//------------------------------// // HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA II - Electric Boogaloo // Story: Prince Adam Saves Equestria (a.k.a. HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA) // by neutralmilk //------------------------------// Prince Adam Saves Equestria II - Electric Boogaloo by neutralmilk *Author's Note: Song Starts at 0:31. You'll know when to start it. *Author's Note 2: Keep an eye out for more links. Fluttershy squealed in fear as her fragile body was thrown from the air onto the ground with a sickening thump. A swarm of Changelings flew overhead, staring down menacingly at the injured pegasus and hissing loudly. A small group nodded at each other in agreement and formed together tightly, preparing for the kill. “I… I failed…” Fluttershy raised a hoof in defense weakly, watching helplessly as the murderous Changelings flew straight for her. She closed her eyes, calmly waiting for her imminent death. “We’ve finally lost.” Just then the pegasus heard the sound of galloping approaching her. She opened her eyes to find Twilight Sparkle standing close by, her body cut and bruised. The lavender unicorn winced as she concentrated all of her magic energy at the incoming horde of Changelings. Several skillfully darted around the shot, deciding to leave the battle and rejoin the swarm. Others, however, were not so lucky. Loud, agonizing screams escaped their mouths as their bodies fell to the ground in a crumpled mess. Twilight Sparkle stood over them, her chest heaving from exhaustion. “Fluttershy!” Twilight screamed finally, turning to her incapacitated friend. “Fluttershy, are you ok?” The mare wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus and began to slowly bring her back to all fours. The two looked at each other and their battered bodies; the only resemblance from more peaceful times being their cutie marks. The cream mare wiped back a few tears and sniffled in response. “Twilight… We-we can’t do this…” “Heh, not separated we can’t!” a voice said from behind the two mares. They looked up, surprised, to find their remaining friends headed by Applejack, their bodies equally tattered and tired. “Now as `ah was sayin’,” Applejack began again, fixing the trademark Stetson hat upon her head. “Enough is enough. We gotta stick together again. `Ah’m sure Cadence and Shinin’ Armor have got that spell ready to repel those danged Changlings once again.” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash butted in. “We just gotta get back to Canterlot Castle! No more of this separating stuff. We can fight these bugs together!” Twilight Sparkle smiled at her friends weakly. She could see through their thinly veiled enthusiasm. Their surroundings were especially dismal. The cacophonic sounds of buzzing wings filled the air as throngs of Changelings flew every which way wreaking havoc on the innocent ponies of Canterlot. In the horizon they could see the shattered remnants of Shining Armor’s force field, which only hours before was breached by Queen Chrysalis and her nefarious subjects. Never before had such destruction been unleashed on the once gorgeous capital city of Equestria; and it seemed that if it were to continue any longer, there wouldn’t be an Equestria at all. “Alright girls,” Twilight spoke up, feeling a vaguely familiar feeling of desperation overwhelm her. “Remember the last time we faced a foe this powerful?” Her friends nodded, the memories of Nightmare Moon’s return were still fresh in their minds. “How could we forget?” Rarity asked hypothetically, brushing a hoof through her mane unconsciously. “Well,” Twilight began again, attempting to sound strong and confident. “It looks like we have an even greater challenge this time. And we have to be willing to give it our all!” The unicorn slammed a hoof onto the ground powerfully. “If we fail, Canterlot, no, all of Equestria will topple under Chrysalis! And I, for one, am not going to let that happen!” She glanced around her group of friends; all of them looked tattered and tired beyond all belief. The ponies nodded solemnly, knowing that they had better be willing to give up life and limb to save their beloved Equestria. “We have to be strong! Tough! Angry! They have no right to invade Equestria! We have to make them pay for what they’ve already done to Canterlot!” “Ye-yeah!” Applejack joined in, a surge of rage washing over her. “And for what they did to Sweet Apple Acres!” “And Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie snarled. “And don’t forget my beloved boutique!” Rarity added calmly. The ponies looked at her, confused, causing her to smile awkwardly. “Oops, I meant to say: Yeah! And my boutique! Let’s teach those ruffians a lesson they won’t soon forget!” “We’re with you too, Twi.” Rainbow Dash butted in. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Good! Now let’s get over to Canterlot Castle and send Chrysalis back to where she came from once and for all!” The ponies shouted in agreement and barreled behind their leader toward the decimated Castle, unaware of what, or whom, was waiting for them. “Shining Armor?” Twilight called into the dark passage of the Main Hall. She glanced at her surroundings cautiously, noting how the shadows seemed to follow her every move. Her friends stayed close by, attempting to ignore the seemingly continuous sounds of complete and total war outside the Castle walls. “I don’t get it!