III. Fool's Paradise
Lyra had stared up at the scattered clouds on that warm sunny day. Birds chirped and a gentle breeze brought the rich smells of wildflowers to the bench she was leaning back on. For the first time she could remember, Lyra felt at peace.
“Quit sitting like that. You’re embarrassing me,” Bon Bon said.
“What?” Lyra looked to her side, startled out of her tranquility. “Come on, I heard this is good for my spine.”
“Really? Because it looks like you’re about to slide right out of the bench to me. Could you sit like a normal pony, please?”
Lyra laughed and leaned forward to take on a more normal posture. She crossed her hind legs and leaned over them. “Okay, but I want to hear you say it again. Tell me what a wonderful job I did at the Gala.”
“Lyra, you’re the best lyrist I know.”
She huffed. “I’m the only lyrist you know!”
“Yes, but you’re good at more than just the lyre, aren’t you?” Bon Bon leaned over and kissed her.
Lyra wrapped her hooves around her to prolong the moment. Finally she broke off when she heard the sound of fillies approaching. She was getting excited, but it wouldn’t be good to get caught by the children like this.
Bon Bon wrinkled her nose and chuckled. “You’re insatiable, Lyra. Why don’t we head home and you let Bonnie take care of your needs?”
“That’d be wonderful!” Lyra got off the bench and looked at it. She attempted to wipe a small stain off with her hoof, and quickly gave up. “Let’s go!” She was blushing as she lead Bon Bon back towards their bedroom.
“Slow down. It’s not a race, Lyra.”
Lyra trotted ahead and held her tail up high. Surely her marefriend could see her excitement. She was so caught up in her display that she ran into Twilight’s side.
“Oomph!” Twilight fell over and looked to the side at Lyra, who had also fallen. “Oh, sorry, Lyra. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Twilight?!” Lyra stood up and rubbed some of the dust from her front legs.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were—” Lyra choked on the words. There was something itching at the back of her mind, something not quite right.
“I was what? I’m actually on my way to see Applejack. Cider season starts tomorrow and we’re going to taste test some new batches.”
“Applejack?”
“Oh dear,” Bon Bon said. She caught up and looked between the two mares. “I hope Lyra didn’t hurt you. She’s been incorrigible lately.”
Lyra took a step back from them, suddenly frightened by the pleas from her mind. “Bon Bon, but I thought she was dead, and Applejack and. . . and you. . .”
“Oh, sweetie.” Bon Bon walked up and hugged Lyra tightly. “You’ve been having nightmares again, haven’t you? It’s okay. Twilight and Applejack are fine, and I’ve never loved you more.”
“I. . . I love you too, Bonnie.”
“Sorry, Twilight,” Bon Bon whispered. “Now, Lyra, let’s go home and put you to bed. I promise to make it worth your while.”
Lyra was pushed towards her house by Bon Bon, trotting along as she had little choice. Something was still nagging at her, but a familiar complacency was creeping over her. Everything was just perfect the way it was. Nothing ever went wrong here in Ponyville.
“Ah don’t like this, Pinkie,” Big Mac said. “She’s been layin’ there nearly a month now.”
Pinkie and Fluttershy sat on the ground, their colorful plastic forms dwarfed by the Big Mac the plushy. Behind them was a replica of Ponyville, full of frightened dolls and mares hell-bent on escaping. However, that concerned them less then the condition of their jailor.
Twilight lay against the wall, moving only when absolutely necessary, such as to eat, drink, and use the restroom. She had teleported the dollhouse to a cave in the Everfree. She had brought along enough food and hygiene supplies to live comfortably for a year. The dolls expected her to capture more ponies, or threaten them. None of them had expected her to wallow in pity.
“She looks like she’s still in shock,” Fluttershy explained. “I’ve seen animals get depressed before but never a pony like this. And look at her shoulder, that wound from Celestia looks like it’ll never fully heal.”
“There must be something we can do to cheer her up,” Pinkie said. “If she just keeps laying there, she’ll die!”
“Good,” Dash said. She had snuck up behind the trio and stood there defiantly. Her wings were still trapped in a small plastic sleeve Twilight had banded around her to prevent her escape. “The quicker she dies, the quicker we get out of here.”
The mares gasped and Big Mac looked back at Twilight. “Dash!” Fluttershy stood up and walked towards her. “She’s our friend, how can you wish for something so horrible?”
“Pfft, my friend died with Shining and Cadance. She’s a monster, trapping us all here in this eternal hell. I only wish Celestia’s sword had hit her heart and not her shoulder.”
Pinkie walked up to Dash until her muzzle was directly in front of her. “Oh yeah? And what happens after she dies? You’ll still be stuck here and live your whole life regretting it! I thought you were the Element of Loyalty, and yet you want to murder Twilight! Look at her! Does she look like a monster?”
Dash looked past them to Twilight. An occasional breath was the only movement coming from her. Dry stains left by tears had formed streaks down her cheek. “Look at her! She’s pathetic. Crying for a whole month because she got caught. She could have turned herself in. Celestia would have been gentle and kind. Instead, she tried to kill Celestia and Luna like the mad mare she is!”
“There’s nothin’ more important than family, Dash, and ah reckon she’s the closest thing y’all have to a sister,” Big Mac observed. “How can ya show no pity?”
