Puella Magi Twilight Magica
By darkponyD
006 – I’m Not Afraid of Anything Anymore Part 2
Location: Ponyville Medical Center, Ponyville East
Rainbow stepped out of the elevator, a rather depressed expression on her face as she walked out the main doors of the hospital and approached Twilight and Kyubey, waiting on a nearby bench.
“Hey,” she said with a sigh. “Sorry for the wait.”
Twilight looked up, surprised? “Huh? Weren’t you able to see Blues today?”
Rainbow shook her head. “Apparently, he couldn’t be inconvenienced to see me today or something.” The two started walking towards the exit of the hospital grounds, while Rainbow began a full on rant. “I mean seriously, after I took all the trouble to come out here. How rude!”
Spotting something in her peripheral vision, Twilight suddenly stopped, confused. Rainbow noticed about halfway through her rant, not hearing her friend’s hoofsteps beside her. Sighing, she walked back to where Twilight stood. “What now?”
“There’s… something over there,” the purple filly replied. “Embedded in the wall…”
Rainbow turned, following her friend’s gaze to a slightly discolored section of wall. Kyubey suddenly gasped. “A Grief Seed!” Gasping, the two fillies ran forward to get a closer look. The Seed was glowing a pure white, pulsing with magic, the cracks running through the walls appearing to ooze with a thick darkness. “It’s about to hatch!”
“No…!” Twilight breathed “Why here of all places…?”
The darkness coming from the cracks began to spread, covering the area around the Seed, almost like the portals Pinkie used to get into the labyrinths. “This isn’t good,” Kyubey said with a panicked voice, his eyes never leaving the Seed. “We have to get out of here! A labyrinth is about to open up here!”
“One of those freaky mazes?!” Rainbow closed her eyes, wracking her brain for something, anything that could stop the coming Night Mare. Her eyes shot open. “Twilight, do you have Pinkie’s phone number on you?” Twilight shook her head no. “Not good,” the cyan filly growled, eyes never leaving the Seed. “Twilight, go find Pinkie and get her here. I’ll stay and make sure this Night Mare doesn’t get away.”
“No!” Twilight exclaimed.
“It’s too dangerous!” Kyubey agreed, equally shocked. “Though there’s still time before the Night Mare emerges, once the labyrinth pulls you in, you won’t be able to leave. There’s no guarantee that Pinkie’ll be able to get in there fast enough to save you!”
“But once the labyrinth opens, we’ll lose track of the Night Mare, won’t we?” Rainbow countered. An image of Blues flashed into her head, hardening her gaze. “I can’t afford to let that happen. Not here…”
Kyubey, noticing this change in attitude jumped off Twilight’s back, settling beside the cyan filly. “Twilight, you go on ahead. I’ll stay here with Rainbow.” The cat creature held up a paw to stop Twilight’s rebuttal. “Once Pinkie gets here, she’ll be able to track my position using telepathy. So if I stay and watch the Grief Seed with Rainbow, I’ll be able to guide Pinkie down the shortest path to us.”
Rainbow grinned. “Thanks Kyubey!”
Twilight was still skeptical, but she trusted her friend’s judgment. “Alright then, I’ll find Pinkie and bring her here as fast as I can!” With that she took off down the street, galloping out of Rainbow’s sight. Just as the cyan filly was turning back towards the Grief Seed, a brilliant flash of light blinded her, pulling her and Kyubey into the distorted world of the Night Mare.
***
Location: Ponyville Medical Center, Ponyville East, Charlotte’s Labyrinth
Rainbow and Kyubey found themselves in a dark passage, littered with candy, needles and other odds and ends that you would find in the children’s wing of a hospital. Jumping on her back, Kyubey and Rainbow began their trek through the labyrinth, occasionally passing a stray familiar.
“Are you frightened, Rainbow?” Kyubey asked in a neutral tone.
“Well, yeah,” Rainbow said, rather reluctantly. “That kinda goes without saying.”
Kyubey nods. “If you just decided on a wish, I could turn you into a Magical Filly, right here, right now.”