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. “My brother said he and Cadence would be in the Main Hall working on their spell! I have no idea where he could be…” Just then pained screams filled the ponies’ ears from outside followed by the hissing laugh of several Changelings. Twilight frowned and plopped onto the floor feeling defeated. Her friends exchanged looks, Fluttershy stepped forward and gently wrapped a foreleg around the lavender unicorn. “It’s ok Twilight.” She said comfortingly. “We’re sure he’s ok. Maybe he just went to another part of the castle…” “Yeah, like the kitchen!” Pinkie Pie joined in, a large grin on her face. Her friends turned to toward her, looks on confusion on their faces. “Well excuuuuuse me for being hungry! Jeez, what does a pony have to do to get a sandwich over here…” Applejack shook her head and trotted over to Twilight. “Listen here, Twi. Everything will be ok.” She placed a hoof comfortingly on her friends shoulder. “You know how strong your brother is. He and Cadence will be-” “Twiley!” a stallion’s voice called from the entrance of the Main Hall. Twilight leapt into the air and watched as her beloved brother and his wife galloped into the dim Hall at full speed. “Shining Armor! You’re ok!” The purple unicorn lunged at her brother, fighting back the tears in her eyes. He smiled softly and patted her back. “Of course I am! I’m not Captain of the Royal Guard for nothing, you know.” He gently freed himself from his sisters’ grasp, his smile fading. “But we have some bad news Twi.” “W-what is it?” she asked, a feeling of dread washing over her. In the pit of her stomach she knew what was wrong, but refused to believe it. The Repelling Spell didn’t work. “Cadence and I tried…” Shining Armor began. His face betrayed his disappointment in himself for failing.  “We tried Twiley. She-she’s just too powerful…” Princess Cadence draped a wing on her husband lovingly and nodded solemnly in agreement. “We’re sorry Twilight. But it looks like Chrysalis has gotten the better of us.” She paused to sigh. “We don’t have any idea how to beat her this time around.” Suddenly a loud rumbling filled the ponies’ ears as the walls of the Main Hall began to twist and curl, finally crumbling to the ground.  A massive cloud of dust and debris shot up from the new found ruins, temporarily blinding and suffocating the ponies. As the cloud cleared, they found themselves staring up at a massive swarm of Changelings, their infamous Queen flying before them. “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” Chrysalis asked mockingly to the ponies standing below her. “You do realize that you’re trespassing on newly acquired territory for the Changeling Empire, don’t you?” With that, the Changeling army buzzed excitedly, some of them darting around in awkwardly showy maneuvers. Their sheer numbers practically blotted out the sky. Chrysalis raised a holed hoof, signaling them to stop. “You won’t get away with this, you monster!” Princess Cadence cried, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Slowly, they began to trickle down her cheeks. Her once soft, beautiful features now seemed long gone, aged by the long battle she had faced. The Changeling Queen laughed maniacally, sending her horde into a flurry of excitement once more. “Hmm, well it looks like I already did, you pitiful little princess!” Chrysalis shot down onto the ground with immense force, landing with an audible slam. The shockwave from her landing sent the ponies flying backwards. “It’s time for Equestria to be ruled by a real Queen!” “Stand back everypony!” Shining Armor shouted heroically, darting to the front of the tattered group. “Cadence and I have been working on a new spell, just in case!” Cadence flew to her husband’s side. “Are you sure about this?” The princess asked, fighting to keep up her composure. “We haven’t even tested it yet…” Shining Armor smirked. “With you by my side, how could I not be sure?” He and his wife looked into each other’s eyes lovingly and slowly brought their heads together, all the while focusing all of their magic ability to the tips of their horns. Bright purple and pink waves began to pulse forth from the conjoined horns, the ponies wincing in pain as the force of their magic began to strengthen and the rhythm of the blasts sped up rapidly. “What...” Chrysalis said, staring in awe at the couple before her. “What is this!?” “Hang in there, Cadence!” Shining Armor shouted to his beloved bride. “We got this!” The ponies opened their eyes and looked at each other amorously. The couple began to float above the ground, the sheer power of their new spell carrying them higher and higher into the air. The ponies below stood, mouths agape in wonder. “I love you Shining Armor.” Cadence whispered, smiling softly. It took all of her effort to ignore the agony of her magic being drained out of her body. “I love you too, Cadence.” Shining Armor returned his wife’s smile. “What are you doing, you foals!?” Chrysalis cried out, panic crossing her face. The couple slowly leaned in and locked lips, suddenly creating a massively powerful surge from their already pulsating horns. A blinding white wave shot forth, encompassing the entirety of the castle and spreading rapidly off toward the horizon. Twilight and her friends turned to hide from the light, and fought to not be knocked back onto the ground from the force of the blast. When the light faded, Cadence and Shining Armor were lying in a pile, smoke rising from their bruised and beaten bodies. Cadence’s eyes slowly fluttered open, her body resisting with each attempt. She took a moment to look around at the ruins of Canterlot Castle, the very place where she and her husband had been married – another day marred by a battle with the Changeling Queen. She stumbled a bit quickly regaining her balance. “D-did we beat her?” Shining Armor grunted as he rose beside her, rubbing a hoof against his throbbing head. “I think so…” He turned his attention to his sister and her friends. “You guys ok?” The six of them groaned and nodded in reply, looking at their newly clear surroundings. Around them, the once beautiful Canterlot Castle was no more. Only the slightest amount of rubble seemed to survive the immense power of couple’s spell.  