“Hah! She’s not my sister.” Dash marched over towards the giant. “My sister is Scootaloo, and Twilight took her from me just like she took Applejack from you. Who knows if Scootaloo is alive or dead? I don’t, because she just lays there crying like an upset foal!”
“Please, Dash, calm down,” Fluttershy said. “This isn’t like you.”
“Well, apparently you don’t know me as well as you thought. I didn’t spend the last month cooped up in this cave playing pattycake like you three. I’ve searched every inch for an exit with Vinyl and Octavia. I’ve helped Sprocket come up with plans. Now we only have one plan left and it’s time to implement it.”
Dash walked past them towards Twilight. “What do you mean, Dash?” Pinkie asked.
They followed her towards their captor and saw several ponies carrying over dental floss, thumb tacks, and other toiletries. “We’re gonna tie Twilight up and force her to surrender. It took a while but Sprocket finally made a magic limiter. And, if that doesn’t work we’ll. . . do what needs to be done.”
Fluttershy flew in front of Dash, stopping her with a hoof. “No! I won’t let you hurt her.”
Dash growled and hooked a leg around her wing, using it to pin her to the ground. “You and your fucking wings! She took those away from me too because I tried to escape. And you guys, you get to do whatever the hell you want because you’re her friends. She’ll kill us all if she can’t keep us here forever. Is that what you want?”
Fluttershy struggled to lift her muzzle out of the dirt. Her forelegs were also pinned and she found herself crying into the soft soil. Tears fell down her cheeks as she whimpered.
After a moment Dash let Fluttershy go. “Flutters, I’m sor—”
“No,” Fluttershy said. “No you’re not. You’ve become just as bad as you claim she is. Just. . . go away, Dash!”
With a loud huff, Dash turned and stomped away towards Twilight. She shouted back over her shoulder “Fine, be that way! But don’t you try and stop us!”
Pinkie came over to hug Fluttershy and comfort her. Big Mac sat down next to them and watched as the mob of dolls surrounded Twilight. They began unspooling dental floss and tying her forelegs and hindlegs together.
“Why ain’t she movin’?” Big Mac asked.
“Maybe she wants to die,” Pinkie said.
Fluttershy wiped the dirt off her face. “No, I think she has just given up. She thinks nopony loves her or wants to be her friend. She has nothing left since she let Lyra go.”
Twilight continued to stare blankly ahead as if the wall she stared at held the answer to her predicament. She had been foolish to attack Luna and Celestia, she wasn’t strong enough yet. Twilight had ruined everything, and lost everything, and would now die of old age, alone in this cave, surrounded by her former friends that hated her.
Maybe dying wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Sprocket walked up to Twilight’s horn alongside Vinyl, and was soon joined by Dash and Octavia. “So, Sprocket, you sure this’ll work?” Dash asked.
“It’s the last of the conductive metals I could find around town, but this horn limiter should cut off her magic,” Sprocket said. “Assuming I built it well enough.”
“We won’t need it for long,” Vinyl stated. “Just long enough to force her to give in.”
A dozen ponies continued winding dental floss around her legs, binding them together. They began anchoring the floss to the ground using pins, nails, and whatever else they could find to dig into the ground. It was beginning to look like a large spider web was laid over her, trapping her in a net.
The commotion had caused Spike to leave the replica library. He spent most of his days organizing it, hoping that perhaps his routine of normalcy might give him back the sister and friend he had lost. No matter how hard he tried, he never felt the library was clean enough to present to Twilight. Spike assumed that getting the library just the way she liked it might cheer her up.
He was followed shortly after by Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. They all took seats next to Big Mac to watch the show.
“What’s goin’ on, brother?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Y’all fillies stay here until this is over. Ah think they’ve finally gone mad from bein’ trapped down here,” Big Mac said.
“Quite the opposite,” Rarity explained. “We’ve come up with a way to block her magic and force her surrender. We have planned for any contingency to get my sister, and all the others, out of here.”
“You’re in on it too?” Spike asked. “Rarity, Twilight needs our help!”
“Hah, don’t be naive, Spike. It was endearing when we met but this isn’t the kind of situation kind words can fix.”
“Oh yeah? How would you even know? Name one nice thing you’ve done for Twilight since you got here.”
Rarity grinned wickedly and looked over at them. “Nice? I’m not down there tying her up with the others. It’s more than she deserves.”
Fluttershy began bawling again as Pinkie tried to comfort her. Both mares were hurt at how quickly their friend’s hearts had hardened. The more time they spent with the other ponies, wallowing in their bitterness, the more determined the town became that Twilight was the devil.
Sprocket lifted up the horn limiter and with the help of the nearby ponies began to force it down her horn. Twilight looked up for a moment and tried to shift her weight. The dental floss had turned her into something looking like a ball of twine and she couldn’t move. Twilight just sighed and relaxed, not caring what they were up to.
With the horn limiter in place, Dash and the others walked in front of her. “Time to talk, Twilight,” Dash ordered. “You’re going to let us out, or else!”
Twilight licked her dry lips and swallowed. “Or else what?” she whispered hoarsely.
“What?” Dash asked.
“Or else what? How can you make this any worse?”
Vinyl stepped forward and stared in one of Twilight’s eyes. It was larger than the dolls and gave the impression of facing down a dragon, even if it was currently hog-tied. “Twilight, if you don’t let us go we could kill you. You’re trapped now, at our mercy.”