Rainbow stopped before a large, black gate. A lit sign hung above with the words ‘Operation in Progress’ written on it. “I know,” she said. “If things bad enough, I might just take you up on that offer. But I think I’ll hold off on that for now. Because this is such an important choice for me, I don’t want to make it rashly if possible.” She glanced back at her passenger. “And if you breathe a word of this conversation to anyone, consider yourself bucked to the moon.”
***
Location: Ponyville Medical Center, Ponyville East
Outside the labyrinth, Twilight and Pinkie are running full tilt towards where the Grief Seed was last seen. The pair stopped in front of a cracked pillar.
“Here, right?” Pinkie asked, her face grim. She closed her eyes, Soul Gem glowing as the black portal opened before them. ‘Kyubey, what’s the situation?’
‘We’re still OK,’ Kyubey replied. ‘It looks like the Night Mare isn’t going to hatch just yet.’
‘Rainbow, are you OK?’ Twilight inquired, visibly worried for her friend.
‘Totally fine,’ came the cyan filly’s response. ‘I’m so bored I’m about to doze off here!’
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as Kyubey started talking again. ‘Right now, it’d be better not to use any large amounts of magic that might disturb the egg. There’s no need to hurry, so come as quietly as you can.’
‘Got it,’ Pinkie said, severing the mental communication and stepping into the portal, Twilight right behind her.
***
Location: Ponyville Medical Center, Ponyville East, Charlotte’s Labyrinth
Twilight and Pinkie slowly made their way through the labyrinth, Kyubey occasionally spouting directions to them. They were making good time, encountering little to no resistance.
“Thank goodness we made it in time,” Twilight said.
“Though Rainbow took such a huge risk that I’m actually a little angry with her,” Pinkie replied. “But in this one case, it was a good, clear-headed call on her part.”
The pair stopped as they heard hoofsteps following close behind them. Turning they found Fluttershy trailing behind them. “I thought I told you I didn’t want to see you again,” Pinkie growled.
The yellow filly just looked at them coldly. “I shall hunt this prey.” It wasn’t a request. “The two of you should leave here.”
Pinkie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Dash and Kyubey are waiting for us in there.”
“I shall guarantee their safety.”
Pinkie smirked. “And you really think we could trust you?” The pink filly suddenly thrust her hoof out, a burst of scarlet energy bursting from the ground, forming red ribbon chains and wrapping around Fluttershy, effectively trapping her.
“F-fool!” She shouted, struggling against the chains, only for them to tighten. “This isn’t the time for—“
“I don’t want to hurt you, of course,” Pinkie said, cutting her off. “That being said, if you insist on struggling, those chains will only tighten.”
Fluttershy glared at the pink filly. “This Night Mare isn’t like the others!”
“Behave and I’ll release you unharmed after I finish up here,” Pinkie continued, ignoring Fluttershy’s warning. She turned to her purple companion. “Let’s go, Twilight.”
“O-OK.”
Turning, the pair made their way on, leaving the yellow filly to await her release.
***
Pinkie and Twilight were now nearing the center of the maze where Dash and Kyubey were waiting. After leaving Fluttershy, they had made quick work of navigating and were now walking through a dark corridor, medicine bottles floating in the air on either side of the passage. Twilight had been thinking the entire time. She now had a good idea of what she wanted to wish for, but she wanted a second opinion. The only problem was how to bring up the subject with Pinkie.
“Um… Pinkie?”
“Yes?”
Twilight bit her lip. “Well, I’ve sorta been thinking about what wish I should make, but…” She hesitated, not sure whether she should go on.
“Did you decide on one?”
“Yes,” Twilight glanced over at her pink friend, noticing the neutral expression on her normally cheerful face. “But, I think it might be the naïve kind of wish that would make you mad…”
“So what is this dream you want granted?”
