//------------------------------// // April Fools Chapter // Story: The Empty Room // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// The Empty Room Chapter 21 By Wanderer D Gray skies hung over Canterlot as the dying light cast a deathly pallor over the whole of the city. The brave ponies stood in stunned silence, mulling over their recent accomplishment. They had killed an alicorn in combat. “Well, I must say, that was far easier than I had expected,” Rarity confessed after a moment. “This certainly bodes well for the upcoming fights.” Misty gave her a look. “Are we really going to fight the other Alicorns? There isn’t a safer way to deal with this? Maybe if we go straight for the Guardian we can take them all down in one go?” “Aw, they’re not that tough,” a voice broke in. The group turned to look in surprise at a battered Rainbow Dash, who had spoken from the back of a small cart being pulled by Trixie. Rarity frowned. “Well, I don’t know how well you did, Rainbow Da-” “We lost one of our own,” Applejack interrupted. “Ah would hardly say that was easy.” “Yeah, and it was TOTAL BS!” Gilda shouted. “I HAD that bitch!” “Gilda!” Twilight growled. “You’re supposed to be dead! You can’t just start screaming!” “Oh, stuff it, little Miss Horn and Wings!” Gilda retorted. “At least I didn’t arrive six hours late! And I’ll have you know that Alicorns are perfectly legal PCs!” Twilight snapped, slamming her hoof on the table so hard that it sent cheese puffs and dice flying. “They have a level adjustment of 3!” “Well duh, that’s why you had to sleep it off and be ‘dead’ while we all leveled up!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “And talk about projecting; suddenly you are Celestia’s daughter?” Twilight shook her head. “Oh yeah? Well, how about you, Commander of the Former Wonderbolts?” She proceeded to knock down the little figurines of Soarin’, Misty, Spitfire, Blast and whoever the first one to die was. “H-hey!” Rainbow Dash blushed as she carefully lined them up again. “Don’t ruin the paint job! It took me hours just to get them right!” Lyra sat down at the table, her horn alight as she levitated a soft drink. “What? Is it over already? Did I get resurrected yet?” “The only thing that’s happened is that Rainbow and Gilda started actin’ up... and then Twilight followed suit.” Applejack groaned. “Oh...” Lyra sighed. “I guess I don’t get to make up with Bon-Bon yet...” Applejack sighed. “Speakin’ of which, you two should really get a room.” “The Great and Powowowowow...” Trixie gasped as Big Mac bit her ear, blushing as she squirmed, cuddling even closer to his side. “Big Macintosh!” Applejack snapped. “Haven’t Ah told ya to not get so personal with Trixie in front of others!” Big Mac gave her a look. “Eeyup.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You don’t care, do ya?” “Nnnoope.” Applejack simply leaned her face on the table. “This is why Ah told y’all that we could invite either Trixie or Big Mac, not both of them!” “Well, if we are not going to do anything, I do have to check on Sweetie Belle,” Rarity stated. "Berry Punch is a dear, but I am still not very comfortable leaving her in charge of my little sister and-” “No! You can’t leave yet!” Pinkie interrupted, “Me and Zecora still have to do our part!” “Other than trading little notes with the DM?” Rainbow Dash growled. “What the hay have you been doing all this time?” “It’s a secreeet~!” Pinkie sang bouncing around the table and barely dodging Gilda’s half-assed attempt at tripping her. “Hey, Dash, let’s leave the twerps and go make out. I have some really cool ideas that will make our night 20% hotter than this lame-o game of yours.” “Um... shouldn’t we, you know... wait a bit?” Fluttershy asked, trying to ignore Trixie’s hoof as the illusionist tried to pull her. “I mean, if you want... it’s just... Luna just went to the restroom and she won’t be happy if we leave...” “What is Luna doing in there anyway?” Lyra asked. “Nopony takes that long in there. Nopony.” “Maybe she passed out? She was drinking a lot of cider...” Applejack looked at the door at the back of the Library with a little worry. “And you saw how Spike was completely knocked out.” Rarity looked at the unconscious dragon. “Oh... poor