//------------------------------// // Ch. 4: Tonic Water // Story: Fill 'er up! Straight! // by TundraStanza //------------------------------// Tonic Water --- I do not have much time. Surely the heavenly realms can see this. I must complete the ritual. If I cannot, then he will surely destroy me. But... not if I destroy him first. --- Every road has to start somewhere. This road starts on the dirt path into the Everfree Forest. This place is a danger to any who enter, unless you're on your way to Zecora's hut for plot convenience. In that case, it's slightly less dangerous to those who enter. There's only one problem. Out of the three of us taking this journey, none of us are Apple Bloom. So basically, we're doomed. Don't be so pessimistic. I'm being realistic. This forest is always full of danger every time some pony decides to wander through. There are a number of beasts from Greek mythology in here. There are plants in here that contain lethal toxins. Poison joke never killed any pony. I sigh in resignation. I can't win against the stubborn counter arguments of my mind. Darn straight you can't. "Berry," interrupts Piña Colada. I blink from my spacing out and look at the little girl. "Are you ready to go?" she asks. I nod once. I notice Twilight standing there lost in her own thoughts. Briefly I wonder if spacing out is contagious. "Twilight, you all right?" I address her. She turns to me and says something that didn't occur to me until just now, "Two ponies are both named Berry Punch. That could get confusing later on." "Oh, is that all?" I shrug, "If you want, you can call me 'Miles' for differentiation. That's what my actual name is." "Miles?" she echoes, "That doesn't sound like a girl's name." "I was a guy before I turned into a pony," I explain. "Oh," she blushes while turning back to the path, "Uh... let's get going." Piña Colada is already a few steps ahead of us. Twilight and I have to catch up a bit, but soon we're all trotting along at a steady and cautious pace. We've got to keep an eye out for whatever danger the forest decides to throw at us. Besides, I'm pretty sure Twilight is the only one with her spell keyed onto whatever position we're walking to. Still, I'm not going to deny my little sister the right to lead the way on her quest. I just did it again, I think, Why can't I stop thinking of Piña Colada as my sister? I don't even have a little sister. I was the youngest of my parents' children. For a moment, I just let my limbs walk on autopilot as I gaze at Piña. And yet... I continue, I'm worried about losing her. Is this some kind of side effect of being in this particular body? I really hope we can find Berryshine soon. Then, this whole mess can be settled. --- The lock of Berry Punch's hair in Twilight's magic hold shines brighter. We must be getting closer. Simultaneously, the forest is getting darker. We’re in pretty deep. I hope for all it’s worth that I don’t step in any poison joke that I can’t see. *snap* Oh, universe. You have the most obscure sense of humor ever. Did I ever tell you that? I step on a twig. Of all the things that could have happened, I step on a twig. The dark atmosphere is immediately illuminated by several pairs of green lights. The growls of a pack of beasts fill my ears. Well… crap. “Run!” yells Twilight. “Don’t have to tell me twice!” I exclaim. In the eerie green light of timber wolf eyes, I spot Piña. I gallop toward her and scoop her up over my head and neck. I don’t stop running even after I feel her securely grab onto me. My heart is pounding at the thought of getting bitten and clawed to death by living wood. I’m thinking the word “frig” five times per second. Panic tends to lead to stupid decisions. My stupid decision is to turn my head to look at the pursuers. Yep, they’re still wooden wild dogs. Frig! They’re even more intimidating in 3-D! I mentally shout. There’s a sudden sense of weightlessness. I hear Twilight screaming, followed by me, and finally Piña. I don’t know how, but we’re falling. I feel my body getting banged around by what must be some impossible turns in this path through the ground. Eventually, I feel friction kick in scraping along my leg until the world stops moving by me. For once, I’m dizzy from something other than intoxication. I shake out the stars in my vision before looking around. This place I’m now in is a surprisingly well-lit cavern. The walls and floors are mostly different shades of blue. There’s an occasional purple mushroom and blue flower to break the monotony. My little sister is still holding on for dear life, so I try to poke her to get her attention. Slowly, she takes a look around before loosening her grip. Meanwhile, Twilight is out in front trying to recover from our most recent spin cycle. “Where are we?” I ask. “This isn’t possible!” Twilight gasps, “Look over there!” Piña and I look to where the smart one is pointing her hoof. It looks like a small, underground water source. The layout reminds me of a swimming pool. “A lake?” wonders Piña. “This is the Mirror Pond,” observes Twilight. “The Mirror what?” I try echoing for clarification. I haven’t watched the show recently. I am probably forgetting some terms and locations. “But that doesn’t make sense,” Twilight continues, “Who would go and move the cover?” “Oh, that was me,” answers a familiar voice. Three sets of eyes open wide at that response. At least, I assume Twilight and my sister are as startled as I am. I look over the water to the opposite edge. Standing there with her horn aglow is Berryshine. She smiles lightly as a certain lock of hair floats over into her mane. “Thanks, I’ve been looking everywhere for that,” she chuckles. “What are you planning to do with the Mirror Pond?” demands Twilight. “Yeah,” I scoff, “Are you trying to admire your reflection?” “Not quite,” Berryshine answers with an unsettling, calm tone, “Many ponies know that the Mirror Pond can create copies of the pony who recites a certain poem. What they don’t know, however, is what happens when you add two pure quinine