"Eheh..." Ennui nervously chuckled. Her, Aphrodite, and Kindling all looked at each other expectantly. "I'll take a raincheck, actually..."
"If anyone, you should go first! You'd probably be the least harmful to everyone, Ennui. You should go next." Aphrodite told her. Ennui looked left and right nervously. She almost knew that in her head. But she didn't want to admit it. She was afraid. She was having severe afterthoughts about this.
"No! I'm good!" Ennui backed away slowly. "I don't wanna end up like Warble!" She said as she looked at the almost ravenous pony captured in one of the magical boxes. He stared at her hungrily. A small pool of drool was forming on the bottom of his box.
"Well, she may be dangerous as well. The actual definition of sloth includes having potential, but wasting it." I informed everyone. Ennui let out a sigh of relief, exceptionally glad that I was taking her side. "She's either turn extremely violent, showing off her full potential, OR she will do the opposite." I said. Aphrodite and Kindling looked at her expectantly. Neither of them wanted to go. Kindling, were saving for last. So... "It's either Aphrodite or Ennui." I concluded.
Aphrodite suddenly looked very afraid. I can relate with her. Fear of the unknown, and what MIGHT happen can make any pony unsettled. "But...but I don't want to attack you again!" Aphrodite whined.
Rainbow Dash was getting impatient. To be honest, all my friends were being so quiet that I forgot they were even here for a moment. "Come on! We're running out of time!" She egged Aphrodite on, who sighed loudly.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone." I assured her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. She looked visibly distressed. The fear of attacking me right there in her mind. I knew that's now what she wanted. I knew that she liked me, in more ways than one. The fear of hurting a loved one. I'm sure that Kindling knows that feeling all to well. Perhaps these ponies have more in common than I actually thought. Maybe it's not entirely random, who these ponies were. Who's ancestors gained their sins a while back that was passed onto them. Maybe it wasn't chance, but destiny.
I looked over at the ponies that were in the boxes. Warble looked absolutely terrifying. He almost looked rabid. I could literally see his stomach growling from here. He was shouting, but luckily, I couldn't hear him. I could read his lips though. He was saying "Just a taste!" Or something like that.
Cashmere was still pounding on the forcefield almost homicidally. The way he tapped on it was so rhythmically sound that he reminded me of a metronome. His dollar signed eyes were staring at me. I think. It's really hard to tell where exactly he's looking.
Covette was lying in the corner of the forcefield. Her back turned away from every pony else in the room. I could hear her mumbling curses and sadistic wishes to herself. Her eyes were both spasmodically twitching, along with her tail. Occasionally, in a fit of rage, she would smack the forcefield with all of her power. Each time, almost breaking it. We were going to need to hurry up...
Vanity was standing triumphantly in her box. Her mouth was moving a mile a minute, although her box was muted as well, thank God. I couldn't hear her, but I noticed that whenever she must've said a certain word, it appeared to literally be floating out of her mouth in some kind of ghostly, black lettering. Some words I noticed where "Best", "Talented", "Amazing," and "Gorgeous". I guess she's fully embracing her sin in there. I hoped she was having fun.
Aphrodite had been following my gaze, which had only made her a little more nervous. "Thanks..." She said. She smiled at me warmly before giving me a kiss on the cheek(I don't think now was a good time to refuse that, so I just dealt with it. She slowly maneuvered in front of the crowd. Everyone was dead silent, save for Covette's muttering.
She slowly closed her eyes.
***
I...I don't know what to do anymore. I know, I am a terrible pony. Most ponies think of me as a whore, and...I think they are right. All I've done with my life...I've tried to use those methods to find someone to care about. But it always ends up the same.
I end up alone and hurt.
But I don't do anything about it. I just keep doing it. I shouldn't be considered Lust! I have good intentions! I...I'm just realizing now that they don't work. Well, I'll always have Twilight to care for me. She didn't even back away when I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Maybe...