Spikey, although that does explain why he just suddenly disappeared from the game.” “Aha!” Twilight suddenly shouted, her magic shoving a book between Gilda and Rainbow Dash. She brought it up to the griffon’s face. “See? Alicorns, perfectly good PCs.” “That’s BS and you know it; you just want to be a ‘princess’,” Gilda rolled her eyes, pushing the book down with her claw. “What, wasn’t Cadence marrying your freaking brother enough? Now you want to be a princess too?” “That has nothing to do with it!” Twilight snapped the book closed. “I’m just showing you that I made a perfectly valid character that added a lot of story-telling to the story despite your whining at how cliche it was.” “Your origin story was weak at best and you know it, Sparkles.” Gilda shook her head. “It’s so full of holes that I could fly in and out of it at twice the speed of sound without encountering any sort of resistance in the way.” “Oh, get off my case, as if your little act about how sorry you were and how much you love Rainbow Dash wasn’t projecting yourself even more.” “At least I’m playing myself, dork!” “Well, so am I!” “Dude, you turned your father into Darth Pony; that is not how your life really is.” Gilda retorted. “He was being controlled! I explained it in the backstory!” “You know what, on second thought, I believe you.” Gilda said nodding. Twilight blinked. “You... you do?” “Yes,” Gilda sighed. “The only way a story like yours would ever be considered is if you were Luna’s niece or something, because she wouldn’t accept so much BS from anypony else!” “Everyone ready?” Luna sang, the sound of a flushing toilet announcing her return. Twilight grimaced. “Lu- Princess, should you be wearing... that?” Luna’s eyes went up to the aluminum foil replica of her Nightmare Moon helmet. “Well, of course, Twilight! What else would I use to remind you all who you are dealing with?” “Luna, do we really have to fight all the Alicorns?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s getting late, and really, they’re kind of lame.” “They are perfectly good characters!” Luna said. “Why, I remember Winter really used to do that trick with the wave...” “Tch.” Rainbow Dash looked away. “They’re lame. That’s all I have to say. What, you didn’t have enough throwing us at a huge reptilian creature?” “Hey, be grateful she didn’t throw a Tarrasque in the middle,” Twilight said. “We would need very specific items and spells to stop that and-” “Don’t give her ideas, Sparkles!” Gilda shouted, throwing a D12 at Twilight’s forehead. It bounced off the tip of her horn before flashing and disappearing. “Hey! That was my lucky D12!” Lyra shouted. “Meh, you don’t need it, you’re dead!” Gilda gave Lyra a raspberry. “Well, so are you!” “My death was cool!” Gilda proclaimed. “I died fighting a freaking alicorn!” “Which your girlfriend pointed out was lame!” “Well, it was still awesome.” “Well you would have died anyway!” Lyra pointed out. “I would have survived if somepony had paid attention!” she glared at Trixie, who had placed her cape over herself and Big Mac and Fluttershy. The cape shook and both mares giggled. “How did those three end up together again?” Rarity asked Applejack, who groaned without lifting her head of the table. “Big Mac has a thing for strays,” the apple farmer said to the irritation of those that insist her name should be used constantly. “An’ Fluttershy and Big Mac have been an item on an’ off through the years... plus, she’s a pervert.” “Hey, Trixie!” Rainbow Dash hollered. “Pay attention! We’ve just walked into a huge garden with a gazebo!” “Ooo...” Trixie giggled, then poked her head out from under the cape. “Trixie ah... attacks it!” “The gazebo?” “Y-yes!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Okay, Lyra has a point, if Trixie hadn’t half-assed that die-roll she would probably still be alive.” “See what I mean?” Lyra slammed her hoof on the table. “I demand to be resurrected! Or at least make it so that they thought I was dead but I wasn’t!” “No,” Luna said. “The incompetence of your teammates is no excuse to reset the whole game. Besides, we’re almost done anyway, just two more alicorns and the Guardian and we’re good.” “Why is it called the Guardian, anyway?” Lyra asked. “Did you even think about it when you named him?” “Are we ready to start again?” Luna growled, ignoring Lyra. “I want to get it over with before I have to put down the damned moon!” “Fine, fine...” Gilda sighed and reclined, watching with mild interest as the surviving ponies gathered around the table. “Now, where were we?” Luna asked. “We had just killed Winter... I think it was Twilight’s turn,” Rarity said. “Okay then,” Luna nodded. “Twilight, you and Fluttershy, Spark-” “What, she’s still alive?