Mane Six Vs. The Gimmicky Boss Squad!

by Doctor D

Level 1: LLLLLLET'S PLAY!

“Well, this day is starting off rather odd.” Rarity stated as the six friends sat on the train, again, heading to Las Pegasus.

“You can say that again.” Applejack agreed. “Who’s that Shady-feller think he is?”

“I thought he was HILARIOUS!” Pinkie interjected, still coming over her chuckle fest earlier.

Rainbow Dash scoffed playfully. “Yeah! What a dodo! I mean come on, we’re supposed to take that guy seriously? Hah, that’s a laugh!”

“A whole riot!” Pinkie added, getting a good laugh out of Rainbow Dash and herself.

Twilight did her best to stay serious about this whole weird affair, but could not hide her amused smile. “Okay, calm down girls. Let’s try to keep the bigger picture in mind. The Princesses are still captive, even though I question how that is even possible. But we need to help them and if that means playing that Shade pony’s game, then so be it.”

“Umm… about that...” Fluttershy said quietly. “That pony was an alicorn… I didn’t know there were others like the Princesses.”

Twilight let out a sigh with a perplexed frown. “That’s the part I can’t figure out.” She said. “I know for certain there are only three Alicorns in current times, but I’ve never even heard of an alicorn stallion.”

“Not to mention the ghastly way he looked. If I didn’t know better I’d say he was made of solidified shadows.” Rarity added.

“... He looked scary.” Fluttershy admitted in her meek way.

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah right. Didn’t you hear how immature that guy sounded when we laughed at his stupid squad name?”

Fluttershy didn’t know how to properly answer that because, kind as she was, she didn’t want to offend anypony. Even if they were an evil alicorn keeping the Princesses hostage.

Twilight broke that line of questioning though. “Whatever the case it’s not like we haven’t dealt with stuff like this before. I’m sure we can manage to get five keys, no problem.”

“Yeah. They’re just keys, right? How hard can it be?” Applejack stated.

It was still a while before they would reach the supposed location of the first key, Las Pegasus. Meanwhile, back in Ponyville.

---

Spike sat in the library, alone with only the books and a certain owl to keep him company. He didn’t look all that pleased.

“I never get to go anywhere.” He grumbled.

“Hoo.” Owlowiscious replied.

“Me.” Spike muttered, and you know how this train ride goes.

SPEAKING OF TRAINS!

---

The train finally arrived to the Las Pegasus Station after a cheap and meaningless segway, and the mane six left out to search for the first lieutenant and by extension the first key.

But there was a big snag on their road.

Las Pegasus was a large place you see. A city of tall building and shiny lights that never went out, thus the nickname “City That Never Sleeps”. A place where ponies came to have a good time, to enjoy and spoil themselves. Or maybe just to try their luck and gamble for profit.

“Uhm… Where do we start looking?” Fluttershy asked quietly, the large city making her a bit nervous.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, the first lock had a hoof of cards engraved on it. Maybe we need to find a casino, or something similar.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “Yeah, that would be great. If only there weren’t a couple dozen of them here. The closest one is the Lucky Coin Casino a few blocks away.”

Everypony looked at Rainbow Dash with identical quizzical looks. Rainbow grew a bit flustered at the sudden attention and blushed a bit. “I-I was here once. Me and… well, Gilda came here when we graduated.” Rainbow explained.

Everypony seemed satisfied with the answer, even if it brought up the mean griffin ex-friend of Dash’s.

“Okay, then let’s start there!” Twilight said. “Rainbow, take the lead since you have some experience with the city.”

Rainbow sighed and trotted ahead, leading the group. “Fine, but don’t expect much. I don’t remember much of that trip and it’s pretty unlikely the first place we look is the right one. Seriously, there’s a dozen of these places spread around.”

Just then a bolt of lightning shot out from a few blocks over, accompanied by the sound of screaming and panicking ponies.

“Well, that seems promising.” Applejack said.

“Come on, let’s go!” Twilight said as the six friends hurried to the origin of the bolt, Rainbow in the lead. The passed many citizens and tourists who fled the scene and saw where they were fleeding from.