“Mercy? Death would be a mercy.” Twilight chuckled weakly as she fixed her gaze on Vinyl. “No friends, abandoned by my mentor, so stupid. . . I ruined it all, and for what? I didn’t account for all the variables. I didn’t expect you all to hate me. So, go ahead, do it.”
Dash and Vinyl looked at each other before consulting the other ponies nearby. “What do you guys think?” Dash asked.
“Well, I trust Vinyl and Sprocket. If they think her death might reverse the spell. . . let’s just do what needs to be done and put this horrible task behind us,” Octavia said.
“Without her to sustain it, the magic will fade,” Sprocket said.
“Death or freedom, I’ll take either over imprisonment,” Vinyl stated.
Dash frowned and shook her head. “Then we’re in agreement. It. . . it should be me to end her suffering. I owe her that much.”
The ponies split up and carried their weapon of choice over. Dash walked up to Twilight. “If you won’t free us, Twilight, you’ll leave me no choice.”
“You’re all horrible ponies! I did what I thought was right, what was best so we could all be happy! You ruined it all, stomped on me while I was down, and threw away our friendship! For what?”
“For what? You kidnapped us and trapped us against our will in your basement! You poisoned most of us, and why? For fun? You turned Vinyl without poisoning her, so why’d you have to give Rarity and Sweetie ricin? Does our suffering bring you joy?!” Dash screamed.
“I-I had to know what would work best on Celestia. . .”
“Listen to yourself, you’re insane! The new Nightmare Moon. I’m sorry, Twilight, but there is no other way to end this if you won’t listen to reason.”
Vinyl handed the end of a small plastic bag to Dash, and held the other end. She walked forward with Dash, sliding it over Twilight’s muzzle. Octavia and Sprocket came forward in case she started to struggle. Dash held the bag over her nose and stared into her eyes.
“No!” Pinkie shouted. “They’re gonna kill her, how could they?”
Pinkie started to run forward only to feel Rarity tackle her to the ground. “Pinkie, it’s the only way!”
Fluttershy made it further, gliding over the mob of dolls who had been whipped into a frenzy. One of them grabbed her hoof, causing her to smack down into the ground. She squealed in pain. “Big Mac!” she screamed.
Twilight smiled and closed her eyes. Her body began convulsing as it fought for oxygen. Her breath fogged the bag. As her lungs burned and she realized she was going to die, images of Cadence came back to her. The thought of what lay beyond—the unknown—was too horrifying.
Twilight changed her mind; she didn’t want to die. Not now, not ever. She began to struggle against the dental floss. Several of strands attached to the ground broke, but the strands wrapped around her legs held them tightly together. She couldn’t move enough to get free.
The giant plush Big Mac barreled through the crowd of ponies, kicking them aside with ease. The ground would have shook under his hoofsteps were he not made of cotton and polyester. He finally got up to Twilight, and with one swipe sent all the ponies but Dash flying.
“No!” Dash screamed. “She has to die!”
Big Mac frowned, and then kicked Dash with all his might. She spiraled through the air, flailing, until she hit the far wall and fell to the ground. Mac pulled the plastic bag off Twilight’s face, and she took a deep breath of air.
With renewed strength, Twilight began to break more of the bonds surrounding her. The dolls were in a panic. Half of them scattered and headed into town to hide. The other half were hanging onto the floss, trying to tie Twilight up again. The lead conspirators were over with Dash, trying to figure out how to salvage their plan.
Across the damp cave, the wall began to rumble. Cracks formed in the ceiling as the air resonated with a deep rumbling. Small pebbles and sand fell from the roof, landing inches above the floor and hovering there.
Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike joined Big Mac at Twilight’s side just in time to realize they might want to back up. Her eyes opened and were glowing white. Her hair was standing on end as a sickening greenish-purple glow surrounded her body.
All the dolls still out in the open, except Big Mac, were light enough to start floating off the ground. They dangled in the air alongside all the rocks and pebbles, vibrating as magic coursed through the cave. The protective wards Twilight had put in place began to hum with energy, attempting to contain the torrent of arcane energy.
The limiter around Twilight’s horn exploded, and seconds later the dental floss had been violently ripped apart, freeing her.
Big Mac did his best to scoop up Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike. Finally, he managed to gather them up and huddle over them to protect them.
At this point Dash was struggling towards the Everfree in a last ditch attempt to escape. Octavia had already been sucked up into the magical aura and was flailing in mid air. Sprocket was hanging onto a root, and Vinyl was straining to force magic past the block that Twilight had cast on her horn.
Just as Dash thought she’d make it to safety, there was a deafening pop, and she felt the ground slip away. She opened her eyes to see a furious Twilight, her mane and tail standing on end.
“You tried to kill me!” Twilight bellowed.
Dash cursed her luck. She had been so close to freeing everypony. “Yes! It’s what Applejack would have wanted!”
The cave trembled, causing a chunk of ceiling to fall down and crush the replica barn on Sweet Apple Acres. “You dare speak her name to me? You dare imply Applejack would try to murder me like you?!”
“Do your worst!” Dash screamed. “None of us wanted this, and we’d all rather be dead! Just do it, you whore!”
