Equestria Quest

by Iwano Imagination

Chapter 16: Cupcakes and Smiles

I was now officially getting sick of the color pink. It was too bad it was the fave color of one of my crushes in Reality. Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, and pink. I had now realized that I kept seeing pink stuff in my quest. What made me done with the color was Pinkamena herself—the pink, psychotic, killer mare that was chasing me right now.

I figured out while being pursued for my intestines that my dream of those pink wolves was Pinkamena. But I couldn’t figure out what my dream of the Sugarcube Corner in its creepy and ruined state meant.

In the episode Party of One in season one, Pinkie Pie had thought her friends abandoned their friendship with her. Thus, it had led the pink mare into depression, her bizarre behavior, negativity, and caused her mane to droop straight down instead of puffy. Her mane in that episode led the fandom to nickname her “Pinkamena”. That term had been then greatly exaggerated her in “Cupcakes”. The title might be cute, sweet and innocent, but it was actually a macabre short fan-fiction story that portrayed Pinkie Pie as the dark and popularized Pinkamena—a bloody and psychotic mare who drugged, killed, and dissected Rainbow Dash of her guts and made cupcakes out of them.

I myself never read that story, though I only read the summary, which was enough for me to hurl in the inside. Besides Past Sins, Cupcakes was one of the stories I never wanted to take a swing at, because it took away the true nature of the party pony into a gruesome clown. Pinkamena to me would be awesome if she who be a psychopath protecting her friends instead of making some of us bronies sick.

In my own brony vocabulary, Pinkamena was a term for a psycho killer, crazy or mental ponies who wanted to kill or be left alone in sadness, or probably murder with or without reason.

I’d seen plenty of fan arts of Pinkamena which were unique and intricate to my critique eyes, but the gory and dark ones, I avoided them as much as possible for they would give me nightmares,

Being chased in the Everfree Forest in this ominous night by Pinkamena herself was a nightmare enough.

Two white horns clashed as two Alicorns pushed each other with their own individual strength, magic power, and tactics.

Lauren didn’t break a sweat when she overpowered her former student yet again by suddenly blasting right in her opponent’s face. She spanned her wings wide, probably bragging her dominance, and then folded them back.

“For a princess with wisdom and knowledge,” the goddess said, “you’ve apparently lost your intuition and skills in combat, especially to a simple surprise attack.”

Though the blast was so strong that not only bruised her face but blinded her, Celestia was able to stand her ground with angering determination continuously flaring in her eyes.

“I will prove to you that I, Princess Celestia, your former student and beloved daughter, can still shine for my subjects!” Celestia exclaimed, her voice echoing in the throne room. “And…I will prove that Iwano Imagination can be saved, even if what I will do is small!” Her horn glowed, readying to cast. “I will save him, too—even from the likes of both you and Dissonance!!!”

A golden double helix beam issued from her horn as she jerked her head to Lauren. Celestia thought, I will not hesitate to use my full power against the mother I had loved!.

The double helix wrapped Lauren fiercely to Celestia’s emotion; strangling the opponent with such force stronger than a boa constrictor’s that the Alicorn’s bone would snap anytime.

However, the managing smirk on Lauren’s face unnerved the princess. Wait, something is wrong…

Lauren’s horn glowed brighter with white spirals, and freed her in a burst of light.

“The Heavenly Helix,” the goddess said as she stood and flexed her hooves and neck. “A spell in which the caster wraps his or her opponent in a chain-like helix that absorbs the victim’s energy, including magic, and uses it to strangle with force depending on the energy amount.” She giggled. “Luckily I still know how to free myself from it, Celestia.”

The princess gnashed her teeth as she went aloft high. Celestia’s horn glowed again, and rained down tiny and countless fireballs unto the goddess conjuring fast and continuously.

“Torrential Burn,” Celestia said as she glared down at where Lauren was, unseen by the raining fire and consuming of flames around her, and her sight came back. “A spell that rains down fireballs continuously based on my emotion. That is a spell of my own—as the bearer of the sun I called then my Sun Spells.”

Suddenly, the flames dissipated and died as they touched a light rose and arctic blue dome with peculiar symbols protecting the smirking Lauren.

Celestia gasped in disbelief. “What spell is that—?”

“It was fortunate that I’d never let you and Luna enter my study chamber thousands of years ago,” Lauren said. “Otherwise, you both would learn the weaknesses of my own spells, especially from my dear Star Swirl. This was one of the spells he taught me called the Rune Barrier—”

Frustrated, Celestia hesitantly struck a beam on the dome—but was reflected back even brighter and shot her instead. Fortunately and somehow, she kept aloft despite her neck badly wounded.

“Not only this barrier protects me from all forms of attacks,” Lauren explained, “but also reflects and kind of beam back at the caster, while tripling its power.” She then gave a skeptical look. “Although, I’m quite surprised you weren’t shot down despite the increased power, Celestia.”

“As long as I still have strength and determination left within to last me through these hours against you,” Celestia proudly and confidently said, “I will withstand my mother!”

Lauren grinned as Celestia landed. The princes suddenly stumbled, which amused her mother. Celestia managed to stand with her heart pounding rapidly.

“If you can withstand as long as you have strength and determination left within,” Lauren muttered, “then let us see if you can withstand”—she quickly unfolded her wings wide, and Celestia prepared a defensive stance—“THIS!!!”

Lauren flapped her wings in a single but tremendous stroke that produced a gale with rose petals flying around. The power of the winds were half the force of a typhoon that it was like more than a gale, which caused all the stained glasses—the important and most historical events in Equestria—to crack.

Celestia broadly stood her ground, but rose petals were blinding her sight again plus the winds. She struggled to make a step forward, and walked slowly and steadily against the magical gale as her ethereal mane danced violently.

This is unlike and magic I’ve experience and felt, Celestia thought. Is this the true extent of her magic, using the powers from Star Swirl combined with hers?!

The princess’s hooves gave up. Celestia was heavily blown out of her throne room though its royal doors, brining her to smack into a wall far in the halls. The doors then swung lazily closed, separating Lauren and her apart. The gale stopped.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Lauren said as she walked towards the doors, probably to see her fallen daughter. Rose petals now scattered the throne room’s floor, releasing an aromatic scent. “That was Rosetta Gale, my dear Celestia!”

Celestia heard Lauren as she again struggled to get on her hooves, but instead her whole body collapsed from total exhaustion and hurt.

“I’ve been fighting through this night,” she weakly said. “I…I—am weak…I am weak…”

As she sobbed helplessly and wallowed in pain from all the bruises and wounds she’d obtained, sounds of galloping approached.

“Princess Celestia!” a Unicorn stallion cried out as he and two other stallions—one stallion of crystal coating and clad in silver armor, and the other was tangelo in coating, clad in golden armor and looked younger than the two. One of them must have been a Crystal Guard while the other was a young Canterlot Royal Guard. The three stallions all wore helmets, concealing their manes.

The Unicorn had moderate cerulean eyes, and turquoisish white coat. Clad in his golden armor, his cutie mark was hidden.

The princess gasped her head up to the Unicorn. “Why are you here?!” Celestia frantically asked.

“I came to check and update my Royal Guards and check on the security conditions of Canterlot, your majesty,” the Unicorn replied. “But when I heard a ruckus from the castle, I knew for sure you were in trouble.”

Celestia again tried to stand, and successfully did as the two other guards supported her. “You must have not come here, it’s too dangerous,” she warned. “She’s too powerful even for your magic to handle.” She winced in pain. “You must—!”

The royal doors slammed open by Lauren’s magic as she entered the scene. The three stallions came forward, blocking Lauren from their princess.

“Halt, who are you?” the Unicorn demanded. “And don’t you dare take another step to the princess.”

“Ah, Shining Armor, I presumed,” the goddess said. “You’re the prince of the Crystal Empire and the husband of Princess Cadance. It’s an honor to meet the captain of Canterlot’s Royal Guards and Crystal Empire’s Crystal Guards.”

Shining Armor blinked. “How do you know who I am—?”

The stallions and Celestia were teleported away.

Lauren smirked. “You can’t hide from me, dear daughter. You’re still not done proving yourself to me, unless you’re a coward.”

They were transported in a wide, open rectangular court.

“Whoa, this is the Canterlot Castle’s Training Ground,” Shining Armor said in surprise and chuckled. “Brings me back memories when I first trained myself to become the rank of a captain.” He turned to the Celestia in great worry. “Don’t worry, Princess Celestia. We’ll protect you from, um, whoever she is. Who was that?”

The prince urgently gestured his guards to support the princess for she was about to stumble again.

“I do appreciate your great concern for me, Shining Armor,” Celestia said. “But her power is far beyond your abilities to fight back. Besides, this is about me. And her name must be unknown to you all. I must be the only one to face her.”

“Princess Celestia, you can’t go further like this,” the prince objected. “Your wounded appearance and your apparent exhaustion definitely put you in no condition anymore to fight her. You’d been going along for hours against her, isn’t it? We have to protect you.” He was then deep in thought, plans and tactics formed in his mind as he was the captain. He shot his head up with a grin and ordered his guards, “The two of you, gather all the guards all over Canterlot—fast! We need a mass assault against the intruder.”

His two guards saluted and left. Celestia was now slightly well with her balance.

The princess gasped. “Shining Armor, with the combined forces of all the guards in Canterlot, I doubt—”

“Princess, I know what I’m doing, and planning.” Shining Armor smiled with great confidence, as if the “intruder” would surely fall. “You’ll be surprised of what the Royal Guards and I had been practicing while you were away in all your important meetings.”

The princess questionably tilted her head. I hate to say this, she thought, but I doubt his plan would succeed against a deity. But I must hope for the best of its result.

“Hmm, I guess the intruder is unfamiliar of the castle that she’s not here yet,” Shining Armor said as he removed his helmet, revealing his moderate sapphire with moderate cerulean and dark phthalo blue mane that waved through the cold breeze of the night. “Um, I know you want that intruder’s name to be unknown to us, but could you at least only tell me everything about her? I promise it’ll be only between the two of us. I believe that intruder would have a hard time sorting through the castle’s halls.”

Celestia managed a weak smile. “You and Twilight are both the same when it comes to these. Very well then, captain, it is fair enough for a prince to learn more about my mother while we wait for both your guards and her arrival

Princess Celestia began her tale of Lauren Faust’s origin to Shining Armor…

I had to control my panting, otherwise she’d slit my throat in a second, as I was resting and obscuring myself within a treetop.

