Ponyvania

by Slycoopertr

Confusion, Evil, & Chaos

I’m telling you NO!

“Oh come on, it would be fun!” Pinkie said hopping up and down.

Giant robots and explosions do not make a good ending, besides how can there be those things when you ponies don’t have technology even close to that stuff?

“Then how about a love scene?”

THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE!

“Neither does Twilight turning into a ghost”

Oh come on that was perfect. At least I can explain it...wait a minute. This is- PINKIE, please get out of my thoughts.

“Fine Grumpy McGrumperton”

“Pinkie you have been hopping with your eyes closed for a while now, what can you possibly be thinking about?” Twilight asked the bouncing pony.

“Nothing…still doesn’t make sense” Pinkie mumbled. And yes it does!

The ponies were walking in the tunnel that had appeared in the ballroom and had been trotting for 10 minutes. The tunnel looked like it was carved out and smoothed, reflecting a dim, black and blue light from an unknown source. All that could be seen in front and behind them was the ground, the curved walls and endless path.

“We’ve been walking this for 10 minutes, this castle is big, but it shouldn’t be this big. What the hay is going on?!” Rainbow shouted out.

“She’s right” Rarity added. “We would’ve come across something if we were walking in a straight line”

“Hmm, I have an idea” Twilight said “Rainbow, can you fly ahead?”

“Of course!” Rainbow said, ready to stretch her wings.

Rainbow trotted in front of the ponies, leapt forward and started flapping her wings fast and sped off. Right after Rainbow flew off at her usual dashing speed Twilight saw a small blip above her, at first she thought it was just the tunnel’s reflective light, but the blip stayed there for a while longer than any normal reflection. After 10 seconds of flying, Rainbow came across three figures in the distance. She picked up her speed to catch the objects only to find a bright pink hopping towards her before she could slow down.

“HI DASHIE!!” Pinkie yelled slamming into Rainbow Dash.

The two crashed into the ground near the rest of the ponies. Applejack trotted over to the two moaning ponies with rarity to help them up.

“I feared this would happen” Twilight sighed. “Girls, we have dark magic at hand and we aren’t getting out easily.”

“Well, now what?” Applejack asked groaning with a scowl.

“Easy there AJ, no need to get upset.” Rainbow said comforting her friend. “We’ll get out of here in a dash”

Pinkie pie looked above her. “Really?” Well I thought it was funny

Applejack still had a scowl on her face.

“Twilight, how do we get out of here, I think this tunnel is getting to all of us.” Rarity asked.

Applejack hung her head down.

“Yeah, I reckon I’m not helpin’ much neither” Applejack admitted, but then brought her head up in a jolt with new found confidence.

Twilight, ignoring her friends for a while, began thinking of every different possible way to escape the endless vortex. Then she remembered the blip in the tunnel just after Rainbow Dash took off. It couldn’t be a…could it?

“Alright, so how ARE we getting out of here, Twil-“Applejack began to say.

“I GOT IT!!!” Twilight shouted with glee. “Rainbow, come over here quick!”

Everypony jumped a bit at the sudden outburst. Rainbow did as instructed. But stopped for a second.

“Wait,” Rainbow asked. “Why should I? You’re just using your…uh tele-whatsit?”

“Oh, just do it. Makes me feel better anyway.” Twilight mumbled to herself.

Twilight explained her plan, giving in depth detail at first then dumbed down her intellectual speak to something that Rainbow would understand better if not at all.

“Twilight, are you sure this is going to work?” Rainbow asked.

“In truth, I really don’t know, but would you rather just stay here?” Twilight countered

“…fine”

Everypony besides Rainbow stood by the walls around them leaving a bit of wide area in the middle of the tunnel. Rainbow took a deep breath then looked straight in front of her, eyeing the bluish darkness intensely. Her mind focused on the tunnel and she took off flying straight in the middle of it. After a few seconds she saw her friends reappear and disappear. She started gaining speed and seeing her friends come and go faster and faster. She could feel the strain on her body and the stale air resistance growing larger. 20 seconds (or what felt like 20 minutes) later she saw three things happen very fast, the cone, the boom, and a small portal that broke open. She aimed for the portal on her next go around and shot through it landing head first into a bloody stone wall. The cyan Pegasus was out at soon as she hit it.

The small portal that Rainbow made started to expand over the tunnel slowly getting rid of the darkness around Applejack, rarity and Pinkie pie (and technically Twilight as well). Within a minute the darkness was gone and the tunnel revealed two exits; one going back to ballroom and the other to a cold area that reeked of blood and death. Three ponies exited the tunnel to find a knocked out Rainbow on the ground and a single hallway going left. The hallway (much like the tunnel) was darkened and seemed to go on forever only with a multitude of bones scattered around the floor and in the walls.

