Birth of the Draconequus

by HareTrinity

Daftness in darkness

Leaves and confetti rained down upon Twilight as she stared at the smoking remains of her home.

Those around her started yelling but none of it was really sinking in for Twilight. Her library... All her books, all her belongings... Most importantly; Pinkie. Pinkie had done this... In a dazed state she watched the surreal scene unfold; the Canterlot princesses leaping into the air and flying towards the dark shadow among the ruins of her home.

"Come on sugarcube, this no time to be out of it!" cried Applejack and Twilight found herself running with a small group towards the outskirts of Ponyville. She began to come to her senses as she looked around her; Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, still carrying the Cutie Mark Crusaders, lead the way whilst Rarity and Zecora were either side of her, Spike upon the zebra's back. They were nearing the edge of the village when it suddenly hit Twilight that the princesses must have stayed behind to face the draconequus, just the two of them...

When the way to the Everfree Forest was clear Twilight slowed and shouted, "Zecora! Spike! Take the fillies, keep them safe! Girls, with me, we have to try the Elements!"

"And will someone tell me what in tarnation is goin' on?!?" Applejack yelled as the Element users split from the rest of the group and turned back. She sounded angry but fear showed in her expression.

"Pinkie has a rare condition, she's become a draconequus, like Discord!" blurted out Twilight.

Fluttershy responded with a shocked squeak.

"How is that ev'n possible!"

"I don't know, but it happened! We have to help the princesses, the Elements of Harmony may be our only hope!"

"But we don't have Pinkie!" called down Rainbow Dash, "What can we do with only five of the Elements?"

"I don't know, but we have to try!"

The village was now strangely empty and the ponies, no longer carrying the fillies and Spike, made better time getting back. Soon the smouldering remains of the tree came into view...

"But... Where are the princesses?" asked Rarity as the group slowed to a halt. Ponyville felt like a ghost town. Occasionally one or two ponies would briefly come into view, always running about giggling and screaming, but nopony was near what was left of the library.

"Oh!" cried out Fluttershy and the others followed her gaze. In the light of the street lamps, near the side of the path, was the box in which the Elements were kept. On top of the box sat a little rabbit which, as the group looked over, wiggled its nose and bolted into a nearby bush.

"Okay!" Twilight brought the box over as Fluttershy went to comfort the creature, "We best be on our guard and keep- AHH!"

Twilight and her friends jumped back, Rarity letting out a small shriek, as novelty snakes jumped out from the box.

"Hm?" Fluttershy glanced back at them, confused. As she did so a deep and sinister laugh started up, causing the mare to dash to the safety of the group.

"The looks on your faces... Priceless!"

Rarity responded first, "Pinkie? Is that you?"

"But of course..."

She came snaking out from behind one of the houses, her body a bizarre sight. The gems were easiest to spot in the dim light; yellow and blue jewels colourfully arranged down her sides, glittering as they caught the light. Her mane of leaves, the only green on her red and pink body, rustled in a light breeze as she moved over towards the ponies. Her limbs, though seeming to be folded paper, took her weight easily as she landed and her tail, still like that of a kangaroo and tipped by a puff of pink locks, balanced her as she stood up on two legs. Her fin-like wings fluttered cheerfully as she looked over to her friends, each of them gazing up her long neck to her head. That head... It was like that of a carnival dragon, a monkeyish face with stylised patterns to match the rest of her body. Pale blue eyes with deep purple pupils stared at the ponies before her as the big-lipped mouth curled into an unnervingly large smile, revealing two shining rows of square white teeth. She stuck out her tongue as she tilted her head sideways, eventually turning it a full one hundred and eighty degrees, and grinned at her friends upside down as they stared back, aghast.

"Hey Twilight!" she spoke, her voice slightly different, less rushed, as if her original form had just been squeezing her all in, "Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy; my little ponies, you've all come to see me!"

"Pinkie, please! There's still time to stop this!" begged Twilight.

"Stop what? Is this some sort of game?"

"Pinkie! You destroyed my house!"

"Oh, that?" Pop. "There we go, good as new."