Twilight hesitated again. “Well, I’ve never been good at school, and I haven’t found my special talent yet… And I’m sure that I’ll just continue on like this, being no use to anypony and having to bother others for help… Thinking about that makes me feel so useless, I can’t stand it!” The pair turned and entered a door, finding themselves in an enormous room made of cake. “But when I met you, Pinkie,” Twilight continued, a smile on her face. “And you showed me what it’s like to fight to save ponies.” They were now crossing a bridge, candles and cake in the chasm below. “And then, when I heard that I might be able to do the same thing, it was the happiest thing I’d ever experienced in my life. That’s why, I think that just becoming a Magical Filly would fulfill my dreams. If someone like me can help ponies and live my life with pride… That would be my greatest dream.”
“It won’t be easy, you know?” Pinkie’s mane obscured her face as she slowly moved ahead of the purple filly. “You’ll get injured, and you won’t have time to go on dates or have fun with friends.”
“Even so, after watching the way you keep doing your very best,” Twilight replied. “I really look up to you, Pinkie.”
The pink filly slowly came to a stop, forcing Twilight to do the same. She noticed that as they had walked, Pinkie’s
mane had been getting darker and straighter, until it was a straight curtain of dark pink. “I’m really not worth looking up to…”
“Huh?”
Pinkie sighed. “I only push myself and pretend to be cool. Even when I’m scarred, or hurting, there’s nopony I can talk to. All I can do is cry on my own. It isn’t a good thing, to be a Magical Filly.”
Twilight smiled softly, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “But you’re not alone any more, Pinkie.”
Pinkie turned around, revealing the tears in her eyes. “You’re right, I’m not alone anymore, am I?” She rushed the purple filly, pulling her into a tight hug. “Will you really stand and fight with me from now on? Will you really stay with me?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. If somepony like me will do.”
Pinkie pulled out of the hug, drying her eyes and smiling, her mane poofing back to its usual messy bright pink. “Oh, goodness! Some role model I’m supposed to be. I’m really no good at this, am I?” The two fillies chuckled. “Still, it’s not every day you can have a wish granted. So try to think of something you want.”
“Yeah,” Twilight replied, nodding. “It is a special chance, isn’t it?”
“You are making a contract after all,” Pinkie continued. “So you might as well get something out of it. You could wish to become a billionaire, or maybe to have a perfect boyfriend. Anything you want.”
“Um, but,” Twilight stammered, not really wanting those things.
“OK,” Pinkie cut her off, noticing the purple filly’s expression. “Then how about this? If you can’t decide on a wish by the time I finish off this Night Mare, we’ll ask Kyubey to give us a huge feast with a fabulous cake!”
“C-cake?!”
“Yep! The biggest and most extravagant cake ever! And with it, we’ll have a big party for everyone! I might even bring out my party cannon!” Pinkie turned away, leaving a bewildered Twilight behind her. “All to celebrate the two of us becoming a Magical Filly duo!”
“But I can’t become a Magical Girl for a cake!” Twilight shouted after her.
“No?” came the distant reply. “Then decide on a wish you really do want.”
Twilight sighed as she followed after the now hyperactive pink filly.
‘Pinkie!’ the two earth pony fillies stopped, hearing the frantic call Kyubey sent. ‘The Grief Seed’s moving! It’s going to hatch! Hurry!’
“Got it!” Pinkie jumped up on her back hooves, her Soul Gem between two hooves. “Today’s a special day, so I’ll finish it off fast!” A blinding flash of light cuts off Twilight’s protests as Pinkie transforms into her Magical Filly form. Almost immediately, an army of familiars materialize on the ground below the bridge. Jumping off the bridge, Pinkie creates a force field around Twilight, and summons multiple cannons. She lands on the ground and starts firing at the familiars as they lunge towards her. As her used cannons disappear, Pinkie got a bit creative with her weapons, creating multi-barreled cannons that could be fired in rapid succession. ‘I feel so light today.’ Pinkie thought, as she blasted the familiars around her. ‘This is the first time I’ve felt so happy during a fight. I’m not afraid of anything anymore.’ At last, the last of the familiars were gone. The force field protecting Twilight quickly dissipated and the two took off through the door ahead of them. ‘Because… I’m not alone anymore!’
The room they entered was large, dark and filled completely with an assortment of cakes and pastries. The glowing Grief Seed sat on a high table, oozing a dark, greasy substance onto the table. The two fillies quickly spotted their Rainbow and Kyubey, crouching behind a large doughnut, watching the Seed as it wobbled slightly on its point. “Sorry for the wait,” she said as she crouched down beside them.