Maybe there is a chance? Maybe I can turn everything around. Maybe I have a shot, and I can find true love. Hopefully. But for right now...my name is Aphrodite.
And I AM Lust.
***
A few tears escaped Aphrodite's perfect eyes as she shut them, and they only seemed to cascade further when she started to think. I hated to think about what she was thinking about herself. It probably wasn't nice. She's basically being forced to accept the fact that she's....overly sexual, which is something no pony wants to do.
When she opened her eyes, she did it very suddenly. She giggled cutely as she did so. Her eyes shot me very seductive looks. Her eyes were wet from crying, making they almost glisten in the sun that was pouring throughout the room, almost making them shine dazzlingly. She looked at my friends. As soon Rainbow Dash stared into Aphrodite's eyes, she was completely under her control. I learned that trick already. I can't just box her now. Otherwise, she'll continue to stare at her longer. Lust can make a pony crazy. And it can also drive others to go crazy just by the desire itself.
I didn't think this one completely through completely, maybe Ennui should have gone first...
"Hello, sweetie." Aphrodite purred as she sexily trotted up to Rainbow Dash...I'm pretty sure that she doesn't roll like that. She's had plenty of boyfriends before. Was Lust's power really that strong? "Would you like to play~?"
"Don't look at her, Dash!" I shouted. She didn't seem to hear me. She was focused completely on Aphrodite.
Rainbow Dash blushed immensely. "Hi..." She said meekly, quite lovestruck. Okay, there was no time to think of another idea. I put Aphrodite in a forcefield like the others. Although, she continued to stare at Rainbow Dash. I walked up to Rainbow and shook her harshly, until it got to the point where she couldn't not notice me anymore.
"WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash screamed angrily in my face.
"Stop! Don't look in her eyes!" I repeated myself. Rainbow Dash, being the curious mare she was, almost turned to look back at Aphrodite, but she caught herself. "She can mess with your head that way."
Rainbow Dash looked at the ground, as if she got defeated by a little puppy.
I looked back at Ennui. "You're next." Ennui suddenly gritted her teeth out of fear, and hid behind the nearest pony, which happened to be Kindling, who didn't appreciate that at all. He didn't hesitate to sidestep, so that she was in everyone's full view again.
"Uh...I'm good. I'll, ya know. Go last. You know, it's 50/50 for me, right?" Ennui tried to use the facts she knew against me. Clever mare.
"Yes, but it's 100 percent for Kindling." I tried to tell her. "The guy took out how many Changelings by himself when he didn't even give in! Imagine what'll happen if he does?" Ennui looked at the ground unwillingly. "Do you really want to be around for that?"
Ennui sighed. "I...I guess not...I'll be honest. I really don't wanna end up like them. I know I'm lazy, but..." I felt bad for her. She didn't want to admit she was scared, I can respect that, but now isn't the time.
"Ennui, please..." Applejack walked over to her to comfort her. "Ah've been traveling and talking to ya for the last week er so. Yer ah strong mare. Ah know ya can do this." She said, getting a small smile from Ennui. "What happened to all that confidence ya had earlier?"
Ennui just shrugged. "It went into the gutter, much like the brains of half the ponies in the room." She grunted as she turned to look at all the ponies in the boxes(Save for Aphrodite, she knew better.)
"Well, now's a good time. Think about this as a game." Fluttershy spoke up. She had the right idea. Ennui tilted her head.
"What kind of game?"
"How about a fantasy game? You're character is the chosen one among a large group of ponies. You are gifted with immense power. And you just leveled up. Now, you have to claim your prize." Fluttershy told her. Everyone in the room(who wasn't crazy) stared at her slack jawed, including Ennui.
Since when did Fluttershy know about Fantasy games? I never even heard her mention those types of games before. I'm just going to assume that she read it in a book, much like me.
"Heh. Sounds interesting." Ennui chuckled, finally getting her confidence back. "Alright! Time for me to LEVEL UP!" Ennui ecstatically jumped in front of everyone, and without skipping a beat, she closed her eyes.