Pinkamena was so relentless, eager to disembowel her friend who had badly hurt her feelings all because he was too serious and a no-joke. With my Aura sense, I was able to pinpoint this Everfree Forest’s exit, but whenever I felt close to safety, she’d always be there to frighten me away, and chase me until I collapse from exhaustion—which I was right now. My tiredness hardly gave me any hope to use my Aura sense, making wander and run all over the forest with nowhere to hide.

Well, at least I was hiding, but not for long.

She was like those wolves in my dream—hunting me down by my scent. But I believe Pinkamena was hunting me down by smelling my fear, and the scent of my blood which dripped from my back. Because of that, I couldn’t fly for I would be stung with pain.

This wasn’t the first time I was hunted down. One of the best hunters who pursued me was Lupus Wilde the Prominence, a member of the Grand Chase. In Imaginundia, he was one of the most prominent bounty hunters around. He was my enemy when we first met. He told me my soul didn’t belong in his world—the Grand Chase world— and that he had to hunt me down just to transport me back home, which I disobeyed for I had a mission there. Of course in the end, we became friends.

Unlike that ending, I thought Pinkie Pie and I would never be friends again no matter what.

My magic wasn’t powerful enough this time for me to defend myself, and all I could do was shoot beams, teleport, and conjure common things. Despite those, I was now too weak for I had multiple slashes in my body besides my back. I couldn’t even heal myself. I was now beginning to think my magic had some sort of limit or pattern when it comes to these sorts of situations, such as this scary one.

“Is there any hope for me at all?” I whisperingly asked the sky. “If I die now, I’ll regret everything, and never forgive myself from Laughter.”

“Let’s have some fun…” Pinkamena said as she stealthily appeared behind me.

My heart raced again, and I sprang out of the tree and dashed off for my life.

“I knew she’d find me,” I hopelessly muttered.

I did what I had to do usually in this night with her: Run.

When I was about to jump over a rock, Pinkamena tackled me from my left, rolled us, and restrained me down. She raised a knife up with her hooves as she was about to end my life. I didn’t even wanna look at her face for my eyes were closed.

I had teleported somewhere else. I was too panicky and scared to picture Ponyville in my head so I could teleport there instead, but after what I’d done in my sugar rush state, I doubted I’d be safe. Teleporting into Zecora’s hut wasn’t a good idea either for Pinkamena would soon find me there for sure.

Pinkamena made me feel everything was a dead end.

I was again in an unknown area, but going away from her was good enough.

Suddenly, my wings were shot by knives causing me to get thrown and pinned on a tree—and not only that, six additional knives shot my hind legs and hooves. I screamed excruciatingly as the pain was already too unbearable. Stuck on this tree, I was like a frog pinned for dissection.

I screamed to the night, “SHE’S FREAKIN’ EVERYWHERE!”

And there she was, right in front of me…but more grotesque than before—and she still had her saddlebag.

Her pupils were shrunken into bloodshot beads, and her mane was now greasy. What almost made me hurl and the most horrifying to me was her lipless mouth, widely exposing her grinning teeth as it drooled out blood, enough to even make the faintest of the heart die, probably.

I concentrated on my magic to teleport, but no luck. I tried imagining stuff to get out, but no luck. I tried struggling, but it just worsened my pain.

So, this is it…

Pinkamena then sang a creepy melody as she slowly brought out a knife from her saddlebag with her hoof, and I tried to figure out how she was able to sing with that kind of mouth—

Hello, my friend, I’m Pinkie Pie

All ends well, tonight you die

You really don’t like me, I see

You’re now with me and you’ll not flee

I will let you see the light

Not the moon, and not this night

You’ll never see daylight again

We’ll see each other someday, my friend

You broke my heart and time to care

Now it’s your blood to me you’ll share

You made me sad and then I cry

But soon you and I will both go fly

I really wanna be your mare

Do not escape and do not dare

I’ll stick a knife into your throat

And in the end we’ll be on a boat…

That was one of the creepiest songs I’d ever listened to that I wanted to just die now instead of hearing more, thought a curious part of me told me there was something hidden in those lyrics, like a message. But I wouldn’t have any time for that, for I’d die tonight. It also reminded of creepy pastas.

I was actually used to these near-death situations, and a miracle always happened whereas I was saved. But this felt different, like I’d lost all hope.

Pinkamena raised her knife as it shadowed itself in the moonlight.

Tears escaped my eyes as I stared at her knife…

I closed my eyes slowly, and whispered, “I’m sorry…”

The knife was half a millimeter away from my chest when she stopped. What? I thought I was about to die, so why did she stop?

“W-w-what did you say…?” Pinkamena asked.

My heart was racing faster than my coach doing a Sonic Rainboom. I had to stay calm, but, uh, I didn’t know what to do, or what to reply.

Maybe I should say something from the bottom of my heart, I anxiously thought. Or technically say something from the bottom of my hypothalamus.

I sighed.

“Pinkie Pie,” I began. “I’ve always hated you from the beginning. I was actually just trying to endure your annoyingness. But seeing you like this, I now realized I was the one who destroyed Ponyville—you might not get any of what I said at all. I remembered what you said back in the party…that I just need a little laughter to last longer or stick with me like bubblegum when I’m gonna go through a harsh time in the future, so I can look back to the joyful past to sheer me on further. And you said is shouldn’t be shy when I’m gonna have a great time. I guessed I was too serious, even back in my kingdom—I am a good guy! Maybe I just can’t take the irritating but fun stuff because I was to, again, serious and, ugh—that I’m afraid ponies around me would laugh at me! I thought too much, Pinkie Pie! I’m just too serious! I wanna have fun, like what I’d done back home as I used to be. I’m sorry if I had hurt your feelings…And I always do that to fun people. Maybe I’m also just jealous that you’re just more fun like Cheese Sandwich.

“I don’t know if all of this would make sense to you, but I’m hoping you’d understand my character, Pinkie Pie.” My face began to stream more from my realization and shame. “I-I can be fun, too, like you! I just thought—argh, I hate this! Maybe…I won’t learn anything about Laughter at all…I’ll never learn Laughter if I’m like this…I’m just so sensitive of being so irritated that I had to shut you off—my ears were ringing of because of your two mouths, by the way, and sorry. I have hurt your feelings, and probably your method in how to make me smile too, so just kill me now for I deserve it. I deserve my blood to be on your hooves.

“Pinkie Pie, I should have liked you as my friend, for you can definitely turn my frown upside-down and cheer me up—like what you naturally do. I was hoping to learn how to be more fun in the right way from you—I know how, but I think it’s wrong! It’s funny though, that I think I’m worse than Cranky Doodle Donkey.” I weakly chuckled. “But, you understand, right? Please understand my character…I Pinkie Promise you’d see more of me, my true self…

“I’m so, so sorry, Pinkie Pie…”

Strangely, Pinkamena slowly lowered her blade. I wanted to pass out right now from total exhaustion, and being pinned to this tree was fine by me.

Suddenly, Pinkamena was wrapped and pulled with a jerk by a rope, dropping her blade. I thought it was Applejack, but when I looked ahead, it was Braeburn and the rest of my Party Ripple friends running towards me.

As Applejack’s cousin pulled a struggling pink mare, Noteworthy, Caramel and Gizmo restrained her down as Braeburn tied her up. Rose, Daisy, Carrot Top, Berry Punch and Film Reel, despite they were grossed out of my condition, meticulously pulled the knives off and laid me on Apple Fritter’s back. She was one strong mare, like Applejack.

“We gotta get outta here now, partners!” Braeburn urged as he finished his knot on a wriggling, rope-coated Pinkamena, shrieking in desperation of freeing herself. It was smart of Noteworthy to take her saddlebag away, and Braeburn had his own brown one, probably filled with important supplies for a rescue. “You better be careful with Iwano, cousin.”

“I know, Braeburn,” Apple Fritter said. “Now, let’s go, before we ended up like Morning!”

As they all dashed off with me on Apple Fritter’s back, in a distance as I enhanced my vision, Pinkamena squirmed like a worm, grabbed a knife from the ground—the ones used to pin me—and slashed her ropes.

I gulped and asked, “Why are you folks here? I’ve to tell y’all that it’s dangerous! Pinkie Pie has gone psycho killer, and pretty soon for sure, y’all end up hanging—literally—on a tree!”

“We can’t just leave you like this, Morning,” Noteworthy said. “Besides, if it weren’t for us appearing on time, you would’ve been done. I promise you’ll come back to Twilight alive, and that we’ll save you in any way.”

I scowled. “Just to let y’all know, I was the one who turned Pinkie Pie into that monstrosity. I deserved to just die—”

“Don’t say that!” Rose snapped. “We had to rain on Pinkie Pie’s party, okay? Look, we don’t care if all of this is your fault, and we’re still gonna be your friends no matter who you are. We’ll all help you bloom somehow, and that’s a promise.”

“Rose’s right,” Daisy agreed. “You’re a great guy, and we know it. Maybe we and the town citizens just need to know you better. I promise we’ll somehow even find a way to help Pinkie.”

Know me better, I musingly thought.

“Twilight had told us about your mission with her and her companions before we came to rescue you,” Gizmo said. “You have to complete it; otherwise something bad might happen, in theory. I promise you’ll be successful.”

I thought Gizmo was right on that one, about completing my mission here in Equestria, which sparked up my determination.

“We also promise Twilight and her pals to bring you back,” Apple Fritter said. “They were actually supposed to be the ones to save ya, but they were too busy savin’ lives in Ponyville from that dinginess you’d caused. And I promise that I’ll be a good friend of yours, Morning!”

“I don’t know you well, Morning,” Caramel said, “but one thing I’m sure, we’ll save you even if it means sacrificing ourselves because you’re a good guy. I promise to watch your back, friend.”

I shook. “I’d hurt Pinkie Pie’s feelings that had caused her to be in that state, and I turned Ponyville upside down, Caramel. Why are you Earth ponies eager to save somepony who almost destroyed the town?!”

“There’s just only one answer to that, Morning Leaf,” Carrot Top said, “and it’s simple: Because it’s the right thing. And we believe you didn’t mean all of that. I promise you’ll be treated of your injuries, and treat you like somepony special as a friend.”

“But I meant to hurt Pinkie Pie’s feelings, though,” I sadly admitted.

“Morning, forget about that,” Berry Punch said. “Focus on yourself, and let us just focus in getting you out of this creepy forest. Thinking about your mistakes ain’t gonna help. Thinking about them might even be worst than dying on a tree, if you ask me. I promise to cheer you up, just like what Pinkie should have done.”