In the leaves of the newly-fixed library something large moved and, as two ponies ran past, a giant serpent struck out at the ground, narrowly missing the mares! They ran back the way they'd come, giggling hysterically.

"Or should I say... Better than new?"

"No you should not! Pinkie, this is wrong!"

"Oh, lighten up Twilight... What's the world without a little frenzy to perk things up? Besides, given the change of circumstances I was thinking that Panic might be a better name to go by..."

"What have ya done with the princesses!"

"Ahh, Applejack... Why, I've given them a game to play, of course. A scary little story for Celestia to think about... Would have given Luna her own but she rushed off after her sister..." The great beast trailed off before shrugging casually, "Meh, I'll catch her later."

The ponies struck a fighting pose, Applejack again yelling on their behalf, "Oh no ya won't! Ah don't know how this has happened but I sure ain't letting you do to Ponyville what Discord did!"

The creature coiled round, bringing her large flat face up to Applejack's and grinning widely as she leant closer still, "Oh, dearest Apple mare, you are far too pent up and serious! Have you ever considered what would happen if you just let go, calmed down? Why, Apple Bloom is practically all grown up, and Big Mac can handle the orchards pretty well by himself these days..."

Applejack eyed Panic suspiciously, "That ain't true. Ah'm an important part of the farm, everypony knows that!"

"So Granny Smith isn't training up Apple Bloom to replace you?"

"Nope! Ah'm irreplaceable!"

The other ponies watched the scene in mild surprise. Applejack seemed confident, "Panic" missing her targets and certainly losing this argument. Perhaps, thought Twilight to herself, the newly formed draconequus weren't as capable with their tricks? If it kept up like this they might not require the Elements after all...

"Needed?" crooned Panic.

"Needed!"

"For all those tasks?"

"Ev'ry single one!"

"So why aren't you?"

"Wha'?"

Twilight suddenly felt uneasy, "Applejack, don't talk to her!"

"Why aren't you doing all those things? Don't they need to be done? By you?"

"...Yes..." Applejack's eyes were fixed on Panic's.

"By when?"

"Well, any time..."

"When's best?"

"Now..." Applejack's fur began to pale, a slight tremble starting in her hooves, "Ah... Ah should be at the farm..."

"Pinkie!" yelled Twilight, "Stop it!"

"Ooh, I could get used to this!" Panic chuckled as Applejack turned and ran at breakneck speed towards her farm.

"Oh Pinkie, how could you?" whispered Fluttershy, "She's your friend!"

"Exactly, the best pranks are for friends!"

"Goodness, this is NOT the Pinkie I know!" stated Rarity, giving a dainty little snort.

"Really now...? I did say that "Panic" sounded a little more like me anyway... But since you bring you up, what about you, Rarity? Aren't those deadlines looming? Getting a littl-"

POOMF.

Rarity shook herself to her senses and looked around. They had been teleported to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Oh, thank you Twilight dear, I'm not sure I could handle being cursed like that again..."

Twilight nodded, magically picking up the Elements' box, "No problem. Come on, let's go find Applejack, she must be around here somewhere..."

There was a slight chill to the night air and the trees seemed somewhat alien, perhaps because the ponies had rarely had cause to go through the orchards at night. The group stuck close together as they started off towards the barn, glancing through the dark trees in the hope of catching sight of their friend.

"Let's see..." mumbled Twilight, looking from side to side as she thought aloud, "Discord used to disorganise, that became him and he disorganised personalities... I think... And Pinkie used to... Party?"

Despite the situation Rainbow Dash found herself rolling her eyes, "PRANKS, Twilight, Pinkie used to do PRANKS."

"Right, right... This is the pranking behaviour..."

"But her pranks were always funny and harmless!" objected the white unicorn.

"Yes, but apparently that's how it goes, one part of who a draconequus was gets blown out of proportion! So the part of her that wanted ponies to be briefly shocked now wants them to be much more jittery; uneasy, on edge..."

Fluttershy, who was lagging behind a little, mumbled something.