Tendrils of magic snaked out from Twilight, seeking out and strangling every doll they could find. Dash was choking, and felt like she couldn’t breathe. Despite being a doll, Twilight’s magic was mimicking asphyxiation to kill her.
“If I can’t have you, nopony can!”
Twilight’s magic had found almost every pony. It finally fell upon Fluttershy, Pinkie, Spike, and Big Mac. She found something different, and paused to look over at them.
Big Mac was shielding them with his body, and she lifted him up, not wanting to hurt her last friend. Beneath him, Fluttershy and Pinkie were crying uncontrollably. As soon as Spike saw Twilight, he started to run towards her. He didn’t make it far before tumbling into the air.
Twilight could see them speaking and focused on their words. As Pinkie turned to face her, she heard her speak. “Please, Twilight, don’t hurt your friends! We’re still your friends, but don’t hurt anypony!”
She felt her anger surge through her magic, and fought the urge to turn Dash into dust. The sheer audacity of the stunt pony, one of her closest friends, to try and murder her was too much. As Twilight struggled to reign in her magic, she continued to listen.
“Please, Twilight, I straightened up the library, just like you like it!” Spike pleaded. Even Big Mac was looking at her in shock—or disgust.
Twilight felt a twinge of guilt. She realized she still had friends, that perhaps she hadn’t messed everything up. A larger part of her was still filled with anger at all of her former friends and neighbors agreeing to murder her.
Fluttershy, Pinkie, Spike, Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom fell from Twilight’s magic grasp.
The rest of the ponies began to scream in pain. “I’ll spare your lives, for them, but you will all suffer for your insubordination!”
Scootaloo was fighting to keep her head upright. It had been exceptionally cold last night, yet she had not moved from the rock in the middle of the rock garden. Finally, after what seemed like years, Sensei came out of his house carrying a bowl of food.
“Thank Celestia, it’s about time!” Scootaloo shouted. She watched as Sensei came to the edge of the sand and sat down, and began eating his oats. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!”
Sensei sat there eating his breakfast, testing Scootaloo. His wings folded against his side, helping keep him warm. Though he showed no outward sign of expression, he was pleased the pony had caught on quickly and learned to do as he said. So many students lately were too impatient to make it through the first couple days.
The wind was still cutting through Scootaloo’s feathers, chilling her to the bone. She wanted to warm up and stretch her wings, yet she had been tasked with waiting patiently on the rock. I swear I’m gonna let Spitfire have it when I get done with this training. Who in their right mind learns anything sitting on a damn rock?
Once he had finished eating, Sensei glided over to the rock next to Scootaloo. “Not bad for your first day, my student. You may want to be more careful what you are thinking though. You wear your anger like a badge on your shoulder.”
Scootaloo bit her cheek and grinned slowly. “Anger? What anger?”
“You’d also do well not to lie to me, at least until you learn to hide your tells. Truly, Celestia mastered that skill better than anypony.”
“Fine, I’m angry. Twilight is a fu—” Scootaloo remembered his instruction to never swear again. “She’s a psychopath! She has my friends, my family!” Scootaloo shouted, letting her anger out in a loud burst. “She has to pay for what she’s done and I’m the only pony that cares enough to do anything about it!”
“Honesty and patience will be important to help you master your emotions. Furthermore, you will not raise your voice at me again. Am I clear?”
Scootaloo started to roll her eyes but stopped, feeling his gaze upon her. She sighed and slumped in defeat. “Yes, Sensei.”
“Good. Now, there are three aspects to your training: mind, body, and soul. Only in perfect unison will they allow you achieve the level of prowess you would need to combat an alicorn. And I will only teach you such skills when I am convinced you will use them for the greater good, and not petty emotions such as revenge or greed.”
“Alright, so let’s hurry this up. It’s damn cold out here.”
Sensei sighed and stood up on his rock. “I can see you’ll need more time to think about what I’ve said.”
“No, Sensei, I’m sorry! Please, it’s really cold out here. Can I just come inside? I’ll be patient.”
“I’m not looking for you to say you’ll be patient. Words are cheap; meaningless. You can learn all you need about a pony by how they act, for words—by their nature—were built to deceive.”
It took her a moment to process and make sense of what he said. Finally, she made herself comfortable and sat back down on the warm spot in the center of her cold rock. “Yes, Sensei.”
He smiled as he left her on the rock and flew to the edge of the rock garden.
Scootaloo felt a twinge of pain, and got another one of the disconcerting images of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom in trouble. She didn’t understand how she knew, or how she was connected to them, but she felt it deep inside. There was definitely a connection, and Scootaloo knew beyond all doubt that they were in trouble.
In a flash, she had flown to the gate of the dojo and was prepared to run off in search of them. Looking back, she realized Sensei was watching her with a frown on his face. Scootaloo flew over to him and kneeled down in respect. “Sorry, Sensei, but my friends are in trouble. I will never abandon them.”
Sensei let the silence linger a moment before speaking. “Loyalty. It is a powerful emotion, Scootaloo, one that can give a pony much strength. To seek strength in revenge leads only to suffering, yet if you can feel this strongly for your friends then there is hope for you.”
Scootaloo looked up at Sensei and saw something different about him. His stern features seemed almost inviting, as if she had passed some unspoken test and been deemed worthy. Scootaloo smiled, and was about to turn to leave when he spoke.