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That clone has more lives than a cat!” Twilight frowned. “She never was in any danger of dying!” “Well, I did almost kill her... and I would have if Applejack here hadn’t decided her tormentor was a good pony.” Applejack looked up. “Ah just did what ah would’ve done in real life!” “Suuure, and you don’t have a secret crush on Twilight,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, she doesn’t!” Lyra interrupted. “Stop shipping ponies around, Rainbow Dash!” “Shipping?” Luna blinked. “It’s when... um... a pony creates a relationship between characters...” Fluttershy explained quietly, poking her head from under Trixies cape. “It’s a fan-fiction expression...” “Fanwhatnow?” Luna shook her head. “Lyra, you write stories?” Lyra blushed. “A little...” “A little? Haven’t you shown the others that huge pile of ‘My Little Human’ fan fics you’ve written?” Gilda chuckled. Lyra cringed. “W-well, you liked them! And besides, Rainbow Dash is co-writing my crossover with Daring-do!” “A crossover between Daring-do and My Little Human?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. “You ponies have too much time.” “Well, excuse us for not writing a weekly friendship report to mom!” “Celestia is not my mom!” Twilight shouted. “Luna, can you please tell them that we are not blood related?” Luna stared at Twilight for a whole minute, then looked down at the table. “So... you and the others are walking down the street when-” “Cupcakes!” Pinkie shouted, setting a whole tray in the middle of the table. “Hey!” Luna shouted, panicking. “Watch the maps! I spent all of last week making them!” Applejack frowned. “Weren’t you re-writing the tax laws and checking them for flaws?” “Ah...” Luna chuckled weakly. “Yeah... that too...” “Anyway,” Twilight sighed and turned to look at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, we should get going to the castle and... Fluttershy? Are you paying attention?” Fluttershy looked up under the cape, she slowly extracted herself from under it and moved to the table, flipping through a magazine. Then she noticed Twilight was glaring at her. “Oh... sorry, Twilight, were we role-playing again?” “What are you reading?” Twilight’s spell snatched the magazine from the almost protesting Fluttershy’s grasp. “Seriously? ‘Iron Will’s Self-Help Diet’?” Twilight shook her head. “Fluttershy you should know by now that he... huh... I didn’t know that boroboro root was good for that!” her horn shone again and ‘Supernaturals’ floated up to land next to her. She flipped the pages quickly. “It is! Wow, Iron Will does do his research!” “Oh yes,” Fluttershy nodded. “His diets have been very popular lately, and he has different ones for each species that reads his articles.” “My, I never thought that big brute would ever be able to spell his own name, much less write an article!” Rarity said, looking over Twilight’s shoulder. “But I must say, that salad recipe looks delightful! Exactly what a sexy assassin needs in her diet!” “Um, Rarity? That’s your character in the game, you are not really an assassin.” Rainbow Dash pointed out. Rarity stared at Rainbow Dash for a minute before she looked down at the article again. “Oh, my! Berries and nuts! It looks delicious!” “Ladies, if we could please carry on with the game?” Luna sighed. “Come on girls! I’m sure I can write a nice Friendship Report about Role Playing to mo- I mean, Princess Celestia!” “She’s really into it!” Gilda laughed. “Next thing we know Rarity will really think she’s an assassin!” she barked a laugh and then stopped as the two feathers she had styled on top of her face as bangs slowly drifted down to the table in front of her, splitting in half