Above them, more importantly, the sun shone brightly, every trace of the Changeling horde seemingly long gone. “W-we did it!” Fluttershy shouted excitedly, if somewhat uncharacteristically. Twilight Sparkle looked at her funny, but felt a small smile form on her face as the cream coloured pegasus jumped around victoriously. “Wooo-whee! That sure was a fight!” Applejack removed her trademarked Stetson and wiped a hoof against her forehead. “Good job everypony!” “That was hardly a fight.” Rarity scoffed in reply, fixing her hair. “That disgusting Changeling queen required almost no effort at all!” “Heh, that’s a lot coming from somepony that didn’t do anything to help Cadence and Shining Armor.” Rainbow Dash added, smirking. She and Applejack made eye contact and burst into a fit of laughter as Rarity rolled her eyes. “How droll.” Rarity cantered away from the laughing ponies and over toward the royal couple. Twilight Sparkle smiled at her friends, a wave of relief washing over her. Never before had her and her closest friends come so close to losing everything. They were prepared to put their lives on the line for Equestria, and for all they knew they might have had to if it weren’t for Shining Armor and Cadence… Twilight shook the thoughts out of her head, choosing instead to watch Pinkie Pie jump up and down excitedly. “Alright everypony!” Twilight started cheerfully. “It looks like Equestria is safe once more. But don’t be fooled, just because the Changelings are gone doesn’t mean we’re finished yet. We have a long road ahead of us. There’s a lot to be rebuilt, families have been torn apart and there’s still a matter of finding the princesses. While the immediate threat is gone,” the lavender unicorn eyed her friends to make sure they were paying attention. “There is still much more to be done.” “Ah but this stuff’s easy!” Rainbow Dash said, lazily drifting by in the air. “Indeed, Twilight.” Rarity added.  “Now that those pesky bugs are gone-” A low droning noise started from the horizon, causing the ponies to stop and search for the source. The sound grew louder and louder until it was unmistakably recognizable as buzzing wings. The hum grew deafening as it filled the air and the sky turned black as if the sun itself had disappeared from the sky. A wave of dread washed over Twilight Sparkle and her friends, all of whom stared at the darkened sky. A select group of Changelings dropped down, moving slowly and with precision. Floating between them was the Changeling Queen herself. “I was kidding!” Queen Chrysalis boomed, coming forward from her subjects. She shot a terrifying glance at the ponies making them cower. Almost as if on cue, the horde of Changelings buzzed excitedly, Chrysalis laughing maniacally. “And you thought that your puny little spell powered by love would hold me back?! I feed off of your love! I’m strengthened by it! You’re only making me more powerful, you foals!” Shining Armor looked at his bride with worry as the two backed away from the seemingly omnipotent Changeling Queen. Chrysalis smiled impiously and nodded to the Changelings beside her. They darted forward and latched onto the royal couple. “Shining Armor! Cadence!” Twilight screamed, but it was fruitless. The Changelings dashed into the air, flying toward the horizon with the two in tow. She could see them struggling against their captors, but they were held too tightly. “Don’t worry, Twiley!” Shining Armor called out, barely freeing himself enough to shout. “We’ll take care of th-” A hoof clamped over his mouth, silencing him once more. Twilight and her friends could do nothing but watch as their only hope was carried away. “And while I must say this has been fun,” Chrysalis deadpanned, a wicked, toothy grin upon her face. “I’m afraid we have to cut this short. It’s time for you all to die.” The ponies huddled together as Chrysalis’ horn began to glow with a sickening green aura. The Changeling horde buzzed excitedly, cheering their Queen on. “Cower before your Queen!” A piercing cackle filled the air.  All hope was lost. “No.” Twilight said quietly, picking her head up and eying the maniacal monster flying before her. “We still have one chance left.” Pinkie Pie and Applejack lifted their heads and looked at Twilight quizzically, fright still filling their faces. “We have… Prince Adam.” The Elements of Harmony let go of each other, nodding solemnly. They promised to never again call upon Prince Adam and his sheer magnificence unless he was truly needed. It seemed the time had come for his much needed, albeit somewhat cheesy, return. “What?” Chrysalis asked aloud, looking confused at the serious faced mares. “Why aren’t you cowering? Where’s the fear?” “You have one last chance to leave Equestria.” Twilight announced to the Changeling Queen. Chrysalis looked at the unicorn, confused, and turned to her horde. Several of the Changelings shrugged in response. “And what do you suppose you would do if I decided to stay, my little pony?” Chrysalis sneered, turning back. “We might have to call upon a friend, darling.” Rarity answered, flipping her hair. Chrysalis burst out into laughter. “Oh really?” she asked, wiping a tear from her eye. “A-and who is this so called ‘friend?’” She mimed air-quotes. “Some sort of, I don’t know, mystical prince? One who sings cheesy 80’s songs in an incredibly unrealistic voice?” Some Changelings buzzed with laughter. “Is he gonna come from the sky in an overly cliché manner and kick my ass to the rhythm of the lyrics, too? A-hahahahaha!” The remaining Changelings were cracking up at this point as well; some of them fell from the sky, clutching at their sides. Twilight smiled knowingly. “Sounds about right.” At that, the Elements of Harmony joined together in a small circle. Twilight stood in the center with her horn glowing with a deep purple aura. The group