“Partner,” Braeburn blithely said, “I promise you that after all this, maybe tomorrow would be a mighty fine day—and who cares if the whole town’s gonna hate ya! If you have imagination in your name, I bet you can come up with an idea to get yourself friendly to the townsfolk.”

“Don’t give up,” Film Reel said. “One way or another, this whole thing will turn out to be all just a bad dream in a picture. We’re doing this because we also forgive you, Morning Leaf. We hope to know you better as our friend—and soon you’ll be one to the whole town, and that’s a promise, too!”

Heavy as my heart could be, I couldn’t believe they were encouraging me to go on after everything of what I’d done. These Equestrians, especially these Earth ponies, might just be more special than I thought in the very beginning of researching about them. They reminded me of my friends from Konoha, whereas I almost destroyed the whole village, and they forgave me anyway despite some of them held grudges, but eventually treated me as an ally, a friend. I sunk in everything they’d told me as tips and advice in my head. I hoped I wouldn’t forget. Their words were also sweet I could just cry, but I did that enough already that I had dried out my tear sacs. They’d given me hope that everything would turn out for the best.

I noticed that they all said “promise” in their sentences. I bet they really meant that. In general to everything they said, they promised me for the best. I thought I might have a lot more to learn in my adventures, besides trigonometric angles, undefined areas and chemical bonding. Speaking of bonding, maybe I should do that soon—as soon as this whole predicament was over.

Apple Fitter’s back was soaked with my blood, but she wasn’t disgusted of it, though I caught Berry Punch being queasy as we ran fast.

“Um, is this the right way?” Rose asked. “Because I think we’re lost.”

“What makes you say that?” Noteworthy asked.

Raining knives landed right in front of us, and we screeched to a stop. A cackle made my friends turn to their behind, which made Apple Fritter drop me by accident. I stood up anyway groggily in front of them.

Pinkamena was there, standing and freed from her ropes. I sensed a sinister aura around her, both melancholic and gruesome.

She said, “The real party is just beginning, everypony. Fasten your seat belts and hang for your lives, ‘cause all of you too are gonna DIE!!!”

Braeburn produced another line of rope from his saddlebag and quickly made a lariat as he lassoed to Pinkamena. But she was blindingly fast, she dodged and dashed towards us with such incredible speed even Rainbow Dash couldn’t keep up—this must be Pinkamena’s psychotic speed.

The mares screamed, the stallion anxiously prepared themselves for a fight that would only lead them to their inevitable deaths, and I became dizzy—I couldn’t do anything, and I was useless. I thought this was definitely the end for us. And no doubt that knife Pinkamena was holding was meant for me first before the others.

This is the finishing blow, I hopelessly thought.

Suddenly, the night descended and instead took the blade by the chest, gnashing her teeth as she endured the pain. We all gasped in horror, and I was there paralyzed in a mix of fear, shock, and confusion.

Luna cried out, “My subjects, RUN!”

Bursting through the court’s main entrance by Princess Celestia and Shining Armor’s north the moment the princess had finished her tale were twenty-six Unicorn, Earth pony, and Pegasus Royal Guards—a total of seventy-eight Royal Guards, though it wasn’t enough to consume such a wide court. They all formed ranks of their respective species, all simultaneously stomped their left hooves, and saluted in attention to their captain. For the princess, they curtly bowed in respect of their presence. All of their faces told Shining Armor they were ready for any order, even the one he was going to give which would be simple but imperative.

The prince picked up, wore his helmet and trotted into the front of all guards. His two other Royal Guards whom he ordered to bring his other guards stood right beside him—the crystal one on the left, and the young one on the right.

“Excellent work, the two of you,” Shining Armor said to his two soldiers as he focused on his guards.

“Whatever plan Shining Armor has in mind, I hope it succeeds,” Celestia said.

“Alright, listen up!” the prince hollered. “An intruder in the castle—still lost but probably on her way—had attacked Princess Celestia, and we’re all here for to stop her! She’s an Alicorn, like all four of our princesses, but different. This is what we’re going to do: Pegasi, hide in the clouds above for you all will ambush the intruder the moment she comes to the court’s center. Once she does, prevent her from using or concentrating on her magic as a distraction—flock around her as irritably as you can, but make sure she doesn’t get or attack you! Unicorns, while the Pegasi do their part, we’ll all perform the ‘Crystal Curse’, the one we’d been practicing for so long! And Earth, hide in the bushes until I say so for a reinforcement if ever our formation would break! For the princess!”

All the guards shouted in unison “Yes sir!” and obeyed.

The young tangelo pony trotted towards the other guards probably to help, but was stopped by the captain.

“You and Glass Eye will be guarding this castle’s main doors in order to prevent any other ponies to get in, otherwise they’d get hurt,” Shing Armor said.

The tangelo pony opened his mouth to protest, but caught the Crystal pony Glass Eye shook by the conerber of his eye. Instead, he nodded to the captain and trotted away with the crystal one out of the court by the south doors.

“I have another plan in mind, young fella,” Glass Eye whispered to the tangelo one as they exited the court.

The Unicorn Royal Guards formed a giant circle formation in the court with Shining Armor among them. The Earth and Pegasus Royal Guards obscured themselves in their given areas.

Nopony moved a muscle. Silence was waiting with everypony for Lauren.

“A Crystal Curse Seal? What magic is that, Shining Armor?” Celestia asked as she approached the captain.

“Trust me on this, and we’re going to take her down,” the prince promised.

Where have I heard of that before? Celestia asked herself. I think…that is from the Crystal Empire, but what does it do again? Only one way to find out.

“Oh Celestia~!” Lauren sweet calling echoed in everypony’s ears, causing a short distraction as the enemy Alicorn teleported in the center of the circle.

“NOW!” Shining Armor signaled, and the Pegasi each swooped down blindingly, hitting and bumping the goddess without hesitation. They were all like flies, annoying and distracting their light from using or even concentrating on her magic at all costs.

As the Pegasi processed on their part, the Unicorns began their phase of the formation. All the Unicorns bowed down to touch the ground with their horns as their magic aura from each of theirs had glowed light rose. Shining Armor easily had beaded sweat as he focused on sharing his magic with his fellow comrades. As they were all performing the magic, the prince eyed on Lauren with curiosity and determination in his eyes—the same as Twilight’s.

Lauren, showing exasperation and irritation within the Pegasi cage, began shooting beams out everywhere randomly and haphazardly out of immediate sheer frustration.

“ENOUGH!!!” the goddess shrieked, and produced a shockwave from her voluminous voice causing the Pegasi’s formation to scramble away whilst the Unicorns were done. Fortunately, the Pegasi had common sense to retreat to the clouds for the main phase.

“That…” Celestia flew above unnoticed. “That is one of the Crystal Empire’s Crystal Spells! Those sacred spells can only be found in the ancient books hidden in the empire’s library! How in Equestria was Shining Armor able to find them? King Sombra was the only one who knew their location…”

Princess Celestia stared at a wide, giant mosaic circle designed with lines that made a geometrical formation connecting all the Unicorns. The princess was speechless and astonished of the whole seal’s glowing light rose beauty and feeling of the amount of power.

Lauren tossed her head around anxiously, which surprised Celestia in thought, I have not seen mother like this in a long, long time. The goddess shot up to escape, but a Pegasus Royal Guard swiftly swooped down and pushed her down hard back to earth, and then returned to hiding. She tried another attempt by blasting a random Unicorn Royal Guard, but the giant circle she was in began forming a magical dome fast, shielding all the guards and trapping her.

She was about to hyperventilate, but collected back her calmness and then smiled at Shining Armor who was still eyeing on her.

“You’re planning to place a powerful curse on me, to petrify me into a crystal statue,” Lauren said. “This takes a long time to practice and a whole lot of magical teamwork, but a Unicorn with mass power like Sombra and Star Swirl could go solo with this.”

The goddess’s hooves slowly enveloped themselves into red crystals, which made cringed her nervously.

“I’m impressed of the whole formation and cooperation you have with all your loyal Royal Guards, captain,” the trapped Alicorn calmly continued. “But your great efforts to crystal curse me…”

Shining Armor, in the middle of maintaining the dome and seal with all his magic power despite all his guards’ great efforts to support their captain, squinted at Lauren of what she meant…and his eyes alarmed as he saw the goddess rearing with her horn glowing and spiraled with unknown symbols.

Lauren smirked and screamed, “IT IS NOTHING TO YOUR DEITY!”

The moment her hooves stomped the ground with such force, everything was thrown in total disarray. The dome shattered, the Pegasus Royal Guards were blown away far from the site, the Unicorn Royal Guards crashed into the court’s walls behind them including with Shining Armor, a few fissures were made, the formation and spell was broken, and the goddess was freed. Her power was beyond them.

Hesitant and hurt as he struggled on his hooves, Shining Armor removed his helmet and his whole armor in desperation as he cried out, “ATTACK!”

Recovered and surviving Pegasi and Unicorns charged against the Alicorn enemy with the Earth Royal Guards.

Lauren snorted. “Wow, a full assault already. This would be interesting.” She was then enveloped in rose red flames from head to hooves. “Red Meteor!”

The Alicorn rushed as a flaming meteorite, crashing her foes like they were absolutely nothing. Surprisingly, not only she could fly in that form, but one single contact from that fiery ball, a guard had gone ablaze.

Guards who were in flames screamed helplessly as some ran around in panic or rolled on the ground. Unicorns that were unburned magically extinguished their comrades of fire, but ended up clashing with the fiery Lauren.

Shining Armor was smart enough to stealthily extinguish his burned guards, and somehow knew how to magically heal their burns. Unfortunately, he was the only one among his soldiers to perform that art.

“Darn it,” he cursed as he’d put out a guard’s flames and healed him, and tossed his head around. All he could see were fissures, fire, ruined walls of the court, and fallen Royal Guards who weren’t saved in time. “This has got to—”

Like all of what she’d done wasn’t satisfying enough, Lauren stopped at the very center of the court…And then had burst up multiple fireballs everywhere, hitting numerous surviving guards, destroying the court’s structure, and blazed even more fire.

Lauren, extinguished of her Red Meteor form, glanced around pleasingly and wondered, “Now, where are you Celestia? All nuisances have been exterminated.” When she glanced at her hooves, the goddess scowled at the sight of them gradually turning into red crystals. “That Shining Armor might be a powerful Unicorn than I thought, a great fit to be a captain and prince of the Crystal Empire.”

Grunts from a wounded Unicorn had caught Lauren’s attention. As she turned her head, the prince lunged fiercely with his horn directly at her, but was skillfully countered by the Alicorn’s sude push.

Shining Armor, without hesitation and eyes filled with fury, countered by drifting, faced Lauren, and struck a sharp blasting blow on her face.

