//------------------------------// // Surrender // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- Off The Record // by The King of Hearts //------------------------------// //// Surrender //// Pinkie walked down the darkening path in the Everfree Forest alone, her mind wander to all sorts of places that she knew it shouldn’t. Most of her friends had gone through this scary transformation, and every time one of their dark sides would pop up, she would breathe a sigh of relief that it hadn’t been her, and then put on the happiest smile she could. But her time was coming. And she knew it. “Maybe I’m making it happen…” Pinkie said aloud to herself, and whatever woodland critter may have been within earshot, “If I just get jealous, and lonely enough, she’ll probably pop right out at me.” But, as much as she tried to force it, it simply didn’t happen. It made her wonder what the trigger would finally be. Spotting the hole in the ground that she could have easily fallen through, Pinkie took a sharp right, and headed down a small slope, and then in to a small cave. The darkness inside the cavern was something she had expected, and after a short walk through it, she started to see a soft light brightening the walls around her. “Finally. Lets just get this over with…” //// “This just ain’t workin’!” Applejack huffed, trying to cast any kind of magic spell, “How was it so easy for ya’ Fluttershy?” “Well, I don’t know…” She shrugged, looking at her wings as they glowed a dark pink at her whim, “The magic just goes here!” “I think it has something to do with your strengths,” Alex said, trying to make sense of the magic himself. “No,” Dash shook her head instantly, “It’s not strength, it’s features! Unicorns use their horns, pegasi use their wings, and earth ponies use… well, I’m not sure.” “You guys are strong, right? Just… focus on that?” Alex said, scratching the back of his head, having no more to offer. “Wonderful.” AJ said flatly. “Just think magic thoughts, and applebuck something!” Rarity offered. “Magic thoughts?” She asked with a frown and an eyebrow raised. “Happy thoughts?” Fluttershy added. “Aw, buck this.” She said, frustrated that she couldn’t get the magic working properly, “Ah’m goin’ home to get some work done.” “Applejack, just wait!” Dash said, swiftly flying in front of the mare, “I think it’s just tough for you, because you’re literally the first earth pony in like- a thousand years to be doing this kind of stuff.” Applejack sighed and averted her gaze. “I don’t know what’s going to trigger it, but try to just… explore yourself,” Dash said cryptically, not knowing what she was really saying, “Concentrate on different parts of your body, relax yourself… You’ll know it’s working when it happens. Just let your energy run freely within you.” “Ya’ sound like a hippie,” Applejack said, before giving a small smile, “But ah’ll take yer’ advice.” “Thanks,” Dash smiled, “I’ll come around later and help you figure it out. I know you’re not big on everypony seeing Fluttershy beat you at something.” “…is it that obvious?” She asked, looking past Dash to the ponies behind her, a little embarrassed. “Na,” Dash shook her head with a smile, “I just know you well enough to recognize it.” “Well, thank’ya kindly fer’ the offer.” Applejack said, turning back toward her farm as she began walking away, “Just come around whenever works.” “Alright,” Dash said, turning back to everypony else and headed back to them. “Is she okay?” Alex asked, looking past Dash to the leaving mare. “Oh yeah,” Dash nodded, “just has a lot of work to get done.” //// On her way back to the farm, Applejack noted something odd along the treeline of the Everfree Forest. Something… pink. “Hey, Pinkie, is that you?” She called, seeing the pink figure look her direction. As soon as their eyes met, the pink figure bolted back in to the trees, as if it had been seen by a predator. “What the hay?” She muttered to herself, looking back and forth for somepony she could ask about the pony in the forest, but found herself alone, “Geez… talk about creepy.” Deciding not to give it any more thought, Applejack headed back on her path. Pinkie was always doing crazy stuff like this. It really wasn’t anything she needed to get up in arms about. //// “I think I’ll have some fun with her first…” Invisible to any eyes but her own, she watched as a dozen magical strings fell from the sky and effortlessly wrapped themselves around Applejack’s body, something Applejack herself didn’t even notice as she kept walking back to her home. “Enjoy your night… I’ll be calling on you soon.” //// Discord’s eyes snapped open, as he felt a massive dark vibration pass through his body. “Something’s not right.” He said, looking around Celestia’s chamber from the hammock he had set up against her will. “What’s not right?” Celestia asked, looking up from the book she had been reading over from her bed. “Something’s twisting my magic…” He muttered, enough worry in his tone to give Celestia pause, “Nopony’s ever been able to do that before.” “Is it… what we’ve been getting ready for?” Celestia asked, dropping her book and getting out of bed to approach him, “The entity you’ve been warning us about?” “No.” Discord said instantly, “I think it’s that pink pony and her… evil side.” “Chaotic side.” Celestia corrected, relaxing somewhat as she let out a sigh of relief, “Remember, these are real parts of the girls.” “Not this.” Discord shook his head, “This is darker than any of them. This is… twisted.” “How can that be possible?” Celestia asked, wincing at the incredibly strange news, “Especially coming from Pinkie!” Discord didn’t answer, nor did he even turn his gaze to meet Celestia’s. “Should we go check up on them?” She asked, “I can take us—“ “Nope,” Discord said, jumping up in the air, as his hammock appeared below for him to fall in to, as if all of his problems had simply vanished, “The girls can take care of themselves. Besides, don’t you think it would be humiliating for Pinkie to be the only one to need help from you?” “I… suppose.” Celestia said slowly, bewildered by his sudden change in mood, “But Rarity did get our—“ “Just relax and get some shut eye,” Discord said, closing his own eyes and resting his arms behind his head, “I’m sure they’ll have their problems resolved by morning.” “Alright…” Celestia said, still unconvinced by his sudden mood swing, “But I’d like to head down there in the morning. Just to make sure everything is alright.” “Deal.” He said, listening as she climbed back in to her bed, silently hoping that his pounding heart wasn’t loud enough for her to hear. “I hope you don’t intend to stay here in that hammock.” Celestia said, blowing out her reading candle and settling down in her bed. “I won’t stay in the hammock.” Discord said, teleporting himself next to the princess and instantly wrapping his arms around her, “We can share the bed!” //// The next thing Discord knew, he was teleported out of the bedroom, and dropped in to one of the many fountains scattered throughout Canterlot. Despite the humor of the situation, he couldn’t bring himself to smile over it. “I’ll just have to go see what’s going on for myself.” Discord said aloud, standing up from the fountain, as water poured from his fur back to the pool he now stood in, “The last thing I need is that pink mare killing her friends.” ////