of friends focused all of their energy at Twilight, almost as if they were wearing their respective Elements. A bright, white beam shot out of the tip of Twilight’s horn, straight into the sky and beyond. The Changelings darted out of the way, clearing a perfect hole for the spell to pass through. Everypony stared into the sky, looks of wonder and hope on their faces. Chrysalis and her horde watched the scene unfold, fear and confusion present on their faces. Silence reigned for what felt like an hour, the ponies and Changelings listening and waiting for something, anything to happen. But seemingly nothing did. The beam Twilight had shot was an apparent waste of time, only prolonging the inevitable. Chrysalis laughed and grinned at the now cowering equines. Their time had come; their clock was up. Nothing could save them now. Or so they thought. Suddenly, a large funnel shaped cloud shot down from the sky, spiraling faster and faster as if it were a tornado. Bolts of lightning tore out from the cloud, threatening the Changelings flying by. The world seemed to dim, and then, absolute darkness. Twilight felt her heart skip a beat, relief washing over her. This was all too familiar. This had all happened before. Their call for help had been answered. A single spotlight appeared out of thin air, shining the spot where only moments ago the mini-maelstrom swirled. Instead, in its place was a young blonde man. He wore an incredibly tight white t-shirt that was seemingly covered by an equally painfully tight sleeveless pink collared shirt. It was an unforgettably unique look. And only one person could (or would) pull it off. The one and only Prince Adam. His eyes scanned the environment slowly, his face betraying no emotion. Although the world was still engulfed in blackness, it was as if he could see everything. Slowly, he cracked his neck, a smirk crossing his lips. “SO. AWESOME.” Rainbow Dash whispered excitedly from the surrounding nothingness. Twilight nodded in response; and although nopony could see, she was sure her other friends were doing the same. Prince Adam’s last visit had been an awe inspiring event – defeating Nightmare Moon by the power of music (as well as a swift uppercut) and restoring harmony through the entirety of Equestria. And all it took was a cheesy cover of a crappy 90s song. Prince Adam stuck his hand out of the spotlight, pulling a microphone from nowhere in particular. “Twenty-five years, and my life is still…” he began to sing, brushing his godly locks from his face. “Trying to get up this same big hill of hooooooooope.” He dropped to his knees, directing his song upward to the heavens. He dropped the microphone on the floor and took to whispering. A single teardrop fell down his cheek. “For a destination.” Another spotlight appeared, clicking on audibly. This one shone down upon the still hovering Queen Chrysalis. She looked startled, and took to blinking rapidly, her eyes clearly not adjusted to the bright light. “And I realized quickly when I knew I should! That this world is made of this brother hood of maaaaaaan.” Prince Adam motioned a large circle with his hands and smiled, winking in the general direction of the ponies. Twilight’s heart fluttered at the gesture. In her giddiness she lost her footing and almost toppled to the floor. “Or, whatever that means.” Prince Adam shrugged his muscular shoulders and rose to his feet. “What is this?!” Chrysalis cried; she attempted to fly from the spotlight, but found that it was impossible to escape. “You foals think this will be enough to stop m-” Suddenly a cheesy synth drum beat filled the air drowning out the Changeling Queen’s shouts. Prince Adam took to crouching awkwardly and pumping his fist the beat, no doubt building his power reserves for the epic encounter about to take place. The blackness that enveloped the world vanished immediately, revealing a sky filled with sparkling rainbows and comically oversized shooting stars. Changelings darted to and fro in a flurry of panic, abandoning their beloved Queen who hovered, watching the bizarre scene unfold below. The ponies all smiled widely, knowing what was to come next: the inevitable defeat of Equestria’s greatest nemesis. “And so I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed, just to get it all out, what’s in my head and I!” At that, Prince Adam shot into the sky, a stream of rainbows following his movements. “I’m feeling,” he waggled his eyebrows at the Changeling Queen. “A little peculiar.” He casually drifted toward the Changeling Queen, whose face was one of pure confusion. The ponies below stared in awe, watching the scene unfold. The other-dimensional warrior prince floated with gentle grace, his silken hair flowing behind him as if caught in a soft current. He’s… beautiful… Twilight’s eyes began to water at the sight. Something about him just made her feel so… so happy. “And so I wake in the morning and I step outside, and take a deep breath and get real high!” At this, Prince Adam crunched into a cannonball position and flipped slow-motion in midair several times, the ends of his hair brushing haphazardly against Chrysalis’ muzzle. Twilight had never wanted to be another mare’s muzzle ever so much as in this moment. “And scream at the top of my lungs,” Prince Adam stopped flipping and used both hands to point to the ponies below, egging them on to join him. “What’s goin’ on?!” The group of heroes shouted simultaneously, emitting a giggle from Pinkie Pie who took to jumping in her spot. Prince Adam winked down at them, at which point Twilight couldn’t take anymore. The purple unicorn clutched at her pounidng heart. “I love you, Prince Adam!” she squealed in the most fangirl manner possible. The words seemed to echo throughout time itself. And once Twilight realized what she had said, it was far too late – and nothing could