Lauren stumbled back away from her opponent with eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She shakily touched her right cheek, and her hoof revealed that she bled.

“How dare you…” she growled angrily as she turned to Shining Armor with his defensive stance. Her frown was deadly calm. “I think I’ve underestimated the Captain of the Royal Guards—able to conjure up and control an ancient seal-curse with all his guards as the core with such coordination, survived my attacks while all your precious comrades have fallen, and made a deity bleed. No mere mortal has ever made me, a deity, bleed in a thousand years.” She noticed a few healed burns in the captain’s body. “No armor, it’s likely you’d been exposed easily to my red flames. Obviously you removed your armor to move freely in this battlefield. Once you return to your Crystal Empire, within four days, you’ll cool off of everything, Shining Armor. Oh, and just to tell you and Celestia, I will find any possible ways to get rid of Iwano Imagination—I’ll do anything…”

The captain glanced above and blinked at his enemy. “What do you mean cool off?”

Lauren giggled. “Oh, Celestia will tell you everything—if you survive, that is. By the way, where is she?”

Shining Armor glanced above again, and grinned slyly at his opponent.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” the goddess asked. “And what’s up?”

The moment the prince teleported, Lauren was crushed and pulverized by a rushing Sonic Rainboom from the night sky. The surprise attack’s impact had caused the whole castle to shook and the court’s walls to crumble, and produced a giant rainbow-colored mushroom cloud. A crater was then created in its wake as smoke cleared, revealing to be only Princess Celestia standing where Lauren was.

Glass Eye and the tangelo guard came out of the southern doors of the court. Shining Armor sighed in relief to see two living Royal Guards.

“Princess Celestia!” the captain came and slid down to the princess with Glass Eye and the young guard. “Where’s the Alicorn Lauren?”

Celestia panted, and then relaxed herself forcibly. “She had teleported in escape, but there will be no doubts that she wouldn’t returning to Canterlot for me in a long time, for you and your guards have successfully cursed her with that seal.”

Shining Armor sulked. “All my best Canterlot Royal Guards are gone.”

The princess winced. “I know losing them is harsh, and I believe—”

“I’ve bonded with each and every one of them.” The captain held back tears. “Arrow Point, Hot Trot, Lead Hoof, Spark Shake, Heavy Stomp…I know all of them, and now they’re gone.”

“Their sacrifices will all be worth it,” Celestia promised. “For now, I will alert all of Equestria about Lauren’s presence. However, her status as deity must remain unknown, but Twilight and her friends must learn this—and Iwano Imagination obviously knew. In the meantime, they are completing their tasks together.”

“Who’s Iwano Imagination? And what task did you just gave to Twilly?”

“I promise you will learn everything, Shining Armor. I have to warn you of a merciless snowstorm is about to consume the Crystal Empire within four days, counting today.”

“So that’s what that Alicorn meant,” the prince whispered. He shook. “Princess Celestia, where’s Princess Luna? In a situation like this, she should’ve come and lent us a hoof against Lauren for the night is her territory. Where is she?”

“She’s preventing bloodshed from rising in Ponyville, which I am afraid had now happened while I was fighting Lauren. I am hoping she will save Iwano and the citizens of the town, for Twilight and her friends might not be able to handle it themselves.”

“Gosh, a lot of things are probably going to happen. By the tone of your voice you seem pretty concern for this Iwano Imagination, princess. Is he or she the center of all this?”

“Just to give you a brief info, Iwano Imagination is an Alicorn stallion, a ruler of an unknown kingdom called Imaginundia. He had journeyed here to Equestria seeking for the wielders of the Elements of Harmony for their influences against his dark power, Dissonance. Yes, he is the center of all this, Shining Armor, because of his Dissonance. That dark power of his could possibly cause unimaginable chaos far worse than Discord’s reign. He needs help, he needs friendship, and I believe Twilight and her friends have the natural potential to save him.”

“Princess, Lauren mentioned that she’ll find any way to get rid of Iwano. Though I think he’s a very big threat since you told me about his Dissonance, I think he’s just a good guy. It’s best if I send some guards for Twilight to protect Iwano with. After losing all of my Royal Guards whom I bonded with each, I got to admit, I’m uncertain to lose more, for that deity could easily wipe out a horde. But I wanted to protect that Iwano no matter the cost.”

Celestia glanced at Shining Armor’s two guards behind him.

“I choose these guards to protect Iwano,” she said.

Shining Armor blinked in great disbelief and was agape. “Y-you can’t be serious, princess! These soldiers are still new—they’re rookies—and they have no such experiences—!”

“Sir,” Glass Eye said as he stepped forward. “You told us guards that we should offer our lives for the sake of Equestria’s safety in any dire time—and this counts as plenty dire to us. We’ll humbly accept any task from Princess Celestia, as long as we help. We may be rookies, but we’ll be glad to lend a hoof no matter the problem is.

Shining Armor was deep in thought, and asked the tangelo guard, “Are you up for this, rookie?”

The ‘rookie’ nodded.

“Strangely, when I first met Iwano Imagination in the castle,” Celestia said, “he emitted some kind of ‘gray’ energy that I sensed. I speculated it was a combination of his individual good aura and evil aura of Dissonance that would attract unknown forces and affect his surroundings. I will think of that later so we can do our parts.”

“How do you know Iwano’s ‘gray’ aura would cause that sort of effect?” Shining Armor asked.

Celestia’s eyes sadly stared at the ground. “Lauren taught Luna and me how to identify auras and their effects. A gray aura is unnatural, very rare, the strangest, and most dangerous. Discord was the first to be identified with that. Iwano Imagination is the second.”

Shining Armor nodded in understanding. He then gestured his guards to come forward to the princess as he set himself aside.

“In a few hours,” the princess said to the two guards, “both of you shall be stationed to Ponyville not only to provide extra protection to Iwano Imagination, but to protect Ponyville, observe your princess’s progress and her friends, and message me of any major occurrences, especially if it is an emergency. Princess Twilight will provide your messaging to me for she has a dragon assistant.”

“Should we also update on Iwano Imagination’s progress in influencing himself with the Elements of Harmony?” Glass Eye asked.

Green ashes flew down in front of Celestia and formed a scroll. She levitated, unrolled it, and speedily read it. She giggled. The princess smiled brightly, which shunned away her sadness and fury away by the message her ‘pen pal’ had wrote.

“No need for that.” Celestia rolled the scroll and teleported it away. “Now, you’re names?”

“I am Glass Eye,” the crystal pony removed his helmet, revealing his silvery crystal buzz cut mane, and introduced himself with a bow. “I recently became a Royal Guard last week. It is an honor to accept our most important task in our life.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She faced the young one, who gulped in nervousness. Celestia just smiled, which comforted the guard to stand formally as he was. “I think I might have seen you in the Crystal Empire once. What is your name?”

The tangelo pony hesitated. He removed his helmet, revealing his mane to be two tones of sapphire blue, and bowed as he introduced himself, “My name’s Flash—Flash Sentry.”

I couldn’t believe it. If Luna was there, fending off Pinkamena as my Party Ripples and I ran for our lives, then this must had all been a dream—like Sweetie Belle’s in the episode For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils, except, Luna appeared real in the Unicorn crusader’s heist.

Sadly, this was all real, duh.

Because of that horror back there, I was fully awake from sudden drowsiness and my joints sparked to run for with my friends.

Princess Luna could handle Pinkamena, right? That Alicorn was immortal and powerful, but I couldn’t shake the feeling Luna would fail—not by dying, but failed to block her from pursuing us. Why would she save me? I thought she hated the Alicorn who unknowingly disrupted her dream duties. I didn’t wanna doubt anymore. I wanted Luna to win.

“Are you fine, Morning?” Daisy worriedly asked as I kept running. “Does it still hurt?”

“It burns,” I admitted. “But nonetheless, I’m alive.

“Wow, your deep wounds are freakishly healing themselves!” Gizmo exclaimed in marvel. “You’re horn’s not even glowing in response to your desire to use magic, so how?”

“Well, you can all say I’m amazing in many ways but far beyond that. I wanna explain more in detail, but I wanna ask: Where in Equestria really is the exit, folks?!”

“Caramel, I thought you know where since you’re leadin’ us!” Apple Fritter complained. “Now, we’re lost!”

“Don’t worry, cousin,” Braeburn said. “This is definitely the right way!”

“You know you have a bad sense of direction, right, Caramel? Why won’t I just lead? I say, we go this left.”

“Calm down, Fritter. Just like what I said: This is definitely the right…way?”

We stopped by a tree with a slash carving of three horseshoes.

“Heh, Caramel, it’s like your cutie mark,” Noteworthy said. “Why would anypony carve this on a tree in the middle of the forest? Is it a way to find the exit or something?”

“Why would his cutie mark be here anyway?” Braeburn asked, too.

“Whatever the reason, it’s creeping me out,” Rose said.

“Yeah,” Daisy agreed. “This whole thing’s scarier than that horror movie we’d watched since we were foals since Nightmare Night.”

“We should get a move on,” I sternly said. “Who knows? Pinkamena might probably escaped Princess Luna by now. The more we converse, the more we’re closer to being done.”

They all nodded in agreement and left the tree.

I didn’t tell them…that that slash carving of Caramel’s cutie mark meant something. Daisy said that when they were foals, they watched a horror movie. This was more than that. I had terrible experiences with these sorts of horror adventures. My most recent ‘horror movie’ was my Herobrine hunt in Minecraft world.

I glanced at my watch—3:10 AM. We’d been running and catching our breaths for an hour since Luna’s arrival to our aid. I was afraid to tell this to Braburn but—

“We’re lost,” I said, which made us stop.

“How can you be sure, Morning?” Braeburn asked.

“When Luna had arrived and she told us to run, we went to a different direction from there—southwest, instead of directly north. In other words, we’re far from Ponyville now, folks.”

“Rascal hays!” Apple Fritter cussed. “I told ya I should lead us instead, Caramel!”

“Don’t blame me!” Caramel said in defense. “We were all in fright when Pinkie Pie stopped us and—and, uh—I…think I’ve panicked a little there and hesitated…and totally forgotten the way.”

“You buffoon, you’re forgetful, remember? Oh wait, you probably forgot!”

“I’m sorry, alright? I tried my best, really! Maybe if we just go back and—”

“Goin’ back there where Princess Luna and Pinkie are fending off each other is suicide!”

“I remember Twilight entrusted me to get everypony back once we found Iwano, so that means I’m still leading, not you!”