“If you leave now, you will not find, let alone defeat, Twilight Sparkle.”
“How do you know so much about me, Sensei?” Scootaloo asked.
“Spitfire is not the only pony who cares greatly for you and wants to see your anger controlled. I promise you, your friends will be alright. You must stay and complete your training. If you can keep your focus on the inner strength loyalty gives you and avoid the instant gratification of feeling angry, you will see your friends again.”
Scootaloo’s jaw had fallen wide open. “H-how can you know that they’re o-okay? I keep seeing images of them. . .”
“It is the way of the world, Scootaloo. There is far more to our existence than the eyes can see. Even a non-unicorn can learn to sense the ebb and flow of magic, to feel the spell being cast before the unicorn casts it. This is what I will teach you; it is what I have taught Celestia’s elite personal guard in for decades.”
She smiled, realizing this crazy old pony actually did know what she needed to learn to rescue her friends. Scootaloo flew over to the rock and sat back down, swallowing her fears for her friends. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ready to stay on the rock for another day.
“Come, Scootaloo,” Sensei said. “There is breakfast inside and you must be starving.”
Lyra woke up smiling, still feeling warm under her blankets and happy that Bon Bon had just satisfied her needs in the bedroom. She tried to roll over and curl up under the blankets, only to find her legs unable to move.
As her groggy mind caught up to current events, she felt thick leather straps holding her legs spread eagle to the corners of the bed. “What?” she asked the empty room. “Bon Bon?”
Lyra pulled against the restraints uselessly, and then tried her magic. Her magic was blocked by something on her horn, and she started to shout for help. “Bon Bon!”
Finally the door opened and Bon Bon walked in, dressed as a French maid. “Lyra, I’m glad you’re awake.”
“Bon Bon, why am I tied up?” Lyra asked.
“Why, this is your fantasy, your paradise,” Bon Bon stated.
“No, let me go!”
“You wanted me to ravage you for days. You said it yourself. Tied up and hopeless, the object of all my twisted desires. . . this will be a week to remember.”
Lyra struggled and began to cry, realizing how hopeless her situation was. Bon Bon was supposed to be dead, not dominating her in the bedroom. She tensed her muscles in shock as she realized what this meant.
The itching in the back of her mind, the silent warning her brain had sent her: Bon Bon was dead. Whoever this was, it couldn’t be Bon Bon. Lyra felt her marefriend’s hoof caressing her.
Even if it wasn’t Bon Bon, Lyra did miss her so much. Would it be so wrong to enjoy her company here, in this illusion? Lyra moaned and whimpered, torn between her fool’s paradise or reality. Did she want the world with Bon Bon, or the one without?
“Lyra, honey, you’re crying? Do you want to use the safeword and have me let you go?” Bon Bon asked.
“It’s—I can’t. . .” Lyra looked at Bon Bon who had a concerned look plastered on her face. “You’re dead. This isn’t real—it never was.”
Bon Bon stepped back in shock. “What? Lyra, I love you. Did you find another mare?!”
“No, Bonnie. . . I love you, but you’re not real. I’m sorry, I need to go now.”
Lyra focused on that itch in the back of her mind, on all the forbidden truths that had been hidden there. Bon Bon and Applejack were dead. Twilight was lost or dead after trapping dozens of ponies as dolls. Lyra had become the new Element of Magic.
The realization dawned on her and she felt the ring around her horn shatter as arcane energy seeped into her body. Lyra felt the straps vanish and the room around her flicker and swirl away.
She bolted forward in bed breathing heavily from her nightmare. Looking around revealed that Lyra was in a large bedroom in Canterlot castle—judging by the ornate designs. At a nearby table sat Trixie, who rushed over to check on Lyra.
Trixie scanned her with her magic and felt her forehead with a hoof. “I think you’re okay!”
“What happened?” Lyra tried to bat the hoof away.
“After Luna gave you her gift you went into a coma. She said I had to watch you in case you. . . turned into something evil.”
“I was in a dream. Bon Bon was still alive. . .”
Trixie levitated over a piece of paper with her instructions on it. “She wrote that you’d face some sort of challenge or inner demon as you came to grips with your new power.”
“New power?” Lyra asked.
“Well, you are attuned to the Element of Magic now. Also, from what I’ve gathered she basically gave you a blank check on your destiny. You’re not just a lyrist anymore, you can study any field of magic you want just like a pony with a magic cutie mark.”
Lyra chuckled and pointed a hoof at Trixie’s flank. “Well, looks like you magic unicorns are going to be given a run for their money then.”
Trixie looked between Lyra and her flank, then. “I guess so, but you’ve got a lot to learn.”
She noticed Trixie was missing most of her tail, and that it appeared singed. “Say, Trixie, what happened to your tail?”
“Oh, it was nothing, just a teleporting accident.”
“I’m glad you’re alright! Teleporting sounds like difficult magic.”
Trixie tilted her head in confusion. “Huh? Oh! I didn’t teleport myself. I teleported Luna’s cat.”
Lyra scratched her head. “Then what happened to the cat?”
“If I ever find it, I’ll let you know. As for this,” Trixie pointed to her tail, “That was Luna’s reaction when I told her what happened to her cat.”