the moment they touched the table. Her eyes slowly looked up to Rarity, who was looking at a small diamond in her hoof, nonchalantly ignoring her. The griffon gulped. Trixie giggled. “Darn it, Big Mac, Ah told ya to stop doing that!” Applejack snapped, throwing an empty bag of apple chips at the couple. “There are other mares here and we don’t want to know what you-” she stopped when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked back at Fluttershy, who was blushing but was shaking her head. “We don’t mind,” Fluttershy said. “But-” “I said, we don’t mind,” the pink-maned pegasus gritted her teeth as she glared at Applejack. “O-okay then...” “This is quickly spiraling out of control,” Twilight said. “Well, thank you for pointing the obvious, Mrs. Sparkle,” Lyra said as she glared from her chair. “What was your first clue? Pinkie Pie walking upside down on the ceiling?” Twilight looked up for a second before looking back at Lyra. “No, she does that relatively often.” “I see...” Lyra sighed. “Hey Lyra!” Pinke shouted from the ceiling. “Look! No hands!” “I KNOW!” “Pinkie! Get down from there! Your part and Zecora’s is almost upon us!” Luna shouted. “Why didn’t Zecora come again?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I thought she was all for tonight’s game.” She picked up a couple of papers. “I mean, she even filled out her character sheet and all...” Luna rolled her eyes. “How should I know? She said she suddenly had an emergency.” “You must know,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “You’re a Goddess!” Luna’s eyes clouded. o.0.o Somewhere Else o.0.o “Quick! Summon the Zords!” The Pink Pony Ranger shouted. The five ponies quickly stepped in line and, balancing on their hind legs, produced a sequence of exaggerated hoof moves and kicks before landing in different positions. Five giant robotic animals jumped out of the recesses of the jungle, exploding into pieces before rearranging themselves into a pony-like robot with three heads. It tried to fight the enemy dragon-mutant but was soon overwhelmed. “What are we going to do!?” The Red Pony Ranger shouted in horror. “Our Zords cannot take it down!” “Fear not, my Red-Robed friend!” A powerful female voice echoed all around them. “For I am here, to take out that fiend!” “It’s the Stripped Pony Ranger!” The Yellow Pony Ranger shouted gleefully. “She’s so cool with her rhymes!” Another Pony Ranger, riding on top of a giant mechanical anthropomorphic zebra with two wicked blades half as big as its own body emerged from the ground, standing valiantly next to the almost-defeated Zord. “Let’s do it!” the Black Pony Ranger shouted. The battle was joined once more. o.0.o “I’d rather not know,” Luna stated firmly. “Now, everypony... and griffon, take your seats, it’s time to continue.” There was a little bit of grumbling but eventually all players were sitting at the table, even Big Mac and Trixie. “Okay, let’s make this fast and we can all go home,” Luna said. “Twilight, as you and the others walk down Canterlot, another of the alicorns appears.” Luna ignored the groans the alicorn’s appearance produced. “Her blue piercing eyes nail you to the spot as her voice booms out, ‘I am Summer, let those who challenge me, step forward!’” Twilight sighed. “I guess we don’t have much of a choice, do we? Who was in my party again?” “Um... me...” Fluttershy said. “And... Twilight Spark... and Big Mac.” “Good,” Twilight said. “This should be okay...” she took a deep breath. “I use my magic to-” “Nuh-uh!” Gilda grinned. “Sorry miss alicorn, but I feel I should remind you that you are a pegasus now!” “Oh, horseapples!” Twilight smacked her face on the table. “Being a pegasus sucks!” “Hey!” Rainbow Dash growled. “You take that back!” “Seriously though, what can you do, other than fly and walk on clouds?” “We can create tornadoes!” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight rolled her eyes. “What, with the help of all the pegasi in Ponyville? I mean what can you do to fight?” “Well, I could create a Sonic Rainboom and punch my way through an alicorn!” Rainbow Dash argued. “Well, I can’t-” “And that’s because you are lame as a pegasus!