The Lucky Coin Casino, a tall and showy building wearing a sign with the name in big glowing letters as well as the image of a golden coin. Ponies were flooding out of the building to escape from something and once the ponies cleared out only two ponies remained near the open doorway.

A stallion trying to enter the building and a mare trying to help him. Both being kept out by an seemingly invisible force field.

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked as the group approached. The mare, whose coat was sandy and mane was golden yellow turned to them. She was wearing a hooded grey cloak that covered her cutie mark. The cloak’s hood was down.

“Something happened in this place and there is a filly still inside.” The mare said urgently. The stallion still tried to fight against the invisible force, but to no avail. “There’s something keeping us out. I don’t know what.”

“The filly is yours?” Fluttershy asked, clearly worried at the news. The golden maned mare shook her head.

“No, she’s his.” She gestured at the stallion. “I was just passing by.”

The stallion turned to the six ponies with a pleading look in his eyes. “Please, you’ve got to help me! My daughter… she is still there with that… thing!”

The six friends exchanged looks. Twilight asked the stallion “What is this thing, exactly?”

The stallion tried to calm down before answering. “It was… I don’t know, I’ve never seen anything like it before. But then it started causing trouble and panic hit…” The stallion’s lip quivered a bit out of worry. “My precious Silver Brush got separated and… Please, you’ve got to help her!”

The golden maned mare sighed. “There is some sort of force field over the area. Nopony can get in.” She explained before adding. “Also, I know this isn’t the best time for introductions but my name is Golden Goblet, but please, call me Gold.”

“Another force field?! Aww, this blows!” Rainbow Dash said, remembering the similar barrier over the castle.

Twilight frowned and her horn flared up and shot a beam of magic at the barrier, making it appear visible for a second before vanishing along with the spell. “It rejects and disintegrates magic? How is that possible?”

Rarity coughed to get everypony’s attention. She then pointed at the doorway that Pinkie was gleefully jumping into the building as if it was nothing.

“Well… that’s interesting.” Twilight said extending a hoof to where the barrier was visible moments before. Her hoof passed through like nothing was there. “Gold, could you try to go through the barrier?”

Gold nodded and tried to push through the invisible force, but could not as predicted. Twilight frowned as she understood the situation. “It will only let us through.”

“You mean this is a trap, dont’cha?” Applejack asked.

“Perhaps,” Twilight said, walking to the door frame. “or maybe it’s an invitation.”

“Twilight, duck!” Pinkie Pie yelled from inside, to which Twilight complied to just moments before what looked like a giant playing card flew over her and out the door and landed on the ground. On top of the ace of hearts sat a filly that was quickly grabbed into a hug by the stallion.

Gold smiled and looked at the six mares present. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you can do something about it, go do it. I’ll make sure things are okay out here.”

Twilight nodded and beckoned her friends. “Come on, let’s go see who is behind this!” The rest followed after Twilight and into the casino, minus Pinkie who had gotten a head start.

The interior was a large hall filled with blackjack tables, roulettes and slot machines. But in the middle of it was a very conspicuous empty space. The door closed behind them and the lights went out in the entire building as a voice echoed inside.

“So, it appears my foes have arrived. Most excellent!”

Two headlights turned on, pointing at the middle of the conspicuous empty space. In the spotlight a tornado of cards appeared and when they dispersed a figure was standing in the spotlight.

A bipedal thing wearing a swallow-tailed white and black checkered suit and light grey slacks and fancy, shiny black shoes. A tall snow white top hat stood dandily on his white haired head, both of which were covering his eyes.

It snapped it’s fingers, bringing all the lights back on before tipping it’s hat. “A fine day to you all, and thanks for joining this day’s activities!” The biped said with a cheshire grin.

“Are you the one who caused a ruckus in this here place?” Applejack asked, having taken a stance that was ready for trouble, as had her friends.

The thing kept it’s grin on and spoke cheerily, if a bit cryptically. “Me, oh me, oh my, oh ye of little faith. Hehe! Supposedly, yes, for this human is ready to play!”

“Are you one of those guys with the ridiculous name?” Rainbow asked, wings ready to charge the so called ‘human’.