Laughter filled the room as Lyra fell back in bed, rolling around. All the stress and worry evaporated and she knew that she was back in the real world. It wasn’t perfect, and she’d never see Bon Bon again, but she had new friends and a new destiny now.
Dash dragged her hooves down the streets of the replica Ponyville. The ghost town was much quieter than usual. Whole days would go by without seeing another pony. Just when Dash thought this hell couldn’t get any worse, Twilight had doubled their suffering.
As part of their punishment, Twilight had used her magic to remove the wings and horns of every pony in town. Then, she had removed their mouths by sealing them shut. They could no longer talk and conspire against her, fly, or use their magic for their misdeeds and inventions.
There was no telling when, or if, Twilight’s new group of ‘friends’ would convince her to end their punishment.
Dash happened to glance down an alleyway and see a small scooter. Curious, she walked in and found a small shack that contained Scootaloo’s scooter, helmet, and a few other belongings.
This must be where Scootaloo lived as an orphan, and Twilight had recreated every detail. Dash wanted to scream in anger at her loss. She loved that little filly, and had lost her before she had even gotten to really know her.
Dash curled up in Scootaloo’s bed of cardboard and pulled the threadbare blanket over her. She cried herself to sleep, lamenting all the bad choices in her life that had lead up to this moment.
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3169196
Right now!
...can I have the cookie anyway? :3
This story is just so damn good!
It's one of those stories where I'm like "Oh man I can't wait for the next chapter!"
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Yes. It's a sugar cookie from the local bakery!
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Thanks :D
One day, this story will be ultra-featured because it's so Awesome. Until then, Twilight shall continue to dollify everypony!
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You're welcome
and awesome!
3186864 :D *eatz the cookie*
So... am I the only one not empathetic towards Twilight? I mean, murder and torture are for me, moral event horizons. I'm totally with Dash and the others in this, and I'm kind of perplexed that Fluttershy would claim that Dash is as bad as Twilight for wanting to kill a pony to gain her freedom, a pony that had killed and tortured her friends. Or that Big Mac would prevent the others from killing her when it means that Twilight can subject others to eternal torment. And Dash and the others are the "mad" ones? Is this some form of Stockholm syndrome? I'm just hoping Twilight doesn't end up a Karma Houdini, because that is one trope I truly dislike.
Psychic Friendship Connection!? Extreme Empathy!? I don't know but I want a cookie!
3187186 I for one, want to see her never die. Only hopelessly trapped in the sickening parody of a world that she created for all eternity without hope of ever seeing daylight or even another living, breathing pony. There, she will understand true oblivion where the insane becomes the sane and vice versa. She wants friends? Well now she'll never have one for as long as she lives. Forever.
Is Sensei Yoda? Does this make Scootaloo Luke? Use the Force, Scootaloo!
So are we looking at an entirely new elements group here, or just a few replacements?
aaaw! i miss out on a cookie. i can't think of any reason the CMC would be connected....
I am enjoying this story. The odd thing I have to say that just like reading the first story this one has an odd effect. It's not terror or fear but that dread feeling like something wrapped around you heart. It happens every time I read a chapter of this story. It does help set the mood but I do want a bit of happiness. I do hope Spike, Big Mad, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were spared from Twilight's wrath of wing, horn, and mouth removal. It also makes me wonder if about Crest. I honestly think that for a bit of a happier note that Celestia should find Crest. Just for the fact that maybe Celestia would go back to the Ponyville Library looking for a clue or just to reminisce about Twilight. I know this story is meant to be dark and that's fine. Or at least have Twilight tempt going back to Ponyville for something. Hell do it to leave a clue to Lyra just so she would know she misses her. As for the connection with the CMC. As I can figure if Lyra became the Element of Magic. Scootaloo is becoming the new Element of Loyalty since as it was stated the elements where weakened when Twilight started Dollifing the Bearers. But that's my thoughts on this honestly.
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Yeah, Dash wasn't acting very loyal... SQUIRREL! And I like that it has that dark foreboding atmosphere without being full of death, explosions, and cupcakes.
And don't worry, there is happy stuff. I can confirm Big Mac and the friendlier ponies were spared her wrath, and the next time we see them they'll be trying to arrange something with Twilight and all the angry ponies. Can there ever be peace? (and Crest as well as a visitor from the dollhouse will appear soon, and that's sort of happy... Lyra's actually going to find Crest but I'm not sure what all that time trapped in a corpse's shell does to a pony.
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Fluttershy is still being kind, and Pinkie is still trying to cheer everypony up... Honesty is dead, Lyra's magic, Dash and Rarity are being meanie pants.
Looks like the new elements are
*puts on sunglasses*
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
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No force powers here... just samurai Scootaloo, who can read an opponents body language and feel the
forcemagicks.3187104
All of the above, warding circle + one guarded exit. Then, they'd be somewhere in the Everfree while only a few inches tall... not ideal, especially now that they don't have any wings.
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Wow, so dark and gloomy... then again, it'll seem awfully cheerful compared to the real ending.
3187484
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4393113856/h67F12EA8/
Yes, you can haz cookie.
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Yeah, I was tempted to make her a really big part of the story but I'm not still sure where she fits in, aside from her role as Luna's pupil and a bit of a replacement Twilight as far as all the royal duties and stuff go. She isn't an element so her help will be mostly support and someone Lyra can trust. Celestia is.... currently unavailable for rational conversations while she throws her own pity party.