"But how does any of this help us? "Panic" is still a draconequus, Applejack's missing, we have no idea where the princesses are and we still don't have anyone to be Element of Laughter..."

Twilight sighed at Rainbow Dash's words. The pegasus was right. Working out motives was a far cry from coming up with a solution to-

"Oh!"

Rarity perked up, "What is it, Twilight?"

"Did you hear that? I think she's over there!"

The group ran towards the uneven thumps and soon found Applejack frantically trying to buck apples out of an tree that had none. Her hat had fallen off and some baskets, presumably for the non-existent apples, had been thrown at the tree's base.

"Applejack?"

"Hey Twilight... Can't chat... Gotta get this orchard clear, it's only five months 'til the next family get together..."

The white unicorn nudged the purple one forward, taking the Elements' box from her, "Well go on dear, do your memory spell!"

"Right!" announced Twilight, striking a pose. Then, slumping, she looked back to her friends, "...What of? With Discord I just had to remind everyone of what type of pony they really were, but Applejack IS a hard worker..."

"How about just the nature of trees?" whispered Fluttershy, "You can't harvest apples before they're ripe, the Apples know that better than most ponies..."

"It's like pacing yourself in a race!" added Rainbow Dash.

"Or making sure that what you're producing matches the season's demand?" suggested Rarity.

"...And if it ever got to be too much she's got us to help her!" finished Twilight and nodded. She knew what memories to bring back for Applejack. With her horn lighting up as she went over to touch it to the pale earth pony's temple...

Soon colour rushed back into the farmer and Applejack looked blearily at her friends. Picking up her hat she gave a sheepish smile, "Thanks again, partner, Ah sure am quick to attract some crazy spells... Is ev'rypony else okay?"

Twilight nodded and took back the box of Elements, "Still need to find the princesses and come up with a plan of attack but we at least have a better handle on why Panic acts the way she does!"

"That so?" asked Applejack, donning her hat and forcing a smile, still feeling a little shaky but determined to stay focused.

"You see," explained Twilight, "Each draconequus builds upon one of the qualities of the pony it used to be, in the case of Panic she's building on Pinkie's pranking nature and-"

"STOP IT!" yelled Fluttershy, stamping down her hoof.

Everypony looked over to her and she glared back, a mixture of anger and hurt feelings in her gaze.

"Pinkie was never like that! Why are you all being so mean?"

"Oh, Fluttershy..." Rainbow Dash flew down to her, "We aren't being mean, she WAS a great prankster, you just didn't see it because she never pranked..." The pegasus trailed off, her eyes widening, "...That's IT!"

"What's it?" asked a confused Twilight as she watched the blue pony hug the even more confused Fluttershy.

"Don't you see!?!" cried Rainbow Dash, rushing over and grabbing Twilight's face, "It IS still Pinkie! Whatever's happened, our Pinkie IS still there!"

"That's wonderful dear, but perhaps you could explain without mishandling anypony?"

Rainbow Dash glanced to Rarity then back to Twilight. She let go and took a deep breath before continuing, "One of the first times I went pranking with Pinkie I was GOING to prank Fluttershy - Nothing big, Fluttershy, just a squirt toy! - but Pinkie wouldn't let me! She said Fluttershy was too sensitive!"

After a slight pause Fluttershy grumpily muttered something about not considering herself to be THAT sensitive.

Applejack tilted her head, "Ah'm not sure I follow..."

"The RABBIT! That bunny on the box that lead Fluttershy away so she didn't get pranked! Pinkie STILL won't prank Fluttershy, she's still trying to protect Fluttershy's feelings, to keep her happy!"

"That's all very well, but Ah don't see how-"

"Brilliant!" Twilight exclaimed, looking empowered, "Great thinking, Rainbow Dash! We've finally got something we can use to our advantage, now let's go find our princesses!"

Comments

[NightmareDash]

Two suggestions:
This is looking a lot like The Return of Harmony. So...
"Spike, you're the new Pinkie Pie."

It's time to bring back that long-lost plot device from the nearly-forgotten Season 1: The Stare!