bring those words back. Chrysalis’ face of confusion quickly jerked into a devious grin. “You love him, huh?” She murmured inaudibly under the shouting chorus of Prince Adam who skipped around in the air, snapping his fingers obliviously. “HEEEEY-EY-AAAEY-EY-AAAEY AY AY, HEEEEY-EY-AAAEY-EY-AY!” Equestria’s saving grace shouted into the heavens, whipping his hair back and forth, “I said Hey! What’s going on?” Prince Adam clenched his hand into fist and reared back, a large grin on his face. From the ground Twilight Sparkle and her friends watched helplessly, waiting for the inevitable. They could do nothing but pray that Chrysalis hadn’t noticed Twilight’s slip-up. Unfortunately for them, it quickly became evident that she had. The extra-dimensional prince rocketed his fist forward, breaking the sound barrier in the process; the trajectory: Queen Chrysalis’ face. He knew of exactly two possible outcomes. Either the mare’s face would be absolutely demolished by the sheer force of his manly knuckles, or, more likely, she would be sent flying a great distance where Prince Adam would continue his song and slaughter routine. The whole act had been played out so many times before he could almost feel Chrysalis’ face while swinging his fist. And then a second passed, and he could still almost feel it. Then five seconds, and still no set contact. The groovy beats playing throughout the land of Equestria slowed to a stop as Prince Adam was jutted back from his reality into Equestria. He began to blink wildly, as if waking from some intense dream and looked down at his fist, only to find it covered in a sickly green aura – his intended victim flashing a wide, sinister grin. “How’d that plan work out for you?” She deadpanned. Prince Adam felt his body tense up as he became entirely encased in the aura. Before he knew it, he was being thrown to the ground. His impact was immense, sending debris shooting into the sky. For a short period, it appeared as if it was raining gravel. “Prince Adam!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, panic breaking her voice. She bolted to the site of his crash landing, her friends in tow. “Twi…” Applejack started, unsure of what to say. She lay a comforting hood on her friend’s shoulder. “’Ah’m sorry.” The lavender mare collapsed to the floor and began to cry, her grief too great. This had all been her fault… From above, the ponies could hear Queen Chrysalis cackling maniacally. It seemed that she was truly unstoppable. And below they saw their once beloved hero. He lay motionless in a crater, his body twisted in ways no mere mortal should be. Luckily for them, however, he was no mere mortal. “Holy tamole!” Pinkie Pie shouted. She began to bounce excitedly. “Twilight, look!” Twilight slowly raised her head and took to wiping away some stubborn tears from her now bloodshot eyes. There lay a semi-conscious Prince Adam. Slowly, his eyes opened and his chest began to rise and fall with slow, shallow breathing. “C-come closer…” he barely managed. His voice still held the sing-song tone but it was faltering with each word. The ponies did as they were told and took to circling him. Concern and fear adorned all of their faces. The almighty Prince Adam was in no condition to continue fighting, that much was sure. “Y-you must,” he started, pausing briefly to cough up what appeared to be blood – but was rainbow-coloured instead of solelyred. “You must call upon another…” “W-what do you mean?” Twilight cried, the tears welling up in her eyes again. “Y-you can’t give up!” Prince Adam managed a smile. “I’m sorry, my little pony. But my time in this fight… is over.” Another coughing fit took hold of him temporarily. Rarity and Rainbow Dash exchanged looks. They knew what was coming. “You can’t give up on Equestria!” Twilight Sparkle screamed. She stomped her hoof in the rubble forcefully, a loud clop sound echoing slightly. “Y-you can’t give up… on me.” “T-twilight…” her beloved Prince whispered. Slowly, he raised his hand – the very hand that once uppercutted Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna – and gently placed it on Twilight’s head. He gently began to rub his hand through the unicorn’s mane. “No.” The tears were streaming down her face and colleting on the ground. “No no no! Adam… You can’t die!” She leaned in as close as she could to her beloved Prince. “I love you!” Prince Adam’s hand fell from her mane and landed with a thud in the rubble. A sigh escaped his lips, ending with Prince Adam’s glorious eyes closing at the same time. Then they opened back up. “Wait. Who said anything about dying?”He practically sang as he sat up in his gravel grave and cracked his back loudly. “And sorry, Twilight, but…” his eyes scanned the surroundings, settling on a select orange mare. “But Applejack is my favorite.” Gasps were abound, as Applejack jumped in her spot – the sudden attention clearly surprising her. Her eye shifted suspiciously and finally settled on Twilight. She broke into an uncomfortably awkward grin and shrugged. “Sorry, Twi.” The lavender mare looked back to Prince Adam, mouth agape. Her eye began to twitch comically (but not too comically since this is a serious story). The shock of her unrequited love was too much for the unicorn, as she fell to the ground, unconscious. “Anyway,” he sang, brushing his tight pants free of dust and debris. He clearly didn’t care about the awkward situation arising. “What I was trying to say is that your collective love is too powerful a fuel for Queen Chrysalis. There’s no way that I can fight her.” The metaphorical camera zoomed in on his face. “At least, not by myself.” He reached behind himself and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of thin air before donning them. “I think I like this guy.” Pinkie Pie whispered to Rarity. “And that,” bellowed Prince Adam, whose newfound