“How in Tartarus did you know that was going to work?” Applejack asked Twilight

“It was easy once I saw it was an alter-portal. See, when an alter-portal attracts too much energy from something too fast it can cause a minor crack in its structure. Once that crack is made, one can use the amount of energy accumulated, in this case Rainbow’s sonic rainboom, to destroy the portal system completely “Twilight noticed the confused faces and complete silence. “What?”

“Twilight dear, that’s very interesting, but how did you know what to do?” Rarity asked.

Twilight mentally face-hoofed and gave a groaning “never mind”.

“Well if you’re all done there we have a problem on our hooves” Applejack said walking over to Rainbow.

“Oh, right” Rarity said giving an embarrassed smile. “How do you suppose we carry her?

“Ah’ll take care of that” Applejack said almost proudly. “Rarity, umm, a little help?”

“OH OH, I WANT TO HELP TOO” Pinkie shouted out. She hopped over to rainbow, got under her and threw her on Applejack’s back perfectly. “Alright, let’s get to it!” Pinkie shouted while bouncing down the hallway leaving two dumbfounded ponies and one knocked out one.

Applejack and rarity followed Pinkie down the bone-filled walkway noticing that the skeletons were beginning to grow in numbers…and move.

“Pinkie, would you mind slowing down a bit? My hooves are getting achy” Rarity complained.”

Before Pinkie could reply a horde of Skeletons came to life around them. Applejack set Rainbow down telling Rarity to protect her then took her whip and immediately began her onslaught. Applejack wasn’t too used to smaller areas yet and almost hit rarity once or twice. Pinkie Pie also helped by shooting everything near her with her signature party cannon…where in Equestria does she keep that thing?

“I told you I never leave home without it” Pinkie said plainly…Yes I know that but…you know what forget it, and no more fourth wall breaks, the readers are already getting sick of them.

Pinkie began to cry for no reason after blasting a pack of three skeletons into a wall. Rarity noticed and galloped over to her

“Pinkie Pie! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Rarity asked concerned.

“The author is mean!” Pinkie said through sobs.

“I’m sorry who?”

“He won’t let me have any fun”

“Darling really, those voices aren’t anything”

“And I didn’t even want to be a werepie!” …sigh…sorry pinkie it just fit the mood “Nah I’m just kidding, I just wanted to talk to you again”…Daww thanks…break ALL the fourth walls!

Pinkie immediately jumped and yelled out in excitement and continued bouncing on skeletons. Rarity still had no idea what was going on.

The battle ended with the final skeleton having its spine snapped with Applejack’s whip. Seeing that there were no more enemies, Applejack put Rainbow on her back with the help of Rarity and continued walking down the hallway along with Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

“I don’t feel too well” Twilight thought.

“What’s wrong sugarcube?” Applejack asked in her thoughts walking slightly ahead of the others for privacy.

“Something about this place is…weird.”

“What do ya mean?”

“Well, I felt the dread and pain of others as soon as we starting walking down here. But it’s not just that. There is magic everywhere here.”

“But you’re full of magic and the magic over at the tunnel didn’t make you sick.”

“This magic is different, it fills the air with a sense of hopelessness. I’ve never read anything about this in any of my books.”

“That probably just means that we have to get going faster” Applejack thought with a grin. “Besides whatever’s out there doesn’t stand a chance against…Did it just get cold?” Applejack said that out loud turning to her friends.

“Not really darling” Rarity said with a confused look on her face. “Although I must admit that I’d prefer…oh” She walked closer to Applejack and felt the cold sweep over her. She shivered a bit, both at the cold and the shock of the sudden change.

“I want to try!” Pinkie said bouncing over to them. “Oooo it’s like an alternate universe!” Pinkie bounced behind. “This is hot and this is cold. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold” Pinkie said bouncing from one side to the other. She gasped. “What if I stand in the middle?” She did so. Her front portion was cold, the back was hot. “I feel like a hay pocket” Pinkie giggled.

“Pinkie, ‘nuff with your shenanigans we got work to do.” Applejack said chuckling a little.

“Oh let her have her fun.” Rarity said. “I mean at least she isn’t singing another one of her-“

“Hey girls, you know what this reminds me of? A son-“ Pinkie started only to have an orange hoof in her mouth.