“When we get out of here alive, I’m gonna—”

“Stop, both of you!” Braeburn snapped. “If we keep fighting, we’re more lost than us here already.”

“Morning Leaf, can you fly now?” Film Reel asked. “You’re healing yourself somehow, right? Maybe you’re back’s okay now for you to fly up so we can find Ponyville.”

I unfolded and stretched my wings, expecting it to electrocute my nerves in pain. Instead, I felt fine. “I’m goin’ up, guys,” I said. “You all stay together and call me if Pinkie Pie’s coming. I’ll be back fast.”

I shot up and went aloft in the middle of the dark sky. I scanned my farther surroundings, luckily, I found Ponyville in no time—it was north to where we were now.

An earsplitting scream forced me to descend for my friends.

As I landed, Caramel was being pulled by a pink licorice rope from the dark forest patch of our right by his hind hooves as my Party Ripples tried to pull him back—a tug of war.

I gritted my teeth and aimed my horn to where the rope was from. Finally, I was able to shot a beam, but nothing happened.

“What’re you doin’, Morning?” Braeburn asked frantically while he pulled hard with his teeth.

“I-I thought maybe I can shoot Pinkie Pie to—”

“Pinkie Pie?!”

“Worry not, I’m gonna shoot again—!”

A single knife rained down in front us which startled my friends, causing them to accidentally release Caramel to the pink licorice rope as he was pulled in rapid speed.

“Caramel!” Apple Fritter cried out.

“We gotta go get ‘im!” I said, and we ran to save our friend.

All we heard was his screaming as we went deeper into the Everfree Forest. Here, it became darker and dimmer for us to see, but we kept venturing on. I had to say it.

“Guys, remember that slash carving back when we saw it on that tree?” I asked. “That was obviously Pinkie Pie telling us who she was going to kill—and her first victim’s Caramel!”

“Oh, whoa, that ain’t good at all,” Noteworthy said. “I just hope we can save him in time—whoa!”

We stopped in this horrific sight.

Lying on the ground bruised up with his hooves all tied up together with the same pink licorice, Caramel’s neck had been slit and stuck with six knives, and his eyes opened wide dirtied with more blood. What caught my breath was his mouth filled with carrots. This gruesome sight was enough to make me vomit.

Biting my tongue, I held back a scream. I’ve faced these things all the time in my adventures, I reminded myself in thought. Stay strong, be brave, Iwano. We have to get outta here, and I promise to fix everything.

I slowly said, “…Carrot Top’s next.”

As I said it, the mare with a carrot cutie mark hyperventilated. “I’m gonna d-d-die?!”

“No you’re not!” I promised. “Come on, we have to keep moving!”

“But I don’t wanna leave Caramel behind—!”

“Golden Harvest, Pinkie Pie’s gonna kill us all if we prolong our stay in this forest! I promise to fix all this once Pinkie Pie’s done!”

“How, Morning Leaf?! How can you save us?!”

“First: We’ll get out of here alive; second: This was all my fault, so I have to face Pinkie Pie soon; and third: I’m an Alicorn, I can do anything.”

“Then fix everything!”

She was beginning to vex me. “Just to let you all know, my magic sometimes doesn’t respond to me if I don’t feel well. In other words, my magic’s weird! In the meantime, I feel it’s gradually coming back, but that doesn’t mean I can fight her right now. Trust me and I promise I’ll get Caramel back. Now—move!”

We ran again, but this time I was leading. I didn’t wanna fly ‘cause Pinkie Pie might easily get all of them, so I had to protect them even if I’d to conjure a little shield to fend off from sweet ropes to sharp blades.

Fortunately, besides my magic was gradually returning, I felt my Aura senses kicking in again. My Aura senses could also read people/ponies emotions or hearts, but that would also drain me.

So, I quickly glanced at my friends, and read theirs.

All of them were horrified at heart. Despite Braeburn, Apple Fritter, Noteworthy and Berry Punch had serious expressions being worn, their hearts were in fear. Gizmo, Daisy, Film Reel, Rose were all doing their best to hold back their terrified emotions. Carrot Top just wept, obviously at the thought of losing Caramel. I guessed ponies in Equestria weren’t used to these things, especially the gruesome. When I saw them horrified at the sight of a bloody Caramel, they were like five-year-olds who saw a brutally murdered friend for the first time that traumatized them for life. Maybe losing loved ones wasn’t easy in this world, despite the fact that MLP was a kiddy girl’s show. Unlike them, I wasn’t frightened at all…Okay, maybe just a pinch.

I, on the other hand, was used to seeing people, friends, and loved ones dying in my adventures, because Lentae and I, and some other properties and beings in Imaginundia, had solutions to deaths, but all had a cost (Of course, because they were all involved life). But losing them did hurt as well, which could cause a variety of powers or modes to trigger within me. I’d to prevent any more deaths tonight, albeit it was just one. Caramel’s death cracked something in my heart. I didn’t want to trigger anything within for they were mostly bad—very bad.

In general, I had to protect my Party Ripples and myself through all this in any possible way.

Rose suddenly had left behind because of a rustling bush. Curious, she slowly approached it, only about to be mauled by Pinkamena. Fortunately thanks to my Aura senses sharpening up, I turned in a drift and quickly blasted the pink mare away before her knife sunk into Rose’s eyes.

I teleported Rose to my side as we all continued running and scolded, “You should never stop! Anything strange around us, that’s Pinkie Pie!”

“Let’s all brave out of here, partners!” Braeburn cried out.

When he said that line, I felt my heart unfurling its wings that brought me more courage to bring us to safety and determined to face Pinkamena—my pink mistake. I would never forget what he said, ever.

My Aura senses sparked, and I looked back. My heart withdrew. My face drained out of some hope.

“Morning, what’s wrong?” Carrot Top asked as everypony followed my gaze. “Three Pinkie Pies?!”

I never realized how strong my pink lightning from my Bolt Wing fiasco had caused the pink mare not to have just incredible psychotic speed and gruesome thirst for blood, but somehow able to split into three. It was bad enough for me that she could defy logic, but that already crossed my line.

My dream is coming true, I thought.

And all your Party Ripples will inevitably die, another voice spoke in my racing mind.

Suddenly, a Pinkamena caught up, and lassoed Carrot Top by the neck. Everything went deaf for me as we stopped and I blasted at the pink clones haphazardly. I guessed they were smart, because one Pinkamena blocked all my beams with a pink frying pan—that was obviously from her saddlebag—as the second one pulled a struggling Carrot Top, and the third one was slashing away at my friends but seemed to have no intentions of killing them since she moved flamboyantly with three knives.

Too late, the orange-colored mane mare had her face feasted by her puller. Soon, the other Pinkamena joined in, eating Carrot Tops face out.

“Carrot!” Berry Punch cried out as she lunged towards them, but Braeburn and Apple Fritter stopped her before she became the next dish.

Why was I feeling so useless, no urge to fight them and stupid? What took my magic so long to restore and my reflexes to stretch back?

There was nothing I could do now, but Carrot Top’s lost boosted me to get us out here more and at the same time stab my heart to see my friend eaten.

“Let’s keep moving!” I hollered. “Berry Punch, don’t worry, everything’s gonna be fine in the”—a bunch of grapes and a strawberry fell right in front of me—“RUN!”

As we continued running, I quickly glanced at everypony’s face again. Their faces thickened probably to endure another friend’s death, but behind their eyes, they were mourning and crying in fear. Berry Punch broke into tears as she kept moving faster. What if that other voice was right, that all their deaths were inevitable? And I bet that was Dissonance speaking.

Another knife flew passed my face from our left, but we were unfazed as I read their minds, they all knew they had to brave on and stay strong albeit two ponies died.

The Pinkamena’s were probably getting tired of chasing us, so they lassoed each and every one us by our neck and dragged us separately from each other.

They were so illogically fast, so eager to—this was getting out of hoof. I had to do something, so I snapped my licorice rope and flew free. Knives passed by almost hitting my wings. I gritted my teeth in disgust, so sick of all of this macabre, that I blasted out a golden beam unto where that Pinkamena was shooting. Exhumed out of a small crater from the explosion my beam made, the Pinkamena clone was vaporized, according to my Aura senses.

I nodded in satisfaction, and dashed off to find my other Party Ripples, if there were any of them left. Since there were multiple licorice ropes that had dragged us and we were nine left, there were—deducting the one I vaporized—eight clones. They were certainly better than my two clones.

My Aura sense then picked up on Berry Punch. I sped up and landed in a flash, only to find—

“A lake of blood,” I whispered. I knitted my brows skeptically. “Wait a sec. again, this is illogical. How could there be a bloody lake in the middle of this Everfree Forest, huh? And…” I shuddered and gulped as if I swallowed a knife. “Berry Punch is in there…?”

“What do you think?”

Frantically turning to my behind, my horn glowed as I prepared myself. Pinkamena was just a few feet away from me, and I couldn’t feel that gruesome aura from her.

“That’s just red wine, silly,” the psycho said. “Berry had fun swimming. Maybe you should go for a dip, okay—?”

I immediately blasted that Pinkamena into oblivion. She was a clone, which was why I couldn’t feel that aura. If it were the real one, she’d be unaffected.

After that, I conjured a bubble helmet for myself and dove down into the wine lake. All I could see were red alcohol through the dimness of this lake until I found her deep down when I enhanced my vision. This wine was so dense I could barely propel my wings to push me down harder; luckily I was near her now so I used my magic. When I did, I couldn’t seem to pull Berry Punch to me. I scanned her and saw a licorice rope tied around her left hind leg unto an anchor. I beamed the rope, freeing my friend.

I was seriously getting sick of that color, including everything about this.

Before I surfaced, I checked her pulse. Dead.

A few minutes later, I shot out of the lake with Berry Punch on my back. I landed slowly, popped my helmet, and gently placed her down. I shook myself of this wine like a dog.

I speculated that while Pinkamena I blasted pulled her to this location, she tied the other end of her rope unto an anchor she obviously popped out of her saddlebag, and then pushed that heavy metal which drowned Berry Punch.

I felt my heart began to crack. All my Party Ripples didn’t deserve to be in this bloody mess. But I swore I’d fix everything, definitely.

“I’ll come back for you,” I promised to the mare. “I’ll return for you all, as soon as I finish what I’ve started, and take all of them down and the real deal down.”

Next, my Aura senses picked up Gizmo Poindexter as I flew for him. I enhanced my hearing—his pulse was rapid, and his life was about to cut in any second, and he cried out, “Please, no! I’m too nerdy to die! I haven’t even had a girlfriend yet!”