“You’re just in time!” Rainbow grinned at them.
Kyubey, however, didn’t share their enthusiasm. “Be careful. It’s coming!” As soon as he said this, the room was flooded with light, the grief seed disappearing and a small, delicate, doll-like Night Mare fluttered onto the chair beside the table. “Charlotte,” he said, not waiting for Pinkie to ask. “The cake Night Mare.”
The words were hardly out of his mouth when Pinkie gave the chair a good, solid buck, knocking the Night Mare to the ground. “Sorry to rain on your parade,” Pinkie said, as she summoned two cannons, both of which fired directly at it before it could hit the ground, throwing it back into the air. “But I’m going to finish you right here!” As the Night Mare flew through the air, it was caught in Pinkie’s magical aura, restraining it as she summoned her artillery cannon, propping it up on a tri-pod. “TIRO FINALE!”
It’s really a shame that Pinkie hadn’t listened to Fluttershy. If she had, she probably would have known that the creature she just destroyed was only the outer shell of the Night Mare. As the Tiro Finale connected with it’s target, a far larger beast emerged from it’s mouth, snaking down to the surprised filly, a grin on it’s face. As it opened it’s mouth, Pinkie caught a glimpse of its eyes and gasped. “Pumpkin Cake?!”
Those were the last words Pinkie would ever say, as the Night Mare’s mouth filled with teeth, and closed around her neck.
***
Not too far away, with a certain yellow pegasus filly, a click could be heard as the red ribbon chains slowly dissolved, allowing her to fall to the ground. She picked up a strand of the ribbon, her eyes widening in realization. “It can’t be…”
***
Rainbow and Twilight watched in horror as Pinkie’s body dangled from the Night Mare’s mouth, slowly being consumed by it.
“You two!” Kyubey yelled urgently. “Make a contract with me right now!!” The two fillies were clutching each other in terror as the Night Mare finished with its victim, blood dripping from its maw and turned its gaze to the two of them. “Rainbow, Twilight! Decide on a wish! Hurry!”
“That won’t be necessary,” Fluttershy flew in, landing on the very table the Night Mare had emerged on. “I shall be the one to slay it.” Her face was hard, betraying no emotion, save determination.
The Night Mare dove, engulfing the table and filly within its maw. It smiled in victory, savoring the taste in its mouth, only to notice that the filly and landed on another table directly in front of it. She unfurled her wings and took off to another table, the Night Mare following close behind. It once again took a bite out of the table, only for Fluttershy to once again land on another table, this time grinning in a taunting manner, egging the Night Mare on. This little game of cat and mouse continued for a few more minutes, until a quiet ticking was heard coming from a small device on the Night Mare’s tongue. Almost immediately, an explosion caused its face to expand comically. More explosions were soon seen, as it tried desperately to shed its old body, effectively healing itself. It was all for naught, however, as the explosion became more frequent, eventually destroying the Night Mare completely.
Fluttershy, satisfied with her work, jumped off the table she was perched on, her Magical Filly get up disappearing in a flash of violet light as she strode to the two fillies she had saved. “A moment later and you would have been dead. Burn those last images of Pinkie into your minds. This is what it means to be a Magical Filly.”
Twilight and Rainbow looked at the yellow filly in shock as the world around them warped and returned them to the hospital. Fluttershy turned away, walking to where the Grief Seed landed after the battle, retrieving it. “…Give it back.” Fluttershy turned, seeing a livid Rainbow Dash standing with tears in her eyes. “Give it back! That-“ she paused, chocking back a sob. “That belongs to Pinkie…!” Fluttershy ignored her as she strode past. “I said give it back! Back to Pinkie!”
Fluttershy stopped, turning her head just enough for Rainbow to see her glare. “That’s right. This belongs only to Magical Fillies. Neither of you has any right to touch it.” With that, she unfurled her wings and flew off.
Kyubey looked on, not a trace of pity in his heart as Rainbow started sobbing, and Twilight fell in a dead faint.