Chapter 2: Ponyville
“This is gonna be totally awesome!”
Ponyville.
Of all the places, of all the worlds, of all the galaxies, solar systems, universes, alternate dimensions and planets he could’ve been sent to. He gets sent to a world with sentient animals, that have been described to be anything but mythical on earth.
“Ponyville?” Ben said still digesting what the bubblegum earth pony had just said.
“That’s right” Pinkie stated her erratic grin still live.
Ben took a second to digest this strange and seemingly bizarre name. He then looked up staring at the yellow and cyan colored pegasi floating above him. Then looked to his left, the unicorn and winged unicorn were sitting beside his bed staring at him with warm friendly looks. Then to his right, the country earth pony that reminded him all too well of Texas. Finally he looked back at the energetic earth pony that was still beaming at him, from the edge of his bed frame.
“So...you all talk?” he asked rather dumbly.
Pinkie Pie, still smiling replied “Of course you silly, is that a surprise?”
In Ben’s lifetime he’d seen a lot of things that surprised him. The omnitrix was his first. The world nearly being destroyed on multiple occasions, being a major frequent one. The universe being blown up by a single push of a button on a meagerly sized box that could fit into his pockets was another one, one that only happened once. The fact he had to recreate that entire universe with an alien, potentially making him god (now that he thought about it), could probably go into his list of unexpected events. So generally, yes, this was a surprise for the indomitable hero. He’d seen, done and been through much worse, but he’d never seen anything like this before. Magical creatures, real magical creatures, was a whole new level for him.
“So that’s what he meant when he said by I wouldn’t be alone” he murmured.
“I’m sorry?” Twilight asked, looking slightly confused.
“Nothing” he said taking in his surroundings.
Looking around now Ben could see that the boutique he was now in was well designed, having an arrayment of colors that made everything look refreshing and almost subliminal.
“Nice place” he commented.
“Why thank you” Rarity replied, with a prideful smile. “I did the decor myself.”
“You did a nice job, I think Gwen would be-” he froze, the stream of events that had happened hours ago suddenly forcing their way back into his head.
“Gwen...Kevin...” his hooves dug into the sheets, tightly.
The group of ponies noticing their guests sudden change of behavior almost instantly jumped at the chance to try and cheer him up.
Pinkie Pie switching things to a lighter subject upon realizing the names of the two people mentioned were a rather fragile topic for the flash white stallion.
“Hey I have an idea why don’t we go on a tour through Ponyville?” Pinkie said managing a fairly happy smile in an attempt to lighten the mood, it seemed to work, if only just a bit.
“Yeah” Ben took a deep breath and sighed. “Sure why not.”
“Great” Pinkie said hopping onto the bed, causing it to shake and launch Ben up into the air. “You’re going to have so much fun! Promise!” she said in between giggles.
Ben was too busy trying to make sure he didn’t fall of the bed to respond, luckily for him though the white unicorn with the rather lavish hair stopped her as, her horn became caked in a blue glow. Leaving the bubblegum pony suspended in the air allowing Ben to land on the bed with a flop, now that the riveting had ceased the flash white pony slowly eased himself off the bed only to fall flat on his face, then topple over and lay on his back.
Rainbow Dash let out a small laugh floating above Ben as he lay face up scowling at this new alien form he’d been trapped in. “You okay?” the rainbow maned pegasus asked, with a smug grin and a raised brow.
“Just fine” he replied through gritted teeth.
Twilight let out a giggle of her own, “Here let me help you up” feeling a sensation surround his body, Ben felt his body suddenly illuminate in a light lavender glow then with an instant he disappeared and reappeared, standing straight up.
“Teleportation?” he asked gathering his surroundings as his eyes swam before he shook his head to settle himself.
“Yup” Twilight said with a smile.
“Cool” he replied sending a slight grin of his own.
“So Pinkie Pie we doing this tour or what?” Rainbow Dash asked, from above.
The pink pony known as Pinkie Pie nodded, still suspended in the air, that is till Twilight released her magical grip on her. Landing on the straw mattress, jumping and doing a back flip Ben had only seen skilled acrobatics do at circuses the boy stared slightly surprised that the horse had been able to pull such a feat and land on her hooves with such ease.