When I arrived, I was again too late. Pinkamena was that fast for the kill. I cursed myself for being too slow.

My shame of transforming Pinkie Pie into that psycho must had definitely affected my emotions, which were connected to my combat reflexes, speed, and more importantly my magic.

I then realized of my weakness in this equine world…

Gizmo Poindexter was hung on a tree’s gnarled branches with that licorice rope, and his saddlebag was opened on the ground, scattering his research equipment like a calculator, papers, pencils, et cetera. His glasses were broken through with his braces, which were ripped out of his salivating teeth, stabbed into his bleeding right eye.

Seeing this sight made me sicker than that time when I drank milk tea mixed with hot sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, barbecue, vinegar, mayo, gravy, horse radish and guacamole to gross out my friends for them to give up my Extreme Gear—a hover board.

I then spotted a not pinned on his stomach. I levitated to me and read: “They should not have come, but at least they had fun. You’ll have more fun with a knife in your neck.”

A knife was half an inch from my neck as it flew passed me. I quickly turned and deflected the incoming onslaught of blades with my hooves. Although my magic wasn’t completely back yet, the cold shudders from my spine from the first time I met Pinkamena melted away and gave back my combat reflexes to defend, and fight physically—and I was surprised I still had it despite my other abilities affected!

I charged straight to Pinkamena while dodging her knives, which were all close to hitting any part of my body. And then I gave a drifting low sweep as I passed her, tripping the psycho down on her back, and dealt her with a somersault kick down to her stomach.

Finally, I quickly stood and blasted her into oblivion.

I turned to Gizmo hanging and threw a knife I picked from the ground at his rope, freeing him—but not from death.

I sighed grievingly at the nerdy corpse. Apparently Gizmo didn’t stand a chance because of his feeble appearance and built. Pinkamena didn’t want any survivors, but where was Luna? I prayed to Celestia that she undefeated and was searching for us.

There was no time to wait for her, ‘cause these clones might possibly go town if left unstopped.

Fortunately, my wounds were finally healed, as I flew away for the next killer. After this pink nightmare, I’d probably collapse. Despite all the deaths that were keeping me up, frankly I felt slight drowsiness. I should have stocked up some coffee patches before I left Imaginundia. Heh, I was forgetful, as usual. Did I have some now? Maybe not.

My ears suddenly stung by a bloodcurdling scream as I stopped. It was everywhere.

“Dang it, is that one of the mares?!” I asked myself as I covered my ears. It was like my head was about to explode!

Aura senses came through this screech as I pinpointed Noteworthy’s position. So, he was gonna get killed next? And whatever made that eardrum-bleeding sound must be his requiem.

I conjured tight, yellow ear muffs from—I never knew I had them—my saddlebag as I flew to my friend’s location.

As I landed, Pinkamena suddenly stabbed my back. A small scream escaped my mouth by pain. I countered with a kick—the way horses did in Reality—turned, and then again blasted her into oblivion. I knew it was a clone, but where was the real one?

I ran to Noteworthy, who was tied up with that same sweet pink rope and gagged with a cupcake, and surrounded by towering speakers. What else could Pinkie Pie’s new saddlebag provide besides an unlimited supply of knives and licorice, an anchor, and speakers? Getting a headache from curiosity of that illogical pony was painful than literally getting stabbed in the back.

Spotting a small box connected to all the speakers, I pulled the knife out of my back sharply with magic and threw it at the source, shutting down the whole sound system.

Poor Noteworthy was curled up in fetal position while shivering, closing his eyes tightly and covering his ears firmly. Thank Celestia I was able to save at least one.

I removed the cupcake from his mouth and uncovered his ears with magic, and said to him in comfort, “Noteworthy, this is Morning Leaf. It’s all gone, buddy.”

He shot up with a panting start, but quickly recovered when he saw his Alicorn friend. I smiled happily to see one Ripple alive.

“Morning Leaf!” Noteworthy cried out as he hugged me tight. “I’m so very glad to see—”

“No time for that,” I urgently said as I pushed him away. “We need to find the others.”

“Um, y-yeah, let’s go—whoa!”

I levitated him with me as I flew. Noteworthy frighteningly flailed for a few seconds, and then calmed down into fear in his eyes. I doubted he’d get over this whole predicament.

Worry began to settle in. Thoughts stacked up in my head that Noteworthy couldn’t survive with me. Pinakmena was a savage killer, relentless to kill the Ripples and me. Thus I had to keep my friend safe…

“Meet me by the forest’s exit,” I said. “Just stay put, and no Pinkamena would kill you. Understand?”

“What do you mean, Morning?” he asked. “But we your friends have to—”

I teleported him away immediately—I couldn’t risk losing another one.

Caramel, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, and Gizmo—I only had five left, with one teleported.

My enhanced hearing sensed kicking, throwing and swinging before my Aura senses could pick it up. It looked like, and proud to feel, that somepony was fighting back very well.

No time to waste, I had to lend that Ripple a hoof.

By the time I’d arrived, I gasped in surprise. Braeburn and Apple Fritter were against only one Pinkamena. I had to say, the tow Apples made an impressive duo together.

Pinkamena was facing a flurry of punches with follow ups of strong quick applebucks against a combatant Apple Fritter. Whenever the psycho brought out knives from her saddlebag, from a distance, Braeburn adroitly shot horseshoes from his own saddlebag, preventing her from using her blades against his cousin. The Apple family were simply amazing, especially these two.

“That’s awesome!” I commented as I prepared my aiming stance. “Finish her off, Apple Fritter!”

Braeburn blinded Pinkamena with a shot in the eyes, making her shriek and unbalanced as Apple Fritter finally knocked the pink with an applebuck-uppercut which sent her opponent flying.

In midair, I blasted the clone into nothing.

When the tow Apples saw me, they ran and gave their Alicorn friend a doubled bearhug.

“We’re happy to see ya safe’en sound, Morning!” Apple Fritter happily exclaimed as she and Braeburn released me. My neck had hurt a little.

“Wait, if you two dealt with that Pinkie Pie, where’s the other one?” I asked.

“I’d managed to lose her, Morning Leaf,” Braeburn proudly replied. “She was darn faster than me, but I outsmarted her.”

I sighed. “That’s great; Braeburn, but soon she’ll find you. I’m guessin’ the one I vaporized was Apple Fritter’s. Now, I’ll have to teleport you both out of this forest’s exit. You’ll meet Noteworthy there.”

“No way we’re gonna let ya do this alone, ‘cause we’re helpin’,” Apple Fritter insisted. “As Apples, we stick together, the pony way!”

That line reminded me of a song from an episode. “I’m doing that for your own safety. Gizmo, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, and Caramel are gone. I saw how the two of you handled that Pinkie Pie—that was a fake—exceptionally, but I’m uncertain neither of you would survive with me. It’s best my surviving Apples stay out of this, okay, okay?”

“Not a chance, Morning Leaf!” Apple Fritter retorted, which flinched me. “I know this is all you fault so you’ve to fix everything, but to prove there’s ponies who still likes ya as a friend after all you’ve done, we’ll help ya! I’ll even sacrifice my life for ya right now!”

I couldn’t find the right words. “A-Apple Fritter, don’t be so—”

“No! If you like it or not, me and Braeburn are staying with ya—look out!”

The stubborn Apple pushed Braeburn and I aside as she took three knives to the neck. A Pinkamena jumped out of a bush from hiding and sprinted to the last Apple with a knife with her mouth.

Braeburn was too hestitant to prepare a horseshoe, so I vaporized the clone before she stabbed my friend’s chest.

Before he knew it, I teleported Braeburn to the forest’s exit.

I stared at the dead mare. Apple Fritter should have listened to me, but instead had her like taken by triple blades. But she cared for the Alicorn who began this instead of herself.

“You death along with the others will all be avenged, dear Apple Fritter,” I promised, and flew away.

Cold anger slowly developed within this Alicorn’s heart as all these deaths had boosted his determination, and one of my modes was ready soon under the full moon.

I used my Aura senses, and I picked up Daisy and Rose running together away from the clones who feasted on Carrot Top. I had to move fast! I would not let anypony die!

Above them, I blasted the clones one by one, and now one left.

The last Pinkamena blindingly threw a knife targeting Rose, but I alarmingly conjured a shield behind my friend. That killer was a few feet away from them but catching up fast.

Suddenly, Film Reel came out of a bush and jumped in Pinkamena’s way. I thought she was crazy that I had to protect her too, but cleverly, she blinded the pink pony with the flash of her camera.

After I turned the Pinkamena into oblivion, I had teleported Film Reel, Daisy, Rose, and I outta here.

The girls were so relieved to see me and each other that they gave me a bearhug again.

I though this whole nightmare would almost be over with only half of the Ripples alive. However, my hopefulness shattered again when Noteworthy was lying on the ground profusely bleeding as Braeburn, covered in small cuts, defended against another stupid Pinkamena.

I’d take a twenty-four hour sleep after I woke up from collapsing if I were to survive this.

The mares huddled in fear as I told them after I levitated them into a bush, “Stay out of sight, girls. We’ll handle this!”

I tackled the Pinkamena in a dash and blasted her into oblivion. Two more came out from the forest and both blindingly shot the girls of where they hid. How many more of these stupid clones were there, and how in Equestria did they know where the girls were?!

Braebrun gasped as I charged with my glowing horn to one clone, which disappeared when touched in contact with it. My Apple friend threw a lot of horseshoes rapidly at his pink opponent that she had difficulty defending with just one knife and prevented her from getting any more.

I nodded at Braeburn’s scene and went to check the mares. Daisy and Rose were lucky. Film Reel was unlucky.

“Thank Celestia you two are still alive,” I relieveingly said as I stood them up.

“Where’re the others?!” Rose frantically asked. “Don’t tell me they’re—”

“Yes, they are gone,” I snapped. “I’ll have to end this once and for all.”

I lasted the clone with a jerk.

Braeburn, sweaty and exhausted, joined in and said, “Noteoworthy didn’t make it…I’m sorry, partners.”

My three Ripples sulked for the horrible fates of our fellow Earth ponies. Reading their emotions, they were rather dead within for those lots.

My eyes lit in alarm as the full moon had shown. “Where is the real Pinkie Pie…?”

Hoof steps and groans huddled my friends to me as a shadowy figure emerged from the Everfree Forest. She finally showed up, but with a gift.

The real Pinkamena—strong to our surprise—walked towards us with a bruised and bleeding Princess Luna with licorice rope tied unto her neck as she was being pulled. The princess was barely conscious with her eyes weakly open and blood dripping from her mouth as she agonizingly groaned.

