Thirty Minutes Shy

by Esle Ynopemos


26: Magical Super Gossamer Squad Go! [Adventure] [Comedy]

((Prompt: Re-imagine MLP: FiM as a Magical Girl series.))

Fluttershy was in a field picking flowers or something equally appropriate to her established character. Twilight was there with her, because she was her friend, and she had nothing better to do, and hey, those flowers were pretty tasty. The two of them had a lovely time basking in the sun and enjoying the fact that there was not a world-ending threat they needed to get together and put down at the moment.

Alas, their peaceful frolicking was not to last, for with a sudden gust of wind, a blue-gray pegasus arrived on the scene, her pale teal mane tied with a bow. She skidded to a stop, panting.

Fluttershy dropped her basket of flowers. “F-Flitter? What's wrong?”

Flitter gasped for breath. “Fluttershy!” she said. “Come quick! Attack... town hall! Big!”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “Is it bad?”

Flitter nodded. “We need to hurry!”

Twilight rose to her hooves and joined the pair of pegasus ponies. “What's going on, Fluttershy? What's she talking about?”

Fluttershy coughed into her hoof. “Oh... well, you see, I'm sort of part of a group of ponies that is supposed to fight off monsters. I'm sorry, Twilight, I should have told you.”

Twilight snorted. “Well, yeah, I knew that. I mean, I was there for the whole Elements of Harmony thing.”

“No,” said Fluttershy, shaking her head. “I mean, yes, there is that, but this is something different.”

“Come on, Fluttershy! I don't know how long Bumble can hold it by herself!” Flitter jumped up and hovered in the air.

“I'm sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy apologized. “I wish I had time to explain, but they need me now.” She flew off after Flitter.

Twilight watched the two of them fly away. A puzzled frown played on her lips. This was something she needed to investigate. Fortunately, she knew where they were heading. She powered up her horn. Being the most magical unicorn in Ponyville had its perks sometimes.

With a bright flash, Twilight teleported to the town hall.

...where she was immediately almost stepped on by a giant, chitinous claw. Twilight stumbled back with a yelp as she looked up at the creature that had nearly squashed her. An enormous green insect—a mantis, if she was not mistaken—towered over her, ripping out chunks of the municipal building with its spiked claws. It wore a loose white robe and carried a book in one claw that was twice as big as she was.

“Repent!” the mantis cried in a booming voice that shook the ground. “The Praying Mantis is upon you!”

Around its head buzzed a pegasus in a ridiculous black and yellow costume. “This is a no-preaching zone!” the pegasus shouted, batting at the mantis's antennae.

“Bumble!” Flitter arrived on the scene. Somewhere between here and the meadow, she had changed into an elaborate costume with a long, sectioned tail and transparent extensions on her wings. “Any luck?”

“He's too big,” Bumble replied. “My sting-attack just bounces right off his carapace!”

The Praying Mantis laughed loudly. “You cannot penetrate the armor of faith!” He lashed out at the two ponies, who whirled out of the way of the clumsy blow.

Bumble righted herself in the air. “Tell me you brought Fluttershy.”

“I'm here!”

Twilight's jaw dropped as she turned toward her friend's voice. Fluttershy also wore a brightly colored costume, but while Bumble's dress was bee-themed and Flitter's was a dragonfly, Fluttershy's dress billowed out in the shape of a colorful butterfly. Twilight was so surprised that she almost neglected to step out of the way as the mantis's claw came down.

“Finally!” Bumble pointed a hoof at the Praying Mantis. “Stun him with your Butterfly Hypnosis!”

Fluttershy nodded and turned toward the monster. “Um, excuse me, mister, could you please look at me?”

“These compound eyes of mine see all of you ponies and your sinful ways!” bellowed the mantis.

“Oh,” said Fluttershy. “Um, okay.” She flapped her wings, and the colors shifted in her costume. “Floating gentle on the breeze,” she incanted, “the butterfly's tranquility finds you.”

The mantis's mandibles hung slack. “I... hellfire... pretty colors... I believe... I will meditate for a time.” He swayed gently in the breeze, spellbound.

“Now, Flitter, use your Dragonfly Strike!” shouted Bumble.

Flitter saluted and took off into the air. After reaching a certain distance, she looped back, swooping low and fast. “On quick wings, the dragonfly strikes without warning!” She rammed into the mantis's leg, sweeping it out from under him. The Praying Mantis fell backwards onto the cobbled streets.

Bumble flew up to join the two of them. “Now's our chance! Go!”

The three pegasus ponies circled around each other, invoking some kind of chant. “On gossamer wings we fly, defending the innocent and preserving the balance of nature! In the name of the swarms, in the name of fluttering wings, terrorize others no more!”

Twilight shielded her eyes as a bright, tri-colored beam lanced out from the center of their formation, striking the prone mantis. “Noooooo!” the Praying Mantis shrieked as the beam hit him. He shrank, from his hundred-foot stature, to the size of a house, to the size of a pony, to the size of a housecat, until finally he was reduced to the size of a regular mantis.

The three costumed mares landed near the insect. Twilight could hear his tiny, squeaky voice hurling litanies of curses and threats at them.

Fluttershy produced a glass jar, and scooped him up into it. “I'll see to it he goes back to the forest,” she said, screwing a hole-filled lid onto the top. She gave the other two a smile. “Until next time?”

“Until next time,” Flitter and Bumble agreed. They exchanged hoof-bumps and went their separate ways.