“Yup yup yup! Follow me!” she sang hopping towards Rarity’s exit.
The six mares began trotting towards the door, Ben however remained where he was. The yellow pegasus that had been floating above him now landed to his side and asked in a very angelic, sweet voice “What’s wrong?”
Ben let out a small smile, “I’m still grasping how to control this body is all” he said the pegasus looking confused decided to play along with what she had just heard.
“Uh um okay? Well um here it’s easy. You just take one hoof up at a time” she instructed as she walked ahead of him the others waiting by Rarity’s door.
“No problem” Ben said with a slight smile, he’d dealt with this before. Wildmutt had been just as easy to control once he got used to the body so this wouldn’t be a problem, was his reasoning.
Taking it slow Ben moved one hoof at a time, within a matter of seconds (not to his surprise) he was walking, then running with ease. “Alright, where to?” he asked turning to the group that had patiently waited for him to finish his little challenge.
“Well” Pinkie began only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash, who continued to hover above Ben as the former human made his way out of the boutique joining the others outside.
“How bout we get something to eat? I’m hungry, sides I’m sure our new guest is just as hungry considering he’s been asleep all this time.”
“Yeah, actually I am” Ben said for the first time noticing his hunger since awakening.
“Delightful, we can show you around, while we head out for lunch” Rarity suggested.
“Sounds good to me” Ben replied.
Pinkie Pie jumped with joy, “This is going to be so much fun!”
“Whoa” Ben said as he and the others exited a restaurant after their lunch.
“So many multicolored horses” he said in clear amazement.
“Uh ponies” Applejack corrected.
“Yeah, ponies” he replied absentmindedly, watching unicorn after pegasi after earth pony roam or fly about.
“Well I suppose with you guys you rarely have anything bad happening here huh?” he asked as they followed a bouncing Pinkie Pie to Sugarcube Corner.
“Oh you have no idea” Pinkie chirped.
“Do I now? Please enlighten me” Ben said a wry grin gently worming it’s way on his face.
“Well there was the time we faced off against Nightmare Moon and lost our ruler in one day” Twilight said.
“Nightmare who?” Ben asked, that sounded like the coolest yet slightly corniest name he’d ever heard.
“She’s Princess Celestia’s sister. Her real name is Princess Luna, long story short stuff happened between them, sister went A-wall, got banished, came back, and attempted to plunge the world in eternal darkness” Rainbow Dash said now floating upside down as she told Ben the events that had happened sooo many months ago.
“But we saved her” Applejack added.
“Then there was Discord” Pinkie Pie joined in once again, waving every now and then to the other ponies that passed by.
“Yeah he was...difficult” Fluttershy said in a low tone.
“I’ll say” Applejack said rolling her eyes. “That happened about, what? two months after Nightmare Moon?”
“Yeah, the guy turned Ponyville and almost the rest of the world into his playground” Rainbow Dash said tossing her head back in a manner that allowed her mane to float out of her eyes.
“Really?” Ben said almost sounding incredulous.
“Eyup” Applejack said.
“How’d he do that?”
“He’s the embodiment of chaos” Twilight stated casually as they all passed by Ben who had now come to a complete stop.
“The embodiment of chaos?” he asked his tone flat, skeptical and questioning. “You’re telling me you faced off against the element of chaos in a one-on er six match and won?” he asked from his vantage point.
“Well we didn’t win immediately” Applejack said rubbing the back of her neck. “It took us a while to actually win. He beat us almost every step of the way.”
“Hmm” Ben said still standing in place. “Alright, yeah I can believe that” he said once again moving and following the others.
“What else is there? Oh yes! There was that Sombra fellow, I must say the stallion surely was uncouth but he sure knew how to accessorize” Rarity said with a slight smile, earning the disapproving head shake from Applejack and Rainbow Dash and roll of the eyes of Twilight.
“Sombra? As in a Sombrero?” he asked.
Rarity giggled. “Course not, he was a powerful unicorn that lived a thousand years ago, banished by Princess Celestia and Luna, locked away his own kingdom, returned to continue his tyrannical reign but was ultimately beaten in the end” she summed up.
“And you’re telling me you guys beat him by yourselves” clear skepticism in his voice.