“Ridicule and fun are all well and good, but dost thou even hoist, little pony girl?” The human rhymed a bad insult, to which Rainbow acted on and charged at the man.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight yelled after the rainbow maned pegasus, but it was too late. It looked like she was about to crash into the human but for some reason Rainbow was launched back crashing to her original position.

"Are you okay, Dashie?" Fluttershy asked her best friend. She didn't quite answer but she seemed alright.

“What was that? I felt like I hit a bouncy wall.” Rainbow said while getting up and rubbing her noggin.

The human crossed his arms and made a buzzer sound. “BUZZZZ! Sorry, you can’t go and do that! It’s in the rules, but I’ll let you off with a warning since you’re yet to be lectured.” He raised one finger in his left hand. “Rule 1: No direct fighting inside the Game Zone! Rule 2: No magic or other cheatsy-doodle methods!”

Twilight and the rest glared at this human. “Who are you?” Twilight asked. The human laughed, tilting his hat forward a bit.

“My, my. That’s what you ask first, silly-willy!” The human scolded Twilight like a foal. He then raise his arms, causing a massive stream of playing cards to fly out of his sleeves, circling around the human and the ponies before setting in place, enveloping them inside a circular wall of cards.

“You are participants in our leaders game, and not a soul loves GAMES more than I!” The checker coated man said to the ponies, some of whom looked around their now limited arena. Then the human raised his hand to dramatically point at the group of six.

“Now, prepare yourself to play a game for your lives! You stepped into my Game Zone, so now you play against me. I am” -He did a dramatic twirl- “The Player of Fate! You may call me Player!”

“The rules are simple. Play a game, win and you get your key! Lose and that’s Game Over, savvy?” Player continued, magicking a large golden coin out of nowhere. “Heads or Tails?”

There was deafening silence.

“Huh?” everypony asked, confused by this sudden shift in tone.

“I know, right? It’s all or nothing Coin Toss! Fifty-fifty, game of chance! Go on, pick your poison!” Player chuckled with that grin that was growing a bit infuriating.

And before anypony could react Pinkie Pie yelled out excitedly “Tails! I want tails!”

“And so it begins! LLLLLLET'S PLAY!” Player said and flicked the coin into the air with his thumb. Or at least tried but fumbled and dropped it.

It landed square on Tails.

Deafening silence came again(even the crickets were silent), this time broken by Player.

“Well, sh- EEEEEEEEEAAAHOHOOO- LLLLLLET'S STOP-OOOOOAH!” A stream of lightning struck him from the ceiling so hard you could see his skeleton for ten seconds flat. While this happened the card walls around them fell apart and floated all around the floor, along with a very smoking, blackened and charred Player.

The electric force also knocked a golden key out of Player’s reast pocket and shot it in front of the Mane Six. It’s handle was shaped like a tilted playing card.

“... Well, that was anticlimactic,” Rarity said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, talk about a No Effort Boss,” Pinkie quipped.

“What the hay just happened?” Rainbow asked, half confused half frustrated that the whole affair was a buzzkill.

Twilight grabbed the key with her magic. “Well, whatever that was just now we did get the key.”

“I’m… kind of wondering if that-” Fluttershy tried to remember what the thing had called himself “-human got hurt?”

“Fluttershy. That creep got a face full o’ lightnin’. It’d be a wonder if he’s not hurt.” Applejack told Fluttershy, who looked a bit compassionate towards the blackened thing on the floor…

“Uhh...girls...” Fluttershy muttered with a quivering voice, pointing at the body of the human. Around it a darkness had gathered and was enveloping the human’s crisp corpse. It engulfed the body before vanishing, leaving no trace of the man named Player.

“Well, that’s... interesting?” Twilight said, uncertain what had just transpired. She shook the thoughts out of her head. “Never mind. We got the key so let’s get going.”

Her friends agreed and they made their way outside where they saw Golden Goblet was waiting.

“Did you manage to do it? I saw the barrier come to view and disintegrate.” The gold maned mare said.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, we took care of it… sort of.”

Gold laughed and stomped her hoof onto the ground joyfully. “Amazing! I don’t want to know the details, but at least tell me your names.”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“So I can tell the folk here who to credit for taking care of this mess, whatever it was.” Gold said with a smile. The six friend shared the smile in different ways and introduced themselves.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Rainbow Dash, best flyer in all of Equestria!”