authoritative tone sent Pinkie jumping in surprise “is exactly the issue. Rarity, come here.” The white unicorn stepped toward him; her eyes glanced over the prince reluctantly. Prince Adam reached into his pocket and produced a list of several names. “I need your magic for this one.” Chrysalis frowned, her face full of confusion. Something just wasn’t right here. She remembered defeating the assailing Prince Adam, but nothing after. The physical act of sending him hurtling to his death was fresh in her mind – the maniacal laughter she enjoyed was seemingly only moments ago, but now it was as if a movie skipped a scene. Below her, the purported corpse of Prince Adam was missing – as were the should-be mourning ponies. And, even more oddly, the lavender leader of the group was lying in a pile of debris for no apparent reason. It was almost as if some serious plot development was needed before she was necessary again in the story...  But then again, maybe it wasn’t. Chrysalis took another quick look at the ground, as if she expected a different outcome. She shrugged and donned a victorious grin. At last! She thought to herself. Equestria is finally mine! And for my first order of business… her mind trailed off. Maybe a new color scheme for the castle? She closed her eyes and began to envision her new castle. Maybe a nice purple and green! But what would the accent colour be… “We ain’t through yet, Chrysalis!” A country-tinged voice rose from below, breaking her concentration. “Yeah, what she said!” Another, gruffer voice rang. “Yes, quite! We will not be defeated so easily.” This voice was prissy and confident. The Changeling Queen grimaced and opened her eyes, peering down on her new kingdom. Below her stood the remaining five ponies that dared to defy her invasion just shortly before. “You pathetic foals!” Chrysalis bellowed. “Your attack failed! You are out of options! Submit to my power!” At this she reared her head back and began to cackle. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” The sinister mare ceased her laughter and looked back down at the ground. There stood her assailant – Prince Adam. Not a single scratch showed on his face from their fierce battle. In addition to his normal attire, he wore a snarling frown. “You! You’re still alive?” She was taken aback with shock. “Well no matter. For you won’t be for very much longer!” Chrysalis reared back and began to charge up all the magic she could summon for a single magical blast. ZINK! The blast seemingly hit the heroes dead on, but was instead bounced away by some unknown, invisible force. The powerful magic zipped back at its source, barely missing Chrysalis – leaving her confused, and more than a little bit annoyed. She spotted the ponies and Prince Adam standing tall, staring her down. Suddenly the sound of horns and light jingle bells started playing, their sweet catchy melody carrying through the air. “What is this?!” Chrysalis cried, furrowing her brow. Prince Adam smiled in response while the ponies looked around, confused. “Ahhhhhhhhh, Ya ya yaaaah!” a heavenly baritone began to call out from the open air. “Ya ya yaaah, Yaaah ya yah.” “Ohohohohoooo, Oh ya yaaah,” Somehow from the corner of everypony’s eye all at once, there suddenly appeared another human, this one clad in a brown leisure suit. “Ya ya yaaah, yaaah ya yah.” He walked with a slight wobble, his face twisted into a ridiculous, toothy grin and his thick brown hair slicked back. The man’s tan color and golden tie were crisp, the only static things in his bobbing saunter. “Ye-ye-ye-ye-ye, Ye-ye-ye, Ye-ye-ye, Ohohohoho!” he happily chirped, taking his place in front of Prince Adam and the ponies. He continued stepping in place, swinging his arms gently to the continuing beat of horns and strings. “Ye-ye-ye-ye-ye, Ye-ye-ye, Ye-ye-ye!” The brown clad man slowly waved his arms, gesturing to the Changeling Queen up above. Her face betrayed nothing but confusion. “Oh-hohohooooooooooo! Aaaaoooooh aaaoooHooo haha!” He clenched a fist and punched the thin air with a great swing. Chrysalis was sent flying back with massive force, as if the Trololo-ing man on the ground had socked her in the face himself. Her head was spinning, vision blurred from the hit – and by the time her senses had returned, the man had disappeared. The once cheerful music had now been replaced with a light techno beat that hummed from heavens themselves. Chrysalis could see the ponies below her staring up at the sky, as if looking right through her. She turned her head slowly, entirely unsure of what to expect. Hovering a few feet away was a short Korean man dressed in a sharp, black suit and sun glasses. The Changeling Queen stared at him, waiting for an attack – but the man did not budge. The techno beat continued droning for seemingly no reason. “Uh…” She looked around, hoping for something to clue her to what this was. Who ar-” “Oppa Gangam Style!” The techno beat now began to blast; massive soundwaves slammed into Chrysalis from all sides sending her tumbling and spiraling through the air. She screamed as she continued to lose control, feeling battered and bruised in the process. “Op! Op! Oppa Gangam Style!” The K-pop singer then grabbed invisible reigns and began to dance in place as if riding a horse. Meanwhile on the ground, Rarity scoffed at the scene; her eyes traced the audio-assault and the ensuing dance number. “Well, I never!” “I don’t know,” Fluttershy added, shrugging. “I kinda like it.” The ponies turned to look at her, confused looks on all of their faces. Fluttershy blushed and buried her head in her long, pink mane. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to say something, but a sudden scream from the sky distracted the ponies from the awkard situation at least momentarily. “Eeeeeeeh, sexy lady!” The man was now shouting. He stood directly in front of a now motionless Chrysalis who hung listlessly in the air. Her eyes were absolutely panicked as the man stroked her chin lovingly. “Op! Op! Oppa Gangam Style!” “Get away from me, you lunatic!” The Changeling Queen cried, swatting at the offending singer. And then as quickly as the man had appeared, he was gone in a blinding flash. When she regained her vision, Chrysalis jerked her head side-to-side as fast as she could, ensuring that the man had indeed disappeared. Her efforts turned up neither hide nor hair of the suited man. She sighed, relieved to be free of her new attackers. It was clear to her now that she had been defeated. Never before had she been so unprepared – so absolutely weak compared to her opponent. Whatever Prince Adam and the ponies had done, it had unleashed something far too powerful. It was time to retreat before the final blow could be struck. Chrysalis turned to flee the scene, but before doing so glanced down to steal one last look at the once again victorious Elements of Harmony. However, what she saw left her wings sputtering in their spot, refusing to move an inch. The retreat could wait, it seemed. On the ground below her lay the ponies and their beloved Prince Adam. She watched them for what seemed like an hour, noting the lack of even the slightest movements. Nopony’s chest rose and fell with breathing. Not a single blink or twitch. The group lay still, dead as doornails. W-was it the flash from that guy? She wondered to herself. It didn’t seem to make sense, but given everything that had happened so far that day, she wasn’t going to complain. Slowly, carefully, she drifted down to the ground to examine the scene. She had to make sure before anything… The bodies were even more convincing up close. Their faces all showed panic, all of them with wide, glassy eyes staring into the void. Their bodies lay in positions that would otherwise have been immensely painful, legs crossed and bent in manners she had never before even imagined. Still have to be sure… She thought, sighing. This day had not exactly gone the way she intended, that was for sure. Yeah, a body count was to be expected. But this… Chrysalis shook the thought from her head and gently raised a foreleg to poke the lifeless body of Prince Adam who lay only a few feet away in a twisted mess. Just as Chrysalis’ hoof was about to touch the battered Prince’s arm, the entire group faded from existence, save for Twilight Sparkle who lay still. Instead, in the group’s place, was a single dancing man, bobbing and swinging his arms idiotically. His clearly 80s fashion sense was painful – as was the now pounding synth beat and fake string section introduction to yet another song. And, more than likely, another beating. “You’re no stranger to love,” the awfully dressed man crooned, clapping his hands slightly off beat. “You know the rules, and so do I!” He lowered his ridiculously oversized brown sunglasses so that they on the low end of his nose. His eyes peeked over the frames playfully. “A full commitment’s what I’m thinking of.” He bobbed and weaved with all the grace a blind man boxing a superior invisible foe. Chrysalis’ mouth dropped open at the now obvious trap and turned to fly off, only to find the dancing fool now standing directly in front of her yet again. “You wouldn’t get this from many other guy!” He threw his hands up in the air and shook his head gently out of sync with his singing. The Changeling Queen launched off the ground with tremendous force, desperate to escape the cheesy 80s music. But just like in real life, no one can truly escape. The Queen was stopped in midair after slamming into an apparently floating surface – a stage. She was frozen with fright. The singer stood center stage, twisting around a microphone stand and clapping his hands wildly. “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down.” He pointed downwards, and the Queen found herself plummeting to the ground. She flapped her wings desperately but to no avail. “Never gonna run around,” the voice carried from all directions, surrounding the plummeting Changeling Queen. “And desert you.” Just before she was smashed into the ground, she froze and was gently dropped onto her hooves. She was shaking violently, too scared to move. In front of her danced the legendary Rick Astley, as if he had been there all along. He stared straight into her eyes and spun around, clapping his hands loudly. “Never gonna make you cry,” he rubbed his fists by his eyes, mocking tears. His legs continued to sway, almost hypnotically. “Never gonna say goodbye!” He waved coyly and fluttered his eyebrows, a slight smile on his lips. “Never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.” And then, the music stopped. Chrysalis was surrounded by the sounds of silence. She stared blankly at the once singing 80s pop star, and blinked, confused. Rick Astley stared back, grinning. His slightly oversized suit jacket fluttered gently in a passing breeze. “S-so…” the mare started. “You aren’t going to… well, hurt me?” She tried to hide the caution in her voice, but failed. Rick Astley shook his head, still smiling. His face was gentle, kind. Queen Chrysalis was beyond relieved. It seemed her ordeal had finally ended – and without the inevitable butt-kicking she was owed. Now all she need was – “He may not hurt you.” A laughably high-pitched voice started sing-songly. “But I will!” Chrysalis turned around abruptly, to find Prince Adam standing directly in front of her, his hand reeled back in a tight fist. Surrounding him where the ponies, smiling at her crossly. “So I wake in the morning…” Rarity started, flicking her mane out of her eyes. “And ah’ step outside!” Applejack shouted triumphantly, grinning widely. “And I, um, take a deep breath…” Fluttershy added, cowering slightly at the attention. “And get