“Well no, Spike took care of that one, with Princess Cadence”, seeing the confused look Ben gave she added “Spike’s a dragon my assistant and Princess Cadence is my sister-in-law, Princess of Love.”
“Hmm I see” the hero said rubbing the back of his neck as he could now see what looked to be a building made out of candy.
“Wait you have a dragon as your assistant?!” Twilight’s words now connecting.
“Well he’s not as big as I think you’re imagining. He’s a baby dragon.”
“Oh” he said his shoulders dropping, in slight disappointment.
“Then there was Tirek, that fella sure knew how to suck the essence out of ya” Applejack continued.
“I agree, Discord betraying us didn’t help either” Rarity said with a bit of resentment in her voice.
“He apologized for that profusely remember” Fluttershy reminded them.
“Still stings” Rainbow Dash admitted.
“Anyway!” Twilight said changing the topic “After we beat the guy who could absorb all the magic in Equestria, things seemed to settle down a bit.”
“Wait you can absorb magic?” Ben asked perplexed.
“Well yes and no”, Twilight said.
Better make sure Kevin doesn’t get a taste of that, if the omnitrix scrambled his marbles twice I’d hate to see what would happen if he absorbed magic Ben thought, but soon tensed up. Remembering the unconscious bodies of his friend and cousin being hurled into a vortex of doom, sent a deep tinge of guilt through him. Just when Ben was feeling like he needed to rethink his priorities Pinkie Pie popped up next to him.
“We’re hereeee” she sang, casting a hoof in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, now in full view. Ponies were shuffling in and out of the bakery home.
“You live in a house made out of candy?” he asked amused. It seemed fitting for the energetic earth pony.
“Duh! It’s amazing!” she exclaimed confetti flying everywhere.
“So what did we come here for exactly?” he asked as they began trotting up the steps into the bakery.
“I thought it’d be a great idea to introduce you a bit so I’m going to introduce-” she disappeared in a blur and popped back out with a surprised and slightly confused Mr. and Mrs. Cake. “The Cakes!” she said then quickly added “Oh and Pound and Pumpkin” the unicorn and pegasi filly’s floating towards Pinkie.
Mr. Cake looked back at Pinkie who gave him a reassuring gesture to say something. “Hi, um I’m Mr.Cake” he said awkwardly, then raising a hoof as a friendly gesture.
Not really sure how he was supposed to shake hands with Mr.Cake, Ben stared at the hoof and then decided to end up with a hoof bump. “Ben, nice to meet you Mr. & Mrs.Cake.” Mrs. Cake merely offered a sweet smile and nod and Mr. Cake did the same. Pound and Pumpkin now left Pinkie’s company to inspect their new visitor.
Watching the two foals float towards him was, pretty adorable. If he still had his hands Ben would’ve loved to hug them, but instead settled for a warm smile which merely made the two twins goo and ga with joy.
“Alright you two let’s head back inside mommy’s got orders she needs to fill” Mrs.Cake said as Pinkie held the door open for the twins to zoom through, Pound doing a little loop as he entered and Pumpkin deciding to phase through the wall and meet her brother upstairs.
“It was nice meeting you Ben, Pinkie likes making new friends and all and can be pretty energetic” the cerulean mare said in an almost hushed voice, “Try not to let her wear you out before the day’s over” she advised with a smile before turning around and heading inside. Mr.Cake giving Ben a friendly nod before following his wife inside as well.
Once the cakes had returned to their business and Pinkie had taken a few cupcakes for the road, Ben turned towards his new companions. “So where to next?”
The city was in shambles. Bellwood forest being a desolate wasteland of its previously wondrous image. Debris were still scattered everywhere and smoke rose from various areas around the city, the citizens now picking themselves up and trying to manage as best they could. Sitting atop a pile of debris, his voices all almost in sync with the dominant voice above them the armor clad being had two beings suspended in front of him.
One wore a hawaiian shirt, kankey jeans, his hair white from old age and most likely years of stress that his double life standards had put on him. The other wore top-of-the-notch plumber tech. His breathing slow, steady. Pieces of his armor broken, he was bleeding from the forehead and had several small cuts around his arms and one laceration against the side of his rib cage.
“Revonnahgander, your world’s judgement shall come soon enough” the voices stated. “I have no business with your kind, yet” the dominant voice of Count Down said, each of his meager voices echoing the last word in return.