And then she shoved a hot metal blade up her... oh wait, wrong story
I can't figure out the connection between CMC unless I see Scoots' MBC (Midichlorian Blood Count)
*looks at the chapter once more* Or maybe she sees Sweetie and Apple Bloom when Twilight uses magic on them?
This is such a great story.
I think Trixie would make a good Element of honesty. That's just my opinion.
I am looking forward to seeing how the doll ponies act toward Lyra when she comes to save there ungrateful flanks. I can't imagine what Lyra must be going threw. With the hate that she got from the dolls and the kindness she found in Twilight. I hope Lyra can forgive both Twilight and the doll ponies who shunned her.
I would like to see Twilight make it through this horrible event that she has started. She will be scarred for life but she still has a few loyal friends who care about her and that can go a long way.
Alright, seems like all Twilight needed was to be kickstarted into action. Who knew that asphyxiation could do that?
Stupid question maybe but isn't killing Twilight a really bad idea? Even if it changed them all back, weren't most of them dying of poisoning when they were changed? Nobody would make it out of that cave alive. Well, maybe Vinyl.
And I can't help but wonder how Scootaloo'll turn out after her training.
Daaang Lyra, secret desires you has?
Also, yay for Pinkie and Fluttershy being nice!
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.
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It'll get clearer as time goes on. Lyra's already discovered her new role.
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Oh Dash, we escaped only to be swallowed by a Hydra.
Don't worry I have a plan to get us out.
What is it?
We wait a week for him to use the restroom.
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Indeed, there's still potential for Twilight to move past her grief, or for Lyra to fail getting past her hurt feelings. The dolls can still come to accept that Twilight isn't evil but just hurt, or this may prove to them she is insane and needs to be put down.
I try to keep it open and keep the characters morally grey, because apparently that helps make it work! (Also, I should kill off more ponies, but that's a really hard one. If this story was Game of Thrones, 5 of the 6 mane six would be dead by now. maybe it's time to kill another one.
)
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Yeah, even people who want to die will often change their mind once it's too late. For Twilight, she gave up and then realized at the end what terrified her more then eternal life in the first place: death like her brother and sister-in-law.
And you are correct. The dolls were getting irrational and desperate. Killing Twilight wouldn't guarantee the spell reverses. They could be stuck in the cave with no Twilight, or turned back to poisoned ponies, and even if freed they're still all in varying states of health in the middle of the Everfree.
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It's always darkest before the dawn, and now, it's super quiet too!
3189759 Hey, that could work as an alternate ending or something. They kill Twilight, they change back and then there was much rejoicing. Until they start to feel the burn of the poisons again and they all drop down, foaming at the mouth. Except Vinyl, of course, who snaps and spends the rest of her days pretending that she's not surrounded by dead ponies.
Okay, that's enough internet for tonight.
*LE WILD CRITIC APPEARS*
I...I don't know Kaidan, but didn't Twilight know a spell to return to the past? I mean, why the fuck Twilight didn't just simply do that spell days after Shining Armor's death? She COULD save him, but she prefers to turn ponies into dolls? The same question with Cadance's death, why didn't Twilight just get back in time and stop Cadance's suicide?
And now she is a alicorn, so PROBABLY her magic is more powerful and she can get back months instead of weeks and save Shining and avoid ALL this mess!!
Seriously she is really stupid
BUUUUT...
This fanfic is stil good, except for, obvious, Silver Spoon's no-super-detailed-death, Twilight's stupidity, the infinite sequels (if this story ends with a Karma Houdini, then, I will become crazy and hate Twilight forever), the "uh, we are happy, derp" ponies who are happy because they don't know a fucking shit of Twilight's actions (I think is called Stockholm syndrome) and Celestia's incompetence.
Seriously, Pearple Prose had reason in this, this fic started good, psychological stuff and that, and then...it's becomes a cycle, repeated over and over again. Something like this "Twilight do bad things - Ponyllification - Other ponies began to notice Twilight's bad things - Twilight kills that ponies - Twilight do bad things - Ponyllification - Other ponies began to notice Twilight's bad things - Twilight kills that ponies - Twilight do bad things (x100) - Miraculously, one pony survives (or the dolls manages to) and tell Celestia or Luna - Celestia's incompetence - Celestia vs Twilight - CELESTIA'S INCOMPETENCE - Twilight runs".
If that happens again...then I will read other fanfics, Idk. Just don't do that and give us good stuff 'cuz I'm miserable. Don't get mad it's a simple critic
Next chapter please !!
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Yay Cookies!
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/1660543232/h5BD7E00F/
A Free cookie??
yay
erm... lemme see...
they bonded with one another throughout the years and can now sense one another???
I really like this story. I really do. And I eagerly await the next chapter. But I really feel like this chapter is trying so hard to make me side with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, or atleast make me think that they're in the right, but I still feel that Rarity and Dash are in the right. Twilight needs to be stopped some how for the doll's safety if noting else. As long as Twilight is around eventually more dolls will die, history has proved that. Its just that this story really wants me to feel sympathy for Twilight but I just don't. She's a complete monster.
That said though I'm still very intrigued by what will happen next!