reeeeeeeeeeeeeal high!” Pinkie Pie burst in, giggling madly. “And I scream at the top of my lungs.” Rainbow Dash shouted, placing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. “What’s going on?!” The group shouted in unison. Chrysalis blinked, dumfounded. It was all over. Prince Adam smiled and winked at her. His fist rocketed forward at unparalleled speeds and connected with massive force square in the Changeling Queen’s jaw. In what seemed like slow motion, the mare’s face twisted from the force, spit flying from her maw. For a moment afterwards she took a few dizzy steps, a dumb look on her face. The ponies watched her open her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The mare’s eyes scanned the group slowly, and she smiled. She fell forward and landed unconscious in a heap, a dazed smile plastered on her face. She was defeated, and Equestria was once again saved. Prince Adam turned to the group of ponies, smiling. The ponies all rushed him, hugging him and thanking him for once again helping in their time of need. Our hero returned each hug and slowly pulled away. The ponies could barely make out tears forming in the warrior Prince’s eyes. “Twenty-five years, and my life is still.” He started singing, his voice choking up slightly. A bright white portal began billowing out of thin air behind him. “Trying to get up that great big hill of hope.” “Prince Adam!” Applejack shouted, tears flowing down her face. She attempted to run toward him – she had to stop him from leaving – but was stopped by a hoof on her shoulder. Rarity shook her head. They had to let him go. Somewhere in the cosmos, he was needed. “For a destination.” Prince Adam flicked his hair one last time at the ponies and stepped through the portal, exiting Equestria once more. Applejack broke down on the spot, bawling at the loss of easily the coolest of the classic memes. Her friends gathered around her, surrounding her in a large hug. They all began to cry at the turn of events – a hard fought victory that almost ended in the destruction of Equestria. Had it not been for Prince Adam, the now unconscious Queen Chrysalis would undoubtedly be their new ruler. Their very way of life, if they had been spared, would never have been the same. It felt like hours had passed, and the ponies were still locked together – an unbreakable group with the strongest bond imaginable: friendship. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from the ground a few feet away. A shadow began to rise, slowly shambling to its hooves. The group broke their embrace and turned to find their very own Twilight Sparkle standing before them, a panicked look on her face. “Everypony! We have to stop Chrysalis!” she shouted, brushing a hoof through her dusty mane. Her eyes met those of her friends, waiting for any of them to respond. Did they not know the gravity of the situation?! The group of ponies looked at her, then back at each other. They all shrugged and went back into the friendly embrace, ignoring the lavender unicorn before them. Twilight spotted the unconscious Queen Chrysalis nearby, cartoonish stars and birds circled over her head. Twilight’s face twisted in confusion. “Wut?” THE END ............................................................................................................... Useless epilogue: “Pinkie Pie! Stop poking her with that stick!” Twilight Sparkle barked. The party pony did as she was told and turned to face her friends. “Sorry!” she started, giggling. “She just looked so peaceful!” Rarity stepped forward and glanced down at the dumb grin that lay plastered on the unconscious Chrysalis. “She does look rather serene. I bet she’s having a wonderful dream.” “I bet it’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash called from a gently hovering cloud. She herself looked ready to sleep. “Hmph.” Applejack snorted. “`Ah wonder…” Chrysalis’ eyes flittered open – or so she could have sworn. The pitch blackness that surrounded her betrayed no location or time. Chrysalis attempted to rise to her hooves, but found she could feel any sense of movement either. She just… was. “Did- did I die!?” she shouted into the surrounding void. Or at least, she thought she did. Her voice refused to carry, giving her an uncomfortable silence in return. Panic flooded her, waves of despair poured over the mare as she contemplated the events that led her to this the most petrifying of fates: pure nothingness. But as soon as it had started, the pure blackness bean to change – a low fog seemed to start billowing from nowhere, rising to fill her entire field of vision. Chrysalis attempted to focus her view through the haze and succeeded in making out a single structure that seemed to appear out of thin air. A tombstone… she thought to herself. Indeed the structure shared an uncanny resemblance. It appeared gray and cracked, the writing faded with age. Far too old to belong to her, she reasoned quickly. Of course, she had no concept of time, either. A low sound started – a tune. It was as if someone was playing a marimba, slowly at first but the beat began to speed up. It grew increasingly fast and the melody of a harpsichord started, accenting the silly tune playing. From behind the tombstone, a skull popped out, its skeletal grin aimed directly at Chrysalis. The head grew a body as it rose from behind, followed by three additional skeletons of equal size and spookiness. They swiftly swooped into formation, each standing shoulder length apart. And then it started. “Spooky scary skeletons, send shivers down your spine!” a disembodied voice sang while the skeletons grew oddly limp and swung back in forth in mid air. “Shrieking skulls will shock your soul, seal your doom tonight!” The skeletons grabbed hands and began to dance in a circle. And Chrysalis could do nothing but scream. (THE [REAL {KINDA}] END)