The Princes of the Night had fallen to the hooves of Pinkamena the Pink Psycho.

“I can’t believe it…” I whispered. “Pinkie Pie defeated her…?

This was unbelievable to all of us, but at least Luna was still alive. If Celestia were here, I bet she’d go nuts or more probably grieve.

I took a deep breath and told my friends, “Nopony must do anything and stay hidden—I mean it firmly this time.”

There were no objections this time, so I walked towards Pinkamena as my friends hid in a bush. I felt so tired, but I had to end this. I forced down my shame and sadness to make path for my magic returning, though it made m heart heavier like its weight was six Bulk Biceps ponies.

Pinkamena tied Luna to a nearby tree, my surviving Ripples hid safely this time, and I was facing off the real deal. Ponyville was a mile away from here.

Moonlight lit brighter, giving us all sight to each other.

“Pinkie Pie,” I said. “If you can hear me within that unstable mode of yours, please listen. Remember when I was in semi-Dissonance state and struck you with pink lightning twice? It had caused you to turn into that state—by increasing frustration from my clones, and me hurting your feelings. This was my entire fault that I didn’t sink in deeper the Laughter you gave me, thus I must stop you. As the ruler of Imaginundia, my magic is unimaginably powerful…only when my emotions are stable and controlled, which is right now. In my kingdom, I watch the night with my sister, and I’m in a big advantage during that time, especially under the full moon.

“I’m so scared,” Pinkamena muttered as she brought out a knife. “After all this, the party would soon be over, and I’d to invite more from Ponyville to join in to keep it going~!”

“You will be the first,” I continued, “to face one of my powers. My citizens in Imaginundia called me during this time”—instead of golden yellow, my eyes glowed cobalt blue as the night sky—“the Prince of The Night!!!”

It had been a long time since I’d entered my “Night Prince” mode—a state whereas I gained night-related abilities only during the night of the full moon, and I only activated this for emergencies or as a last resort. However, like all other Heroes and Villains who had powerful modes, there was a catch: Once my mode activated, a blue circle appeared in my watch, indicating ten bars representing energy. When all bars were depleted: Normal mode and I’d definitely collapse—in other words, this blue circle was a timer.

“Prince of The Night” was my title known to me by my subjects in the night for I’d often done my missions or adventures in that time; I watched over my city/kingdom in the darkness; and I’d often appear during that time, too. It sounded like Batman, but I was cooler than him in many ways.

My horn and watch glowed as it produced black smoke that entirely covered me. Pinkamena sprinted towards me as she prepared her knife to slash while she threw more from her saddlebag. But the blades were deflected as if they hit another metal.

When Pinkamena stabbed the black cloud, a burst of azure blew her away. She made an aerial recovery, and gasped to see a different Iwano Imagination—in armor.

I was now clad in light, metallic cobalt blue armor hued as the dark night, decorated with stars that glistened against the moonlight. My helmet was themed as the moon with crescent moons on each side of my jaws as if they were tusks. I emitted an aura that could be seen in the colors of azure and cobalt in ethereal form. I was calm with glaring eyes that changed from golden yellow into brilliant azure from my transformation.

Pinkamena trembled in fear, dropping the knife from her mouth as she crawled away while her eyes were locked with my icy Glare.

In the bushes, the Ripples shivered and kept warm by rubbing. As they exhaled, cold carbon dioxide came out.

“That’s amazing h-h-how Morning t-turned into that,” Rose said. “But w-why did the air s-suddenly bec-c-came cold?”

“Maybe it h-has somet-t-thing to do with Morning Leaf,” Daisy guessed.

“Please be quiet,” Braeburn hissed, unbothered by the cold. “We don’t wanna get caught by Pinkie Pie, right? Besides, we’re about to watch a show here, partners.”

“How come you ain’t feeling cold?” Rose asked.

“Maybe living in Appleloosa made this pony’s fun warm even in these temeperature.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Daisy said.

Luna was still unable to move her hooves, but her eyes flickered open and saw me in my form.

Her eyes widened in great fascination as she musingly thought, The Prince of The Night is what his subjects known him in his kingdom at night? Iwano Imagination, what great mystery art thee shrouded within thy power? Are we…alike?

A knife and green horn clashed as the grotesque pink mare pushed against the now nightly green Alicorn. We exchanged simultaneous blows that produced sparks that echoed in our surroundings. Pinkamena might thought one knife in her mouth wasn’t enough against me, so held two more from her saddlebag. Her swings were so haphazard that I couldn’t get a clear blow with my magic without being distracted or slashed in the eyes. Pretty soon, she stood on her hind legs like that of a human, with such agility with swift swings from her knives.

Her movement was even quicker than my friend Lass Isolet, the Thief, a member of Grand Chase, and the half-brother of Lupus Wilde. My pink lightning must had also enhanced her speed, which was obviously bad if she weren’t a psycho.

All I’d done was defending while she was going offensive. I had to turn the tables before my mode drained.

I repelled her with force that I pushed her far enough from me to do this—

“What are you doing?” Pinkamena demanded.

I replied by rearing, and then slammed down my horn, freezing the ground into a mini ice rink that unbalanced Pinkamena while I maintained balance. I must thank Candice—Gym Leader of Snowpoint City, Sinnoh region—for teaching me how to skate, for I wouldn’t do some tricks unto my wobbling opponent.

In the episode Winter Wrap Up, Pinkie Pie knew how to skate. However, Pinkamena didn’t know how despite being the unstable state of the original, which gave me more advantages in this battle.

I skated towards her skidded her down and fell. As she recovered, I conjured long icicles above her, which fell and formed an ice cage. Skating around her in gladness, I hoped she’d given up. But I was wrong.

She took advantage of the slipperiness by spinning around—and shot knives everywhere like a twister. My heart raced as stopped and conjured a magical shield for myself, the Ripples, and Luna. Alright, maybe she still had brains.

Suddenly, one of the knives came through my shield, and shot me by my armor and exposed parts.

“How in Great Hoole did that happen?” I asked myself as I shielded with my hooves instead. I quickly glanced at the others whom I protected. Surprisingly, they were unscathed by the blades—so how come I was the only on now getting unscathed?!

As Pinkamena crushed her icy prison while still spinning, it was time for me to use my ace weapon and its skills.

“Chain Whip!” I cried out as I swung my head, and a chain slowly glowed out my horn. I whipped down Pinkamena, wrapped my chain around her neck, and smashed her down into the icy ground.

My chain was connected to my horn, dangling and transparently glowing.

“Had enough?” I demanded with a stomp, and then levitated my chain up in preparation.

Pinkamena shot up in a rapid-wheel somersault while shooting knives directly at me.

“Shell Shock!” In mere seconds, I was protected in a dome made entirely out of chains bursting from the ground around me from the blades. I then used my Aura senses to track her movement down since I couldn’t see through this—she ran towards my dome.

That idiot had no idea why my “Shell Shock” was also capable of besides protection.

“Chain Whip” and “Shell Shock” were moves of my ace ability as an Imaginundian—“Chains of Life” was my ace ability. It was an ability based on my life on the line with chains from my heart and power. In Night Prince Mode, Chains of Life was changed into its nightly form meaning they were turned silvery white as the moon above, absorbing the moonlight into strength of my own. However, the downside of my ace ability was that if I held any sad, hurt or shameful emotions, I’d lose power despite the moonlight shining in this time.

I felt extreme shame right now which was masked with my determined eyes to win.

When she pierced my metal shield, ten thousand volts surged through her nerves. Anypony who touched my Shell Shock, would only result in pain and total paralysis.

“Alright, time to finish her off,” I said. “Now she’s certainly paralyzed, I think a few ‘Crescent Clashes’ would do the trick—what?!”

Pinkamena able to rip apart one of my most defensive moves was one trick I’d never forget. “Relentless” was definitely one of the words that suited her, especially when it came to this intense metallic dome of electricity.

At that moment, my eyes stopped glowing. That was bad.

“Zoo-wee-mama, you’re tough!” I cried out as she ripped my shield with her teeth with such rabid speed.

I’d to retreat and thought fast, so I dispersed my chains back to the ground and skated away in a start.

“She’s immune to paralysis,” I noted while dodging knives. “So let’s try freezing.”

Before she lunged to me, I yelped again, fell down on my back and instantly stopped with my horn glowing. Anf then blasted her with a blue beam that froze her motionless—‘Ice Beam’. Since I was in Night Prince, my ice based skills and attacks were enhanced.

“You’re one tough cookie to bite,” I said as I stood and examined the frozen Pinkamena. “But at least, you can give me some break.”

I glanced at my watch—three in the morning, 72% energy left. Whne I raised my head to look at her, I was face to face.

Startled, I whipped her away in a sharp lash. And that was stupid, ‘cause that freed her. Glob, I thought that was clever of her, but how did she thaw her head?!

Pinkamena produced her party cannon from her saddlebag. I thought she’d fire at me, but instead fired at the sky. Why would she—?

When I enhanced my vision at the sky, I was ready to conjure a barrier to protect myself when Pinkamena shot my legs with knives, disabling my movement to dodge due to the deepness of the wounds.

Distracted from the pain, I was rained down with blades. Despite with armor, the knives somehow had hit my exposed parts.

I felt vertigo the moment I fell to the ice. I couldn’t believe she was this quick, relentless, smart, and dangerous that even in this form she could outmatch. I thought I was losing my edge as a powerful leader—a Hero, rather. Maybe my pink lightning must have made Pinkamena a formidable opponent—more formidable than my past enemies. My Aura senses might’ve been surpassed by her unnatural speed.

“I won, you lost~!” Pinkamena mockingly said as she skated to me—she must’ve had learned fast. “It was really fun…Before we become friends, any last words?”

The pain in my body was very excruciating as if there were knives digging themselves in my nerves and into my heart and muscles, but I kept silent. But I being the reason this entire stupid predicament had all happened and Pinkie Pie transformed into Pinkamena…was agonizing enough in my heart.

Thus, I cried.

“I’m so sorry,” I weakly said as tears streamed down. “I should be the one to apologize, and I should’ve accepted your whole party. I’m sorry I didn’t accept your Laughter for I hated it. I’d to admit, you are annoying and stupid. I just realized that you were doing your best to brighten my spirit. Alas, I’d turned it down due to my seriousness…I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie…”

Pinkamena was just staring at me as she held her knife up. Through my flooded eyes, I could see the real Pinkie Pie…within those bloodshot eyes of the gruesome.

A teardrop fell unto my cheeks.

I gasped. When I looked at Pinkamena, she sniffed and cried uncontrollably all of a sudden. Falling on her back and dropping her knife, I slowly pulled out the knives on me as she curled up shakily.

