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// The Storm 
// Story: Lily Mare Do Well 
// by Hyper44 
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  Lily didn't know how much time had passed but it seemed like a life time had gone by. Her hero voice had long since faded so she knew when an hour had gone by. That was a long while ago. Just how long she didn't know because she had no other way of marking time. All she knew was that it had been quite a while. The creepy, haunting sounds of the monsters never ceased. All she had to do was sit and think and the biggest things on her mind was not what Lily wanted to think about at all. It was feeling quite cold in the underground cavern but she was pretty sure that it had nothing to do with the temperature. 

Lily's ears perked up as she finally she heard something that was not the usual footfalls of the beasts and their growls. If was faint but growing louder. She sighed and wanted to cry. That had to be those ponies celebrating their finished job. Lily's ears fell. She would not cry though. She would not cry! Lily took a deep breath as the sounds grew louder. 

It was quite a commotion, though and a lot of voices and pounding feet. Not only that but soon she made out shrikes and squeals from the beasts. That was no celebration! That was a battle going on out there and storming her way! Lily jumped up. The Elements of Harmony must have returned!

"Hurry! She has to be down here!"

Lily's ears stood up as she made out the words. The voice was familiar but not one of the six.

"Get out of my way you wrenched beast!" A female voice roared followed by a monster’s squeal.

Wait, that was the mare who sold tomatoes in the market place.

"You dirty excuse for a creature! You will not stop me!"

That was the voice of the chef who ran the only fancy restaurant in Ponyville. Lily strained her hears harder trying to make out more voices.

"Hungry? Eat this!"

That was Berryshine!

"First class delivery!"

Mrs. Hooves?

"HOW DARE YOU KIDNAP A FOAL YOU HEAPS OF WALKING VOMIT!!! YOU WILL FOREVER RUE THIS DAY!!!" An incensed voice roared.

Miss. Cheerilee?!!!

"The horror, the horror...that's going to come down on YOU!!!!!"

"YEAHHHH!!" Loud crashing a squeals of the monsters rang out in mass down the corridors.

"You’re going down! I mean you’re going downnnnn!"

Was that that Sassaflash, the dainty, always friendly to everyone pegasus?

"You ugly monsters! You don't stand a chance!"

That was Coco Crusoe.

"Out of my way or I've got the perfect flowers to use at your funeral!"

Daisy? Who knew that she could be so dark?

"Meet my lucky hoofs!"

Mr. Caramel?

"I'm here to take out the trash and I'm sorry but that happens to be you."

That was Ponyville's trash collector!

Lily's ears stood ramrod straight as she identified more and more voices. It sounded like all of Ponyville was storming the tunnels and wow were they storming it! Lily started hopping excitedly on the false ground as the noise closed in becoming a virtual thunder of pounding hoofs and voices. Through the hindered view of the bubble Lily saw what looked like a wave spilling through the entrance. Outside ponies filled the room pressing against the walls and standing shoulder to shoulder. 

“Don’t worry we’ll get you out of there Miss Mare Do Well,” Filthy Rich called out. He turned to serval unicorns lead by Lemon Hearts. “You know what to do.” In union they lit up their horns and fired at the bubble. Under the magic the bubble shuddered and expanded but stayed intact. Soon every unicorn in the room, in which there were plenty joined in. The bubble gave one last shudder and popped. As it vanished Lily fell in to the hoofs of Miss Cheerilee. She found herself staring at the faces of all of Ponyville’s resident adults and teens. All the ones who weren’t blocked by the mass of ponies in the front of the tightly packed crowd anyways. They were all staring at her as well.

“Lily?” Gasped Miss Cheerilee and many others. It was then that Lily remembered that she had taken off her mask. She just smiled and blushed.

“Lily! What do you mean Lily?!” The little mare shrank lower as the voice of her mother called out. “Lily Valley is back here near me! She’s too tall to be Little Mare Do Well anyway!”

“It’s…not Lily Valley. It’s your Lily.” Filthy Rich called back.

"What that can't be my Lily! How could she be Little Mare Do Well?"

"You better just come and see." Lemon Hearts called back to her but it was needless. The mare was already shoving her way through the crowd followed by her husband. The face of her mom and father came into view as the wriggled to the front of the crowd. They both stared slack jawed.

“Lily! You can’t be Little Mare Do Well,” Her mom finally stated. “She has super strength!”

“Yes, that’s me,” Lily replied slipping out of Cheerilee’s hoofs. She then lifted her teacher over her head.

“But…you…How…What…” her mom stammered.

“That’s my girl,” Her dad said.

Before Lily could try to explain a muffled snarl echoed from the tunnels. A monster stumbled past with a mail bag covering its head. The cross-eyed mailpony of Ponyville flew into view.

“We’d better get out of here. The tunnels are getting a bit shaky and stuff after all the commotion,” she announced.   “Yeah, get explanations later and get away from this black thing.” Holly Dash called from the middle of the room. “It’s freaking me out!”

“You’re not the only one!” Lucky Clover replied and ponies began to hurriedly file out of the room.

“You can tell us all about it later,” Lily’s father said putting her on his back and following.

“And it will need a lot of explaining.” Her mom added. bewilderment was still heavily evident on her face.

“Wait! Somepony grab that chest.” Lily called. “I don’t know what it is but that unicorn said that it could defeat that thing in the sphere. We can give it to Princess Twilight and maybe she can figure it out.”

Two ponies picked it up by the handles and carried behind Lily and her family. Soon everypony was out of the room. The black mass was swirling faster inside the sphere. It was practically thrashing and a slow crack began creeping up the side of sphere.