“I am a plumber Protocol 1Z of Book 24# -” he was cut off as tape slammed itself out of thin air firmly silencing the drabble of the alien. Count Down turned his attention to the old man.
“Max Tennyson, why do you not struggle?” he asked already knowing the answer that would come.
“Because Ben’s out there” Max replied his voice confident, calm. “And not just him but Gwen and Kevin are out there to. Somewhere, someway they’ll find a way. They always do, more importantly” a cocky grin forming on his face. “they’ll be here to take care of you. Just like they always have.”
The alien clad in his dark blue and gold striped armor did not reply, he merely stared at the old man his sapphire green eyes, piercing into him as he studied him in utter silence.
“And what makes you think they will return?” the voices asked.
“Because they will. They always come through” Max said his smug grin, never faltering.
A few more seconds of silence, then Count Down said in his monotone, drab and emotionless voice. “Your faith in your kin, is strong... How admirable. It is to bad you will have to see them die before you do.”
Max Tennyson’s grin slowly faded into a dark prim stare. “We’ll just see about that.”
Silence ensued between the two once more as Max stared into those sapphire green eyes, that looked back at him with no sign of emotion, no sign of care, no sign of feeling. They were empty. Or at least to Max’s best observation appeared that way.
Turning his attention back to the blue alien now making nothing but sounds of muffled noise, the armored beast snapped his fingers a clicking sound echoing and with a poof the tape that had magically bound the plumber soldier in silence was gone.
“You may speak Ravonnahganderian” the dominant voice stated.
“My name is Rook!” the blue alien snapped. “And you say that you will be able to deliver judgement on all worlds. But I say you won’t!” the alien side with conviction, his body practically limp by the force that bound him suspended in the air.
“And what makes you say that ganderian?” the voices asked, as the eyes behind the mask continued to stare with little to no interest.
“Ben, will stop you! We will stop you! And-” the giant raised his hand for silence and Rook being smart, complied immediately.
“It is sad is it not? That you mortals rely, on one boy to shoulder all of your burdens. Well that is a mistake, for you rely on three mere beings that were lucky enough by chance or fate to be given the powers they have now. Of course you Ravonnahganderian have done your share in saving this world, this galaxy, this universe. But” the voices echoed before continuing.
“You all put faith in a dying star, that will be swallowed by a massive wormhole” the voices said echoing each word, that sent a chill down Rook’s spine. “If you so believe that you and your friends will be able to overcome this why don’t you join them?” the dominant voice said, and as he said so a portal formed directly behind Rook, sucking in bits and pieces of his armor, his gadgets, and then his valued weapon the Proto-tool.
Rook remained unshaken, his eyes radiating every bit of conviction he had the day he had decided to become a plumber and enrolled in the plumber academy. “I accept” he simply said, no amount of disrespect or doubt in his voice. If this was his next mission. He would gladly take it. After all, Ben was his partner and his friend.
Count Down merely stared at the alien, in silence. That silence was broken as a rousing laugh escaped the giant beasts helmet, his shoulders moving up and down in slow motion as each and every voice echoed the dominant one’s raucous laugh.
“It never ceases to amuse me” his voice slowly leaving jovial to flatness once again. “how much conviction every species has in it’s own way. Very well” he said. The portal now showing remnants of the very same images Ben had, had in his own portal. “Go to him, meet your partner in arms. And face the challenges that await you Ravonnahganderian, but know this. You fail. And your world will be next.”
Rook gulped, the burning flame of rage in his heart, clenching his sweat cut hands as they lay within the tattered plumber gloves he had he felt the essence that had been supporting him in the air disappear.
THUD
He barely managed to land on his feet as he rolled off, some of the debris of the building that Count Down now used as his throne.
Slowly rising to his feet Rook looked at the portal, then at Max Tennyson. “I’ll bring him back. I promise I’ll bring them all back.” Max merely nodded his confident smile reappearing.
“Go” Max said. And that’s what he did.
Limping his way to the portal Rook stepped in, Count Down’s sapphire green eyes glenning, the portal closed and then nothing.
“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!” Applejack said with a holler. “You won’t find any better tasting apples anywhere but here!” she said crossing her forehooves together with a content smile.