“Friend!!” Pinkamena shrieked hoarsely. “All I wanted was to make you happy! I even wanna be your friend! I even made you a gift! You thought everything I’d done was a waste of time?! You hated it! Just…Just…Just DIE!!!”

Pinkamena jumped high into the air, and produced from her saddlebag a knife six times larger and longer than all the others she’d used. As she descended down, she directly pointed her weapon at me. She yelled, “We’ll both finally be friends, Iwano!!!”

Searing from excruciation, my wounds had totally rendered my movements limited. Absolute sadness had faded my accumulated magic. Vertigo took my head over completely. I was totally useless.

This was really it. I closed my teary eyes. Once I was done for, the results of my mission in Equestria would be a bum. I’d fail.

Knife impact in three…

Two…

One…

SHIINGG!!!

What was that? I thought. My eyes flickered open, and I was agape.

Blood dripped on my body as Luna shielded me with hers from Pinkamena’s knife piercing through the princess’s back. What the…?

The princess gritted her teeth. “Thou must not let thy mistakes including sadness consume thy heart,” Luna said. “Through thy agonizing voice, thou hath learned to accept Laughter for it is lacked in thy heart.” She grunted in pain. This was too much even for a princess like her. “Night Prince, do not be afraid to accept dear Pinkie Pie. Thou require Laughter in thee in order to survive a cruel world of frowns—”

The pink pony swung her knife in a heave, throwing Luna away like garbage. My Ripples who were long hiding came to their princess with Braeburn supplying first-aid.

“Luna…protected me…” I whispered.

“What did you say?” Pinkamena demanded while the Ripples carefully carried Luna with their backs away from this frozen battlefield. “Oh, that moon pony? She’s such a butt-in, you know that?”

“There’s still hope to Laughter in me.” I smacked the psycho away with my chains. “There’s still hope for you, Pinkie Pie. I know you’re still in there. You’re just releasing all that sadness of yours as a form of horror.”

“You’re crazy~!”

“You’re crazier than all my moves.” I stood up straight despite my wounds burning. “But yeah, I am crazy—crazy enough to believe I could defeat such an interesting opponent like you.”

“Can I just kill you now so we can be friends?”

I grinned. “Let me be the first to make you my friend!”

Simultaneously, Pinkamena and I skated towards each other. Her big knife was drawn above her and I whirled my chain-horn.

Sparks flew as my silvery moon chain scraped against Pinkamena’s knife with a long lash. Once we were a few feet apart, I lashed out again with my chain against her, but she slashed it away with her weapon and began throwing knives again. I was now getting sick of knives. If that idiot could defend, I could, too—I swiftly whipped her knives away with a swing from my right foreleg’s chain.

Pretty soon, the green Alicorn struck away with his Chains of Life gleaming in the moonlight while gracefully defending against the corrupted pink pony’s onslaught of shining blades while slashing my attacks as if it were a serpent.

Luna’s words had given me courage, and the ignited thought of every ridiculous and happy act Pinkie Pie had done in the show wanted me to show my fun side soon. I shouldn’t be afraid of showing my gaiety and joyful side in front of my new friend. Sure I was a very serious guy, but I did have an unusual character hidden, too.

I wanted to end this right now!

Pinkamena dashed towards me and then slashed passed me, bleeding my right side. I stumbled, but shortly recovered and grabbed her with my chains wrapping her neck choking. I then pulled her and smashed her down back to where she stood.

Growling, she produced from her saddlebag her party cannon, targeted me and fired knives. I quickly conjured a barrier, deflecting the knives. I now fully produced chains out of both my forelegs and stood on my hind ones. Pinkamena did the same. With what was left with my magic, I instantly defrosted the ground dry.

Screaming, she ran towards me as she held her knife up. I sprinted, slid passed her, unnoticeably had a chain wrapped on her hind leg, jerked with a pull, and smashed her again over the air into the ground.

Pinkamena countered by spinning around, pulling me to a pink tornado. The moment I was closed to her, she stopped, stuck a cupcake in my eye, wrapped me up with my own chains fast, and threw me away far. Wow, that was good. Why did she throw me?

I was answered when I exploded.

Fortunately, my guts and blood didn’t splatter everywhere, but left my hearing deaf and my body aching. Unfortunately, Pinkamena wasn’t done yet.

Just like what I said, I was now getting sick of knives. I thought I was crazy, because I was happy Pinkamena hurtled cupcake bombs instead from her saddlebag.

Determination coursed little of my magic back into activation, allowing me to teleport in order to dodge the explosions. But I couldn’t get a clear shot of her due to Pinkamena’s quick bombing and my magic wasn’t fully ready yet.

Thus, I obscured myself a few feet away from my “friend” while I kept an eye on her. Whenever I teleported to dodge the bombs, I was amazed of how she knew where I was next. I had kinda thought she’d be psychic, too. However in a distance, she stopped hurtling and started sniffing her surrounding like a bloodthirsty wolf—and she was literally sniffing like one!

Dang, I was still bleeding and my regeneration was slow. I feared she could smell my blood from a mile like a great white shark.

Plans were hesitantly formulating in my head.

A light bulb then popped above my head lightning as an idea was finally made up—and I took the light bulb and stored it in my saddlebag. She wasn’t the only one who could break the fourth wall, but doing that lessened my energy a bit, which was stupid of me.

“Metal-conda.” I stomped with my foreleg’s left hoof.

A giant anaconda made entirely out of chains gave a surprise attack on Pinkamena as it had burst out of the ground below her nearly chomping her up but she dodged quickly unfortunately. My snake hissed grudgingly at her. The pony hissed back as she again dodged her new opponent’s strike. Their speed was easily matched, but I doubted Metal-conda would take her down.

Nearby Pinkamena, I had teleported behind her. I stealthily approached her with a crescent blade that appeared and attached itself with my right foreleg’s chain. The plan was inexplicably ruined when Pinkamena sliced through Metal-conda, causing its summoner to stumble and grunt sharply in pain.

Alarmed of my presence and finished with her unknown enemy, she turned and slashed me from my neck to my head which sent my helmet flying.

“You,” Pinkamena growled as she dragged her big knife along while she walked towards me with irritable eyes, “Iwano, now getting annoying!” She raised her knife up. “Just become my friend!”

I chuckled. I thought she was the only one annoying—

Pinkamena stabbed my chest…

Regaining consciousness but still defeated, Luna groggily stood up in great distress.

“Iwano Imagination,” she sobbed at the horrible sight. “No…”

Pinkamena jerked her head to the princess. Luna reluctantly stood in her stance to defend but was absolutely in no condition to somehow use magic and fight in her rugged stated.

The psycho removed her big blade from me and went to Luna. “Are you ready to celebrate next?” she asked. “Too bad you’ll be staying shortly, but I’ll make it memorable. Besides, there’re still more cupcakes to bake in Ponyville.”

“Ha…Ha-ha…Ha…Ha-ha-ha…”

Luna and Pinkamena’s eyes widened at the source of that laugh.

I shakily stood up bleeding as I began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Pinkamena demanded. “Wait, you lost! You’re not supposed to un-friend me! What’s so funny, Iwano?!”

Luna was terrified as though she saw a zombie stood up and laughed, but she couldn’t help but smile little at a strange kind of hope.

I smiled at my pink friend. “That actually tickles…Pinkie Pie…”

Pinkamena bellowed in rage as she produced a normal knife and threw it at my eye. Luna gasped in horror, but I didn’t fall.

I just laughed. I recalled all of Pinkie Pie’s goodness in every episode.

“Confidence and optimism gathering in my mind,” I said as pulled out the knife from my regenerated eye. “I’ll use my newfound Laughter to defeat you in my bind!”

I unexpectedly slashed her on the face with a whip from my crescent blade. Pinkamena quickly recovered and countered with a slash to my neck, but I just laughed it off and punched her on the face.

Chains popped out of the ground beside her and confiscated her weapons to the earth. But Pinkamena was able to slice off the one that tried to take her big knife. Luckily, her saddlebag was gone. I should’ve done that in the first place, but after experiencing her unpredictable speed in the pursuit I doubted a hundred more chains could confiscate her powerhouse.

I guessed my surprise come back must’ve melted her unpredictable speed away because she wasn’t going anywhere when I continuously whipped and slashed her with expertise.

“He is without a doubt marvelous below my moonlight despite the harshness he had obtained by Pinkie Pie,” Luna said as she backed away. “He is known as the Prince of the Night? He is mysterious than I could have imagined.”

“You’re right, Pinkie Pie.” Pinkamena had nowhere to avoid my chains as I laughed. “I just need a little—no, rather more Laughter—to last longer or stick with me like bubblegum when I’m gonna go through a harsh time in the future, so I can look back to the joyful past to cheer me on farther.” She was about to chomp me, but—“Chain Seal!” Metal wrapped up the psycho into a cocoon which covered everything of her except her head. “I’ve recounted all the good deeds you had done in your past—like helping Cranky Doodle Donkey, foalsitting the Cake twins, bringing Twilight and your friends through the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony, and more! I’ve now realized I’m having fun…Because the fun I love is an awesome fight with style and grace~!”

Pinkamena roared in anger as she struggled in her metallic trap.

“That gift wrapper is called ‘Chain Seal’—renders my foe immovable and disables his or her abilities or powers, but only for a very short time. In other words, I have to take you down now!!!”

I shot into the night sky in a flash. I jerked my forelegs wide to enhance the length of my chains. I formed up a U-formation with the moon behind me. My horn glowed brilliant azure, and my chains glowed in pristine silvery-white.

Luna held her breath. “That shape…That was in my dream…”

Wow, that was fast. My energy had gone down to 1%. I guessed all that fighting exhausted not only I but my Night Prince Mode.

“Under the moon,” I said, “your blackness in your heart shall be shrouded in the night’s blanket. Good night, Pinkie Pie…And I forgive you and myself, and thank you…”

In two sweeps of moon energy-filled chains that lashed her brutally, with a brilliant and shining azure beam blasted from my horn as a follow up…

Pinkamena was finally defeated.

Chain Seal released Pinkie Pie, my energy was timed-out, my armor disappeared, Luna was exasperatingly flapping her wings, I couldn’t hear what she said but the desperate look on her told me she wanted to save somepony…

And I collapsed from the sky, falling…

Comments

[Iwano Imagination]

4445650 I just want to give the specific coloring of each character I'll just edit once I'm done with the whole novelfic. Despite your "corrections", how's the story so far? Plus, the story is based on Iwano Imagination's point of view.