“Not now Pinkie” Applejack said in a calm and serious voice.

“Ookie doki loki!” Pinkie replied happily.

The hallway led into a dungeon that had a rather large open floor with what looked like cells on the right. On the wall in front of them was a giant picture of a graveyard. Applejack could almost feel Twilight cringe under the amount of dark magic in the room. Applejack felt something move on her back.

“Well, look who decided to join the party” Applejack said with a smirk.

“PARTY?! Where, where???” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly while hopping around.

“Where am I” Rainbow groaned taking a look around the room. “I feel like I just went to one of Pinkie’s after parties.”

“Well you flew out of the portal area and set us free dearie” Rarity said intervening. “You also flew straight into a stone wall.”

“Oh, is that all?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

She lifted herself off of Applejack’s back and slumped to the floor which brought her face to face with a skeleton head. Rainbow left out a yelp that filled the room.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” A small and feeble voice asked from a cell on the right.

Everypony knew that calm and squeaking sound. They rushed towards the cell and saw a yellow Pegasus with long, pink hair lying on the ground with tears in her eyes.

Fluttershy woke to find herself in a tight, enclosed and dark area. The only light that could be seen was that from dim torches scattered around the outside of her cell. Fear was all she could feel as she looked around her imprisonment.

The cell itself had nothing but stone walls and a small patch of hay. For Fluttershy, it was rather small, but big enough to stand up in and turn around. In front of Fluttershy were steels bars going vertically…no lock. Fluttershy turned around to see another cold, soulless wall staring at her, mocking her. Escape was impossible, thinking there was just gave her false hope. A moth flew by her muzzle.

Looking closer around her, she noticed that there were a small amount of bugs looking at her. Fluttershy was happy to see other living creatures; knowing she was not alone gave her a small amount of courage.

Fluttershy spent her time seeing an arrangement of ants, moths, flies, spiders, and one rat. Being a pony whose special talent that had to do with animals included insects as well. None of the insects or rat attacked her, if fact they seemed to be trying to calm down her fears. The yellow Pegasus was happy for a split second forgetting she was in a cell at all. Then a cool breeze sent shivers up Fluttershy’s spine, all the insects disappeared right after, she was alone again only cold and crying with nothing to do but lay on the floor. Then she heard voices in the distance.

“Fluttershy!” Everypony shouted out. They saw Fluttershy look up.

“Girls?” Fluttershy meekly asked. Her eyes widened in realization that most of her friends were there. “Girls!” She shouted (in a soft voice) and stood straight up.

All the ponies were talking at once happy to finally have everypony back. Fluttershy stood next to the bars with hooves hugging her, their warm embrace calmed her crying. She closed her eyes hearing all of the voices of her friends: Applejack, rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash. She opened her eyes and saw all of them: Applejack, rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash…That didn’t add up.

“Umm, sorry for interrupting everypony, but…” Fluttershy started. All eyes were on her. “Where’s Twilight”

Once again the happy faces turned to frowns and were facing the floor. There was a long silence, before anypony even stirred. Rainbow started to open her mouth, but a chill met her spine, and by the look on everypony else’s face the chill found them as well.

“I’m glad you got here so fast” A voice in the shadows said “Although I must admit I was expecting someone…taller”

All the ponies turned to face the cold voice, but saw nothing.

“Where the hay did tha-“ Applejack started but was cut off by the voice.

“Oh I’m sorry, I haven’t fully introduced myself yet. You may call me Death.”

The large painting started shifting left and right rapidly. In the middle of it grew a swirling, purple and black vortex that covered most of the picture. A figure in a black cloak slowly emerged from it holding a giant silver scythe. Death had a skeletal face with deep red in his eye sockets.

“You free Fluttershy right NOW!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Temper, temper, you need to have more patient blue one” Death said calm, but mockingly.

Applejack stood by Rainbow with a scowl on her face. She didn’t have use words.

“Oh, and what are you going t-…that whip you have, where did you get it?” Death asked almost fearful.

“From a friend, who wants to know? ACK!” Applejack was grabbed by a skeleton hand and forced up into the air by her neck.

“Funny, this whip is different. There is no sign of any Belmont at all.” Death said almost with a relieved sigh.

With nothing to fear he threw the orange pony across the room into the others. Rainbow stared at her friends then back at death that had turned around to go back to the vortex. By instinct, Rainbow charged, only to be hit and fly straight into the cage Fluttershy was in, destroying the bars in the process.