“Wow” Ben commented. He’d seen a lot of open fields with his grandpa and Gwen during their trips on summer vacation, but this was something else. The fields looked amazing.
“And you said your family built this place from the ground up?” he asked as the orange earth pony handed him an apple.
“Eyup” a red stallion he had been told went by the name Big Mac replied with a smile.
“Nice” he said with a whistle, then bit into the fruit. It. Was. Delicious. Ben never knew an apple could taste so good till he had one of Applejack’s and even then he was still amazed at how delicious it was.
“Oh- Oh man” he said, his mouth watering as he quickly took another bite. “This is so good.”
Applejack’s grin merely widened “Thank you.”
Pinkie Pie was now trotting up and was about to say something till. It happened. That tingling sensation Pinkie gets every now and then at spontaneous moments, in times of either danger or random chance.
Pinkie sense.
Her body immediately spazzing in a rather cartoonic manner, Pinkie’s body ballooned up, deflated, legs spasmed, twitched and shook till she landed back on the ground without a sound. She looked just as shocked as Applejack did, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy drawing near after helping Big Mac haul in a pile of apples.
“Um what just happened?” Ben asked confused.
“Pinkie Pie sense” Applejack said ghastly, her eyes darting all over.
“What?” Ben asked still confused.
“Did you just say PINKIE PIE SENSE?!” Rainbow Dash said zooming in and grabbing Applejack by the face as she stared with everything that defined panic in her eyes.
Applejack nodded, and almost instantly the rest of the group rushed over next to Pinkie leaving Ben to stare bewildered.
“What was it? Is something going to fall from the sky?” Twilight asked hiding behind the bubblegum earth pony.
“Is someone in danger?” Rarity asked her voice filled with worry.
Chattering and more chattering occurred, as Ben stared confused and slowly annoyed that his question was going ignored. “Hey!” he exclaimed drawing the disturbed group’s attention.
“What the heck is Pinkie Sense?” he asked tapping his hoof impatiently.
“It’s when Pinkie, gets well a twitch of some kind. They’re random. It happens at anytime but every time they do happen it means something awful or unexpected is coming” Twilight explained, her eyes scanning the skies for any falling pianos.
“Okay?” Ben said slightly skeptical, but then again he had a cousin that could literally control energy so who was he to judge on whims.
“What did” he waved his hoof around Pinkie’s body. “All that mean?”
Pinkie was biting her lower lip. “Well, I don’t know. This one means something unexpected is going to happen.”
Gee thanks Ben thought with a snort. “Alright alright. Well no worries, we’ll just have to wait and see won’t we?” he said confidently.
“But-” Pinkie protested.
“No worries I’ve got this. Plus with what you guys have told me you’ve been through, this should be a walk in the park” he said shrugging. “So where to next?” he asked.
The mares all looked at each other. Slowly and cautiously they all separated, Pinkie once again taking the lead. “To Twilight’s castle.”
*** ****** ***
A portal closed, somewhere deep within the depths of the Everfree forest, it was raining as a figure carrying an umbrella with a upside down canopy floated towards a huddled up shadow that lay against a tree trunk as the droplets of water splashed against their fur.
The being carrying the strange umbrella stared at the two figures. “Well well well?” he said in surprise, as he felt another shiver travel up his body.
“So this is where that magical disturbance came from” he said his toothy grin, leering over the unconscious bodies of the figures. “Looks like Discord, just made some new friends” Discord said as lightning struck behind him, a slight dribble of water splashing onto one of the figure’s faces.
With a slight grunt the steel colored stallion with black night hair slowly looked up blinking his grey eyes. “Who the heck are you?” the stallion asked, trying to muster as much fear inducement he could in his weakened state.
“I’m Discord, and who are you my young lost friends?” the draconequus said offering him a card, which the stallion rejected.
Looking around and taking in his surroundings the stallion almost instantly tried to get up, but couldn’t because something was weighing him down. Staring at the creature laying next to him the stallion’s grey eyes widened before softening, he turned to look at Discord his original hardened expression more relaxed.
“Well?” Discord said waiting patiently as he allowed his hoofed leg to wave freely crossed atop his other leg.
Taking one more look back at the creature laying against his body the grey stallion sighed.
“Name’s Kevin. Kevin Levin. And I need your help.”