“Name’s Applejack.”

“Uhh… I’m Fluttershy.”

“I’m Pinkamena Diane Pie, but friends call me Pinkie Pie!”

“My name is Rarity, or Lady Rarity if you prefer.”

Gold grinned, placing her hoof on top of her chest where her heart is. “I’ll remember those names then. Knights honor!”

“You’re a knight?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Gold just laughed in response.

“Naw, that’s just something I like to say. Means something like: “I swear by my name”, or something like that.” The gold maned mare explained.

The girls all shared a small laugh at how embarrassed Rainbow Dash looked at her jump to conclusions.

“Well, we did what we had to. Let’s get going.” Twilight said to her friends, turning to Gold. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Golden Goblet.”

The gold maned mare just scoffed playfully. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Gold. And same, Twilight Sparkle. Till we meet again.”

With quick farewells the Mane Six departed from Las Pegasus, one Lieutenant down and one key in their possession. Now to find the rest.

---

Princess Celestia sat in the bubble of magic that was now, unfortunately her prison. The thing had some magic negating properties, which would be very interesting to research were it not keeping her trapped.

Just a small distance away was her sister, Princess Luna in her own if slightly smaller bubble, both floating in the empty throne room.

“How did this happen, sister?” Luna asked, maybe for the hundredth time and like all the other times Celestia could not give a proper answer.

Instead she said “I don’t know,” just like she had said so many times before. And she would be lying if she said anything else.

A swirling mass of darkness manifested before their prisons and they could clearly hear voices from it’s depths.

“-haha, went down like a scrub!” Female Voice A said, accompanied by barking laughter.

“That’s right, and now I have ALL the bits. ALL of them! Nyahahahaa!” A Squeaky Voice said with some villainous laughter.

Then, through the portal walked the one behind this hostage situation. The alicorn so dark it was like his body was made of shadows. He was muttering something along the lines of “*grumble grumble* ...take my bits, will you… *grumble grumble*” before coughing and standing straight as the dark void behind him closed.

“Hello there. How are your… accommodations?” Shade the Maleficent asked with mocking civility.

“Well, the seating could be improved, but the curtains are to die for.” Celestia replied with a smile, matching his civil tone with a more well rehearsed one.

“Charming.” The Alicorn of Darkness deadpanned.

“Whatever thou may be planning, we assure you thine plans won’t succeed!” Luna snapped at the stallion who looked as intimidated as dry paint.

Shade the Maleficent scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Admittedly your precious Elements of Harmony are more of a nuisance than I gave them credit for. This changes nothing.”

“What is your agenda?” Celestia asked, keeping her cool composure.

The Alicorn of Darkness blinked and looked just a tiny bit like a deer caught in headlights.“Uhh...”

“You take over this castle, trap us inside these fascinatingly elaborate spell bubbles. What is your aim with this coup?” Celestia questione her captor with that cool smile of hers.

Shade the Maleficent blinked before glaring at Celestia. “My plans are nothing you need to burden your mind with, Princess.” He scoffed “What your mind should be on is your precious subjects.”

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends are a lot more capable than you obviously believe them to be.” Celestia said coolly, not letting the Alicorn of Darkness get to her. “The one who should be worried is you.”

Shade the Maleficent chuckled demeaningly. “So they defeated one of my Lieutenants. So what? They will never beat the others.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you.” Celestia stated “That arrogance will lead to your downfall.”

Again the dark alicorn scoffed as a patch of darkness opened up behind him. Two amber eyes gazed outwards from the shadows.

“This is your turn. Go and show those six what you can do, Rowen.”

The pairs of eyes narrowed as a sharp, toothy grin rose beneath them. “Oh, this will be a fuuuun day. Hehehe.”

Author's Note:

Proceed?
==> Level 2: *** ***!

Alternate title: Scrub Lord

Alternare title: Boss Fatality, for kids!

Comments

[The Cardboard Box]

Awwwww, yeah! Mega Man style boss rush!

[Doctor D]

5010523 Believe it or not, this got inspired when I watched people play Shovel Knight. Yeah, even I have no idea how it came to this.