crystals to the water.” “Qui-what crystals?” I wonder aloud. She doesn’t answer that. Instead, she uses her magic to levitate a couple of white, crystalline rocks from a bag behind her. The magic releases and the rocks make a couple splashing noises in the pond. There’s a thin layer of bubbling all across the surface. Before I know it, there’s another mulberry-colored pony rising out of the water. “Where the heck did she come from?” I yelp. This new pony’s eyes are closed, but another set of organs are not. Specifically, her wings choose this moment to open. That’s right. This is a Pegasus version of Berry Punch. “What the draconequus is going on?” mutters Piña Colada. Berryshine charges up her magic again. What surprises me is how her horn suddenly disperses and how a ghostly afterimage of a unicorn starts floating out of her. I can’t begin to comprehend what I’m seeing. I open and close my mouth a few times, failing to form coherent words. A now hornless Berry Punch collapses where she stands. Meanwhile, the unicorn ghost floats on a diagonal path towards the Pegasus. I’m still not entirely sure what I’m watching, but the ghost spins and kicks the flying Berry Punch in the back. The solid pony’s wings somehow dematerialize while she’s sent sailing through the air. She opens her eyes just in time to collide with Twilight Sparkle as they both crash into the wall. A bright light shining from above the pond gives me the urge to look at the source. It is difficult to see, but the ghost unicorn now has a pair of wings. “What… the… actual… frig?” I choke my words out. There is a horned Pegasus. There is a winged unicorn. It’s an Alicorn! What the flipping devil is the ghost of an Alicorn doing here? I don’t even words. My dumb is currently the brain. Just… what? “Hey, come on!” yells a voice from nearby as my hoof gets yanked to my right. “What?” I yelp. The wingless Berry Punch has me in her grip somehow and is running the edge of the water. “We need to get me back,” she responds. “What?” I stammer. That statement didn’t answer my question. “Almost there,” she ignores me. As we slide to a stop, I notice that we have crossed the distance around to the opposite side of the pool. The hornless Berry Punch is coming around as the wingless Berry Punch shoves me around to stand next to her. “What hit me?” murmurs hornless Berry. “What exactly are you trying to do?” I ask wingless Berry. “The only way to overcome the ghost is with three new spirits,” she explains. “What?” “What?” the hornless Berry asks at the same time that I do. Wingless Berry procures three bottles of some liquid and hoofs one to each of us. I am so confused right now. Meanwhile, the ghost Alicorn is shooting magic out sporadically all around the cavern. I don’t feel safe in here. None of us do. Next thing I know, a stray bolt knocks Piña Colada to a wall and she falls limp. “Sis!” “Sis!” Again, hornless Berry exclaims in unison with me. “Come on!” urges wingless Berry. “What good is taking a drink going to do now?” inquires hornless Berry. “Have a little faith in yourself,” wingless Berry replies with a smile. Hornless Berry and I look at each other. Her confused expression mirrors my own. I then look down at the open bottle. “Well, it’s been real and it’s been fun,” mutters hornless Berry. “But it hasn’t been really fun,” I finish. I hear the sound of the other two Berries chugging as I gulp down the contents of my bottle. ---{Third-person POV} Three empty bottles shatter on the cavern floor. A shade of red spreads over the eyes of the ponies that threw those bottles. The very air around them fills with tension. Bubbles of light pop around their heads. One of the ponies points their hoof at the floating alicorn ghost. “Shay, what ish she lookin’ at?” Miles slurs. The two look-alikes lift their eyes to the sight. “I’d shay she’s flippin’ ush the horn,” the ex-unicorn answers with just as much slur. “Let’sh give ‘er whart forth!” yells the drunken ex-pegasus. “Yaugh!” agree the other two heartily. Their running motion is wobbly and their eyes are unfocused. However, these hindrances actually help them move out of the way of the next few bursts of white magic of the alicorn ghost. In a crazy somersault, the ex-pegasus leaps above the head of the alicorn and delivers a hoof kick. The sheer force of the hit sends the ghost sailing through the air. Meanwhile, the ex-unicorn has cartwheeled over to one side of the Mirror Pond. She gets in position where the confused alicorn is whizzing through the air. She pulls her hooves as if doing some stretches before delivering a punch right into the alicorn’s groin. The punch sends the ghost hurtling horizontally clear to the other side of the pond. Miles Taru waits over there, currently punching nothing but air. In fact, it’s only by accident that one of his back kicks collide with the alicorn’s back. The ghost is launched back in the direction of the ex-pegasus who is somehow still in the air during all of this. But she isn’t alone. The other two ponies that resemble Berry Punch literally gallop up the walls to her position. “Berry Punch Barrage!” all three of them yell as they deliver a group kick into the ghost’s body. The unconscious alicorn smacks into the surface of the water, causing a lethal impact and a huge splash. All of the pond’s water geysers up before raining along the edge, outside the water zone, and the cavern walls. Some weird white force causes the ex-pegasus and Miles to vanish. Meanwhile, the original Berry Punch plummets headfirst toward the Mirror Pond’s rocky bottom. --- The next day… Twilight Sparkle feels guilty. She can’t bring herself to cry near this tombstone, because she believes that she doesn’t have the right. Eventually, she just walks away from the scene in shame, even though it is not her mistake of which she is to be ashamed. Piña Colada, however, has no such guilt. Only sadness. She and her niece Berry Pinch stand by the grave together. Each of them wears a black rose in their manes. They share a tearful hug without words.