***
Alright, Ennui. Focus. You've got this. Fluttershy's right. It's a game. A game that I have yet to conquer.
All I have to do is think. About what? I don't have much to think about really. Except with all this going on. I can't believe I was this important all along. I'm nothing special. Just some regular mare. Heh, this is kinda cool. I can hear my own echo in my mind! ECHO~
Oops, back to what I'm supposed to be doing. I know I'm lazy. I've been told multiple times. And I don't plan on changing. I like being like this. It makes me feel nice. It gives me joy to be able to kick up my hooves and say "buck it". Now that I think about it, why do I need others in my life? I've done good being alone. I can manage. I don't need friends. I don't need anyone. I am who I am.
Boy, I'm tired...
***
It took Ennui a little bit as well, but after five full minutes, the alabaster maned mare opened her eyes. But only barely. Everyone was as nervous as I was. Would she be violent? Or would she be passive, or something like usual? Ennui just stared at me for a moment. Just me. Her mouth was just slightly open.
"Ennui...?" I called out to her. I was actually slightly scared, I didn't know what to expect. I learned my lesson last time when I tried to get closer to a mare who's gave into her sin. So I made sure to keep my distance.
Before I had any chance to respond. The mare charged at me with some sort of speed that seemed impossible to recreate. She ran into me full force. I slammed into the wall that was about 20 feet away from me at the time. Somehow, I managed to continue using my magic to prevent the boxes from disappearing. I rubbed my back. I felt like I just got hit by a freight train. So, that's it. She's showing us her true potential. And wow, she's stronger than she looks. Well, I doubt it. I bet most of it is Celestia's power.
Before I knew it, she was to the right of me, standing near the door, where a large pillar was located. She gave it a swift, and strong kick. The pillar cracked and wobbled, before it started to fall. It headed right towards me, slowly toppling.
I was already using enough magic at the same time. Multitasking is never a good thing to do. If I tried to teleport, and succeeded, I could risk setting one of the sins in the boxes loose. I was stuck.
I held my hooves in front of my face, waiting to be hit with a strong force. I was. But surprisingly, when I opened my eyes, I was still alive. I looked right next to me. The remains of what was the pillar was now a large pile of stones. Next to it, was Kindling and Rainbow Dash.
"Don't worry. We got your back." Rainbow grinned, obviously excited by the thrill of the moment. A few of my other friends gave out many sighs of relieve at the fact that I was okay.
"Where did she go?" Kindling questioned, looking around. I scanned the room as well. Wow, she was fast. This is getting dangerous. We need to get her in the box now!
"No one move..." I told everyone. It'll be easier to spot her if no one moves an inch. To my right, I heard a loud grunt, and a brown blur headed straight for Pinkie Pie, who seemed oblivious to the situation at the time.
"Look out!" Kindling screamed at Pinkie. It's a wonder how he noticed her before I did, but that didn't matter. Just seconds before impact, I encased Ennui in a forcefield box.
"GRAH! LEMME OUT! I WILL THRASH ALL OF YOU!" She screamed, hitting the forcefield with her hoof, making a large crack appear in it. For the first time since I've met her, her eyes were fully open. And let me tell you, it was pretty creepy.
"Come on Kindling, you're last." I tried to hurry him. He wasted no time. I maneuvered all the boxes of ponies into a straight line.
Kindling jumped at the end of the line. I knew that once he gave into his sin, then all of the forcefields would break. This was it, now or never. In the meantime, my friends each had received their respective Element of Harmony from the box that they had gotten. And Fluttershy was holding mine in her hooves.
"You ready, Kindling?" I grinned at him.
Kindling smiled, and took out his pills. I was going to tell them that there's no use. But before I could, he tossed them to the other side of the room, making a rattling sound as it hit the far wall. He gave me a confirming nod. "More ready than I've ever been."
He closed his eyes, smiling endlessly.