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I can see why it pushes too hard towards Pinkie/FS. Dash and Rarity's characters are going to develop and grow to be more in line with your sentiment: Twilight has gone too far, is evil, and has to be stopped. From a realistic standpoint, they did the right thing trying to force her to let them go, and the stupid (but would have made sense at the time) thing trying to hurt her.
And the others are mostly "Hey, we're not gonna get out of this antagonizing her, let's at least be nice so she doesn't melt us!" I think if other ponies had treated Twilight like Lyra they would have been rewarded like Lyra. And because she was the only one to bother to give Twilight a chance, people assume she has Stockholm syndrome and Twilight's just pure evil... I don't think Twilight is. She's just lost and digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole with no hope of relief in sight.
Hopefully the dynamic of Twilight's misguided attempts to reconcile with her friends, and Dash/Rarity's new hardline stance (siding with Vinyl/Octy) will create interesting dynamics. That will pit them against their friends, Fluttershy and Pinkie, and even Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who don't want to see Twilight hurt out of a sort of youthful optimism.
I still think it'd be awesome to have an all-out doll warfare chapter, but I'm not sure I could justify plastic bayonets and super-glue warfare.
Anyway, interesting feedback and I look forward to writing the next chapter.
Eh. In comparison to what the secretary of the dentist is suffering under the fridge, the rest of them are in paradise. Seriously, that really is a fate worse than a fate worse than death :/
Achievement unlocked: What cat?
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I'm not sure how much longer to torture the poor dental assistant... or whether I want her to be able to form a coherent word when they do find her. Truly she could teach Dash and the others a thing or two about appreciating their posh lifestyle.
3213020 That last sentence of yours reminds me of the SAW series...
ALRIGHT Caught up here, now time to finish up DoH.
Homework first though
You know... YOU BETTER MAKE THE DOLL PONYS BE TWILIGHTS FREINDS!! I don't know why I'm on twilights side. I feel so bad for her though... (You can tell how much I like rainbow dash)
P.S Don't forget about derpy. To make this story even better (if you don't have plans) you should add a derpy doll that screws up everything.
when Luna attuned Lyra to element of magic, rest of the bearers got attuned to theirs too. And can feel the others. here we have what we know for now:
lyra - magic
scoots- loyalty
trixie-(honesty?)
apple bloom-?
swetie-?
?Big Mac-kindness?
tell me where I am wrong.
And I really hope that twilight's mandes is of similar origin as luna's. So she still can be saved. (Nightmare Moon --> The Dollmaker)
I can't choose side here, as neither one is "the good one", twilight is gone crazy from grief, it happens in real life, we just don't have god-like powers, but we still heve weapons and can still hurt others. Most of the New Ponyville residents are gone crazy from anger for their captor, and are becoming like her. There was some name for this, some syndrome, but I don't remember the name. As I can't choose, for the time being, I choose Luna.
Ps. sorry for any mistakes, I write from phone and I am not from English speaking country.
I couldn't finish the first Twilight's Dollhouse and in sure as hell I won't be able to finish this one, but as Faust is my witness dammit I will try to finish it
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Ha!
Oh no, only three chapters are up! I'll have to actually wait, unlike the first one!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Oh, look, a butterfly!
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Yeah... I need to stop writing my HiE and update like 4 other stories. I'm a horrible author.
Oh this is gonna be a long story
I just want to know the ending sadly lol.
My guess with what is going on with the CMC is likely that one of them (most probably Scootaloo) is getting her cutie mark. Am I the only one who heard Twilight croaking out her first lines like Raven from Teen Titans? This is especially relevant, given they share a voice actress. Also, I may be misremembering things from the previous story, but I though Lyra and Bonbon were just friends, not lovers. Was there some unrequited feelings there?
Was it ever indicated in the previous story that Lyra had those sorts of feelings towards Bon Bon? Because I don't really remember you indicating that they were anything more than friends. Or maybe they were, but Bon Bon never reciprocated those feelings.
Also, Scootaloo will find out that she's the legendary Alicornborn, destined to slay alicorns with just her shouting.
Are the CMC going to become part of the elements? I think Scoots is going to be Loyalty.
I think maybe Luna's cat will become laughter because she made Trixie and Lyra laugh.
4040995 And Sweetie and Appleblpom may get their sisters old elements. As they were probably raised for them.
I really do love this story but it seems most of the ponies are waayyy out of character
5572770 They really should have played along from the beginning. There's a rule of leadership, that it's better to be loved than feared. I think it applies here too in a way. If they had accepted Twilight's love and been there for her she probably would have eventually let them go herself. Instead they tried to force her to let them go and just made her hold on tighter.
It was obvious from the beginning that she had abandonment issues, and rather than assure her that they wouldn't abandon her too, they went and tried to abandon her. The absolute worst possible thing they could have done! Right there they ensured that she was going to do everything in her power to keep them from leaving her. They were justified, but they should have known better. She's insane, not evil. This whole thing was Twilight desperately crying for help, and they refused to give it. She needed it so badly that she started kidnapping them and turning them into freaking dolls just so that they would be there for her!
3186864 Wait!
Teleporting cats? A higher power trying to take over the world and a resistance going against her? I thought this was Twilight's dollhouse not fucking Hallf life 2. that said lyra freemane would be awesome
Rainbow Dash!
What? 
Stop acting like an idiot and have sense!