Fluttershy shrieked as she saw her friends on the ground in front of her. Rainbow lied in next to her right forearm, bloody and unconscious, but alive. Her other friends were on the unforgiving floor unable to get up. Emotions ran through her as her eyes scanned the scene; fear, worry, pain…hate.

“You…MONSTER!” Fluttershy screamed

Death reared his ugly head to find a yellow Pegasus stared at him with eyes that could pierce your very soul. All he could do was float in the air and see those eyes flying towards him.

“You think that you can just push ponies around like they’re tools to be played with? You have no right to be a bully and no one, and I mean NO one pushes my friends around!”

Death could only stare and mutter “But…but I”

“Don’t you ‘but I’ ME mister.”

The red in Death’s eyes were getting smaller and smaller with each word.

“But that rainbow one was just asking for it”

“I know, and no one blames you, but you could’ve hit someone else in the process” Fluttershy pointed out “You just need to be with friends who can be with you”

“What?”

“Would you like to join our little herd here and come back to Ponyville with us?”

“WHAT!” Applejack yelled. “Fluttershy are you NUTS?! Y’all can’t just bring a floating demon with us that not only threw me around, but threw Rainbow Dash at you?”

“He probably had no choice” Fluttershy said calmly

“He is a monster”

“Is he ready for a PARTY???!!!!” Pinkie said jumping (literally) into the conversation.

“Pinkie dear, don’t you think that you’re interrupting a very important argument?” Rarity butted in.

“Oh Rarity, I’m just trying to not be forgotten about by the possible audience that we still have.”

Death’s mind raced. This was all so sudden. His sense said no…but the eyes said yes. NO, what was he thinking? He couldn’t just leave…could he? He thought for a while, about the things keeping him from leaving. There was only one thing. In the confusion and silence that took place shortly after Pinkie’s comment, Death finally spoke again.

“I will go with you…if you slay my master.” Death said in a very serious matter.

“What the hay do you mean” Rainbow asked roughly. “What possible good could come from you helping us?”

“And here I thought you wanted to help your magical, purple friend.” Death slyly said.

“How do you know about me?” Twilight said.

“Oh please, I could feel your energy the moment I grabbed the orange one.”

“The name is Applejack, ghost.” Applejack cut in.

“My name is Death, haven’t you been reading the chapter?”

Pinkie gasped.

“You can do that too??? YAAAAY” Pinkie yelled. What have I done?

Applejack and Rainbow weren’t going to let Pinkie take control just yet.

“Now wait a minute, how do you plan on helping Twilight?” Applejack said with almost a feeling of hope in her voice.

“I am Death, I choose who lives and dies, but my lord uses me as a guard to deal with unnecessary scum.”

“You never answered my question.” Applejack sneered.

Death rushed over to Applejack and grabbed her by the neck (again) with his bony hand and levitating up 5 feet in the air. With his other hand, Death pressed his finger onto the forehead of the struggling pony. A mist of white and black light came from the connection point causing Applejack to hang loosely in Death’s grip. The mist started turning pure white and increasing in growth. After the mist covered most of the floor, it began to fade and out of Applejack’s forehead flew a purple light, lightly shining. When it emerged, the armor Applejack had been wearing vanished in an instance. Death touched the light and it began to expand into veins and a bone structure that resembled a pony. The muscles began growing around the bones along with the pink skin that stretched over the body. Finally the hair grew from the skin revealing a sleek, new Twilight Sparkle.

She opened her eyes, looking around she saw her friends staring at her with mouths wide open. Pinkie bounced towards her and gave her a huge hug.

“I KNEW the author wouldn’t kill off a member of the mane 6 permanently!” Pinkie shouted.

Everyone was too busy gaping at Twilight to notice Pinkie being Pinkie. The rest of the group ran up to Twilight to join in the hug. Applejack squeezed harder than even Pinkie.

Eventually they broke the hug and Twilight looked at Applejack, noticing that her armor was gone. She addressed the issue, but the work pony shrugged it off saying that it was better to have the old group back again than to have some magical armor. In truth she felt a bit naked without it and a bit more vulnerable, but she told herself to get over it, and she did (mostly). Rarity complained a little saying that leather definitely suited Applejack and demanded that she would go to carousel boutique to get fitted for a new set. The orange pony groaned a bit, but agreed because she liked the idea of being protected again.

After Filling in Fluttershy about the recent events, the mane 6 was ready to leave, that is until a looming figure stopped them.

“Don’t forget our bargain little yellow one.” Death warned. “The stairs are over there in the center of the portrait.”

“Thanks you.” Fluttershy said endearingly with a smile. “We won’t, I promise.”