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Just because you suck doesn’t mean real pegasi do!” “Tch. Fine,” Twilight growled. She looked at Luna. “Well, Spark will use her thunderbolt spell on Summer, while I... kick up some rain or something.” “And I assume you’ll buck her like a tree?” Luna asked Big Mac, who nodded. “Eeyup.” “I... I think I’ll stay back and... watch...” Fluttershy winced. “Oh, come on, Flutters!” Lyra groaned. “It’s a game! Nothing can happen to the real you! It’s not like you’re going to face the real Summer anytime soon, right?” Fluttershy meeped and hid under the table while Luna, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight shared uncomfortable looks. “Riiight...” Twilight coughed. “A-anyway...” Luna nodded. “Okay, everypony roll initiative and-” “Hey girls!” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “I’ve managed to compile a video of the game so far! Let’s watch it!” Luna’s eyes widened as she noticed the cameras set up in the Library. “But... how? When?!” she felt a hoof on her own and looked at Twilight, who shook her head. “It’s not worth it, Luna.” A screen dropped from the far wall and the lights dimmed. A light flickered and suddenly they were looking at themselves. Luna was standing on her hind hooves, leaning forward as she eyed Trixie evilly. “‘Yesssss.’ The voice said, once again whispering in her ear and sending shivers up your spine. “I will teach you now.”’ Luna whispered dramatically. “Trixie,  you turn around and look up. And up...” Luna said, eyes glistening. “You look up until you can see the face of the Guardian. You stare at it. And then, with quick move giant jaws descend upon you!” Luna slammed her hoof down, making Trixie jump in her seat. “Your screams slowly die away in the immense jungle, with nopony around to hear the crunch of your bones!” “What?!” Trixie jumped from her seat. “That’s total horse-apples! The Great and Powerful Trixie can’t die first thing into the game! It’s unfair!” Luna stared at her, then smiled. “The Guardian then proceeds to belch mightily, before continuing to tear into your body.” “Bu-but! That’s- Oh, come on!” Trixie whined. “You wanted that map...” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Luna did say it would come with a price!” “Ha! You got killed ten minutes into the game!” Gilda laughed. “Now that is lame!” Trixie glared at her. “Trixie would like to remind the overblown chicken that she was killed by the main bad guy and not a grunt!” “Do you want a piece of me, ‘Tricks’?” “Anytime!” “Girls!” Pinkie suddenly slid between them. “You’re missing the next scene!” o.o.o Luna looked at Trixie. “Trixie, as your wagon approaches Ponyville, you notice a farm nearby. You don’t remember your way that well -since your skill check failed- and there appears to be an old mare sitting on the porch. She notices your wagon.” “Trixie casts a spell using flaming magical powder from her cart to spell out ‘Which way to Ponyville’,” Trixie replied. Luna nodded with a small smile. “The fiery words appear in the air in front of the old mare, she stares in horror as flames sprout out of nowhere and ask her for directions. Her hoof goes to her foreleg, and it seems like it hurts. She gasps and falls back. She’s not breathing.” “WHAT?!” Trixie jumped to her feet, glaring at Luna. “That’s so unfair!” Luna gave her a look. “Congratulations, you just gave Granny Smith a heart-attack. I hope you’re happy.” “But... but-” Trixie’s eyes watered. “I didn’t mean to! I- I grab her shoulders and shake her awake! There must be some mistake! Hey! Granny! Are you okay? You passed out!” Luna rolled her eyes, but made a credible impression of Granny Smith’s voice. “W-what... I... I'm okay... I just had this strange nightmare of a stage wagon that spoke in words made out of fire to me... I thought I was going to have a heart-attack!” she paused. “You also notice that she has left her body behind.” Trixie glared at Luna. “Seriously? She’s a ghost now? How many ghosts are we getting here?!” Luna looked back at Trixie. “She’s waiting for an answer.” “Y-you did? Ah... hehe.” “Ah remember that,” Applejack shook her head. “For shame, Trixie, killing your soon-to-be family members...” Trixie growled, but Fluttershy’s calming hoof on her shoulder helped her relax a little. She raspberry-ed Applejack and cuddled up between Fluttershy and Big Mac. o.o.o “‘This has to be done... if there was a different way...’ He said in a disgustingly soothing tone,” Luna narrated dramatically. “You know who it is now, Twilight...” “I... I stop where I am, ready to fight and prepare my magic!” Twilight replied. “When he sees your horn start to glow with magic he also stops as his own horn lights with energy.” Luna said. “Now, Twilight, roll a sanity check.” “Wow, who IS this guy?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes on the small figurines. “He seems kinda cool! Can he really drive Twilight mad with his presence alone?” “We’ll see...” Luna replied. Twilight shook the dice in the air with her magic before releasing them over the table. “43%! I pass!” “Bummer...” Lyra grumbled. “I would have liked to see Twilight go bat-shit crazy! ‘Bring Celestia to my chambers!’ and that kind of stuff!” “I would never say that about mo- Princess Celestia!” Luna cleared her throat. “Twilight, any last words?” Twilight sighed as she turned her attention to the table. “There is only one thing I could say before I unleash my magic to protect not only myself, but my mentor's secret... ‘Daddy... why?’” “WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “That’s- come on! That’s lame! Seriously? I thought Twilight’s dad was cool?!” “Hey, he’s a very nice guy!” Twilight defended. “That doesn’t make him cool!” o.o.o “Don't say it!” Rainbow Dash shouted trying not to laugh and keep a serious face. “She's gone, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, looking at the pegasus. “No! Don't say that! Twilight Sparkle can't be dead!” Dash shouted before she burst into laughter. “Hey! It’s a serious scene!” Twilight complained. “And I just died!” A gasp made them look to the small purple dragon that had just walked into the room with a bag of cheetos. “It's not true,” he said, running to hold Luna's hooves. “It's not true, right? Y-you're joking.” Luna rolled her eyes. “Yes, she’s dead, she botched her last attack and got killed by her daddy.” Spike gasped. “Wow, that sucks!” Twilight slammed her face on the table. “Tell me about it, now I have to make a new character!” “Hmm... I have some ideas for that...” Luna said. “Twilight, come with me, we have to talk for a bit...” “What did Luna tell you?” Lyra asked, curious. “Well, she told me I could make an evil clone of myself as a character, since she sort of already had Twilight Spark as a possible NPC... the only requirement was that I had to chase after Applejack’s tail.” “An’ that was pretty annoyin’!” Applejack grumbled. “Oh, you liked it and you know it!” Rainbow Dash teased, poking Applejack in the ribs. “Who was it that was telling me just the other night that Twilight had one hell of a plo-mph!” Applejack chuckled nervously, keeping her hoof steady on Rainbow’s mouth. o.o.o I SHALL GO TO CANTERLOT THEN! CAN YOU POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, HANDSOME? Trixie leaned seductively onto Big Mac’s shoulder and almost purred. “I-it's that way.” He stammered through his blush, trying to stay in character. THANK YOU Trixie gave him a peck. “Ah uh...” Big Mac looked at Luna. “Ah uh... Ah follow Trixie...” “Big surprise there,” Luna rolled her eyes. o.o.o “B-but it can't be you...” Rainbow Dash stammered. “You died!” “I got better.” Twilight answered, leaning up to the pegasus and whispering in her ear. “Much... better.” Rainbow Dash visibly shivered as her ear twitched from the feel of her friend's breath on it, as much as the feeling of Twilight's coat against hers. “‘Twilight Spark.’ Celestia says then, looking down just slightly. ‘Don't you have something to tell your friends?’” Luna’s voice was eerily similar to when she had been Nightmare Moon. “Spark?” Rarity asked. “But...” “Sparkle was okay,” Twilight interrupted, smirking from across the table. “for a filly... but I am a full grown mare now, as you can see. A better name seemed... appropriate.” Applejack shook her head slowly. “Sugarcube, you can call yourself Twilight Pastel for all Ah care... It's good to have you back.” She nodded at Twilight, then looked at Luna. “Ah give her a hug!” “I lick her neck!” Twilight giggled “Twilight!” “Oh, man!” Gilda laughed. “That was awesome! The look in your face, Applejack! You know what, you’re okay in my book, Sparkles!” Twilight chuckled. “Thanks, I think.” o.o.o “Oh, you know. Basic anatomy, pleasure/pain thresholds, Pavponian Conditioning,” the unicorn spared a glance at Applejack. “Oh... do you think I broke her? But I haven't even started!” she said jokingly, eliciting a snort and a laugh from Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. Applejack visibly shivered as she looked at Twilight, then struggled to stay in character as she looked at Rainbow Dash.  “Why... what...” “What’s up, Applejack? Dragon caught your tongue?” Rainbow Dash asked, grinning like an idiot. “Bet you never thought I would betray you, huh?” “Damn it, Rainbow Dash, you explain this to me right now!” Applejack threw a die at the pegasus, who dodged it. “No can do! Dungeon Master’s orders!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “That whole thing with the medallions got a bit convoluted...” Lyra groaned. “Was it really necessary?” “It wasn’t that hard to follow,” Twilight said. “Although I guess how some ponies don’t care much for storytelling and want everything told to them straight out.” “Not me!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “That’s why I love Daring Do, I can never wait to see the ending and figure out all the clues that were there!” “You’re an Egghead now, remember, RD?” Gilda teased. “How about you read me a bedtime story?” “Maaybe...” Rainbow Dash grinned. o.o.o “The guards are approaching, Lyra!” Luna said. “What are you going to do?” Stretching across the table, Lyra grabbed Big Mac. “Quick! Kiss me!” Trixie and Fluttershy looked at each other, shrugged ,and pushed the back of Big Mac’s head suddenly. His eyes went wide as his lips slammed into Lyra’s. The whole table burst into laughter as both ponies quickly scrambled back. “Gah!” Lyra spat. “You taste like apples!” “Why did you shove your tongue into my mouth!?” Big Mac asked, losing his calm composure for once. “I...” Lyra was interrupted by Luna rolling dice.  “Uh oh, Lyra... you are not going to like this,” she smiled. “As you look around, trying to figure out if the guards are gone, you notice another female pony looking in your direction with a look of disgust, hurt and betrayal. “Great,” Lyra sighed, falling into character. “Listen, Octy...” “What?” Luna shook her head. “It’s Bon-Bon!” Lyra blinked. “I’m supposed to be dating her? But she’s just my friend!” “Whatever, you’re lovers in this story and you want her to have your baby.” Luna growled. “But... we’re both mares!” “You want her to have your baby, now role play!” Lyra sighed. “Fine. Um... Bon-Bon! No! I can explain!” “So... you’re not dating Bon-Bon?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Um... no?” “Oooh... the readers are gonna be pissed!” Pinkie giggled. “The- what are you talking about?” “Don’t,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “She’s just being Pinkie Pie.” Lyra rolled her eyes. “Aaanyway,” Luna interrupted, her horn glowing. “As interesting at that is, Pinkie, we should get back to playing.” “Aww, but I wanted more scenes made fun of for April Fool’s Day!” Pinkie pouted. “April what?” Luna asked, but then shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, let’s play! Twilight, Fluttershy, Big Mac... an Alicorn stands before you. You quickly remember her name; Summer. She has not attacked, but is observing you in a way that makes you all nervous.” Twilight’s horn lit up as her dice levitated. “Well then, how about we continue with the story!?” The group cheered as they settled down around the table, watching and listening intently as the next step in their adventure developed. Slowly the scene darkened until everything disappeared. … … … ... “Happy April Fool’s Day!” Pinkie Pike suddenly shouts, appearing from the right corner of the screen. “Hope you all liked it! It might not be the end of the story, but look at the bright side! If Wanderer D hadn’t been so lazy, you wouldn’t have had this little look into what was happening behind the scenes!” She smiles and nods. “Well, I have to go! My big return is coming! Bye now and see you... soon, I hope!” o.0.o End TER: AFD o.0.o