, and Opaline grew irritated.
“What? Tea? You think I want tea?” Opaline questioned while angrily getting close to Onyx, who flinched back in fright before Opaline turned away with an evil smile, “No. I don't want your tea. But I will take something else,” She said while Onyx gulped fearfully, “I didn't get all dressed up for nothing,” She added while flinging her mane before she turned and gave a yell, using her magic as her horn glowed.
Onyx felt something coming out of her as she looked at her flank and saw her Cutie Mark being taken away, “Hey! What are you doing?! My cutie mark!” She exclaimed as her Cutie Mark flew to Opaline while Onyx tried to reach out for it as she dropped the tea.
The ponies around them saw this as they screamed and ran out of the market in fear.
Opaline saw the ponies running away as she gave a big evil grin. “You're next, Sunny and Sunset,” She said eviliy, having taken another Cutie Mark and is pleased to make the ponies fear her.
At the Marestream, the Mane 7 are relaxing as they are flying back home before Sunset gave a concern expression as she looked out the window, which Sunny notice, “What’s wrong, Sunset?” She asked.
“I feel like something bad has happened,” Sunset said in deep thought as the others turned to her. “But I can’t put my hoof to it,”
“You think we forgotten something at the market?” Izzy asked.
“I don’t think so. But something has happened but I can’t figure it out, and I get the feeling that it wasn’t good,” Sunset said seriously, having a feeling that something has happened the moment they left the Market, which felt familiar as she had a feeling that it wasn’t good.
End of Chapter 63.