The Misadventure Of: A Bunch Of Silly Ponies That Just So Happen To Not Be Applejack

by OCisbestpony

Chapter Three: Part Eleven

Chapter Three: Part Eleven

“F-Fired? H-ha! Good jok-”

“No. I'm not joking. You're dismissed.” Princess Celestia said rather sternly.

Ironhooves' jaw dropped. “B-but why your highness? Have I not served you faithfully for all these years?”

“Ironhooves.” Princess Luna said, sitting up, and sharing her sister's stern gaze, “I fear you have failed us in a way too great to measure.”

“Well, hold on,” Princess Cadence interrupted, “Sure he messed up big, but perhaps rather than fire him, how about reposting him? I mean, we all make mistakes, right?”

“Perhaps she is right, Sister. Perhaps we act a bit rashly.” Princess Luna said, looking at her sister.

Princess Celestia looked at Twilight’s friends, then at the other princesses, then, finally, at Ironhooves. “Very well. You are not fired.” Ironhooves heaved a sigh of relief. “You are, however, to be placed into the dungeon until we decide what to do with you. Guards! Take him away!” she ordered.

“Now wait just a darn minute here!” Applejack suddenly said, much to everypony's surprise, even her own. There was a long pause.

“Yes, Applejack?” Princess Celestia said.

“W-wait...” Ironhooves' eyes suddenly got wide, and he slowly turned to look at Applejack. “You mean to tell me, you're ACTUALLY Applejack?”

“'friad so.” Applejack smiled.

"And, then, that would mean that the rest of you really are..." his gaze glanced over the other four he had brought.

"Twilight's friends? Yep!" Pinkie said, beaming with cheeriness.

His jaw dropped, nearly hitting the floor. He then looked at them, then at Princess Celestia, then back at them, then back at her. “I-I see...” he said, suddenly shocked/horrified/dejected/understanding. “I, uh, I'll see myself out then … to, uh, the dungeon...” he hung his head, and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, the door slammed shut, leaving Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity alone with the Princesses (save two guardponies on this side of the door, but they're not important).

There was another long pause. Then Celestia let out a sigh. “Well, this was not exactly what we had expected.”

“Indeed.” Luna nodded.

“How did you guys get here?” Cadence asked.

“Mind telling us what's going on?” Rainbow said.

“So I take it that this isn't just a friendly visit?” Celestia said sadly as she returned to her seat.

“Are you kidding me? I MOMENT I mentioned that we were coming to meet you guys, Rarity here went NUTS!” Rainbow said, pointing to their sill drooling comrade. “She freaking used her magic and somehow supercharged the train or something like that and turned a three day trip into like, a few hours! I'm pretty sure nopony's EVER gone that fast before! And, you know, there's that part where she kept saying 'When I get my hooves on that PRINCESS!' like she was crazy or something like that! I've never seen a pony look that insane before!”

Luna and Cadence turned and looked at Celestia. “What did you do?” Luna asked.

Celestia looked over at poor Rarity and blinked a few times. “I'm not sure. All I did was start a new fashion trend in Manehatten.”

“So you guys WERE behind it all!” Pinkie declared proudly.

“I'm afraid so Ms. Pie.” Celestia sighed.

“But, like, why?” Rainbow asked. "Why did you do all of this to us?"

The three Princesses looked between each other, none of them wanting to speak, but eventually all eyes fell on Celestia, who once again sighed and looked down at the table, then up at the four of them. “Because we needed to keep all of you away from a pony named Colgate.”

*****

She really felt bad for the poor guy. It was clear that carrying her like that was really quite tiring. Granted, she wasn't a very big mare, but she imagined that she was heavier than a stack of papers. From what she'd learned about him, most of his life was spent doing paperwork (mostly legal paperwork). Apparently he was an early bloomer and got his mark early, and had been more or less working a desk job ever since (she guessed that as a young colt, he really liked homework). How a pony like him got roped into doing something like this, she'll never really understand. After her meeting with the Princess, she was told to wait for help at the edge of town. It was then that she had met him for the first time in her life. Apparently (according to him anyway), he was the only pony who was in a position to help, and was under orders to do so. The more she had asked about what he had meant by that, the more tight-lipped he got. So, eventually, she dropped it and figured that the princess had connections and knew ponies that Litterbug could only ever dream of. Though it did bug her a bit that he was so unwilling to share any personal details. Oh well. This job from the princess would be done soon enough. Although, with any luck, perhaps she might get a promotion for this!

She grinned a little and giggled a bit. No, no. It wasn't about getting promotions or anything like that. In fact, she wasn't even under orders to do this! No, she was doing this because Princess Twilight needed help, and by Joe's Doughnuts, she was going to help!

“Something funny?” he asked as they flew through the air. The sun was finally beginning to set, and Litterbug looked over at the horizon.

“Just thinking.” she said casually.

“I see.” came the short reply.

Litterbug was a bit surprised. She had expected (and, to a small degree wanted) him to pry a little. “So?” she asked.

“So what?” he looked down at her with bored eyes.

“Nothing, never mind.” she shook her head.

“Okay.” he said simply as he looked up.

“Really? You really don't want to know or care?” she asked, looking up at him with a mixture of curiosity and mild annoyance.

“About what?” he looked down at her once more.

“What I'm thinking about?” she asked.

“Your thoughts are your business. I don't see why I need to know them.” he shrugged.

“You're not even curious?” Litterbug asked.

“Not really.”

“Why?”

“Look, can we please stop wasting time? It's been a very long day. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm getting very, very tired. Forgive me for being so forward, but all of this teleporting around and flying has begun to wear me down.” he tiredly said.

“Oh...” Litterbug looked down, then at the sunset again. “Yeah, sorry about that. I wish there was a better way to do this.”

“There is.” he said quietly.

“Wait, there is?” she asked quite surprised.

His eyes suddenly jerked open in surprise, and he looked down at her, blushing slightly. “H-Huh? What? I-I don't know what you're talking about! This method is perfectly valid. I said nothing!” he pursed his lips together and looked off to the side. She suddenly got the feeling that he wished he hadn't said that.

“Wait, what is it? Is there a better way?” she asked eagerly. Several moments passed. “Hello?”

“No. No there is not. This is the best way, and that's all there is to it!” he huffed, and then nodded once as though he had proven his point.

Litterbug grinned. “There's more to this story isn't there?” she asked.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” he said.

“I think you do.” she smiled; “You said that you do paperwork all day long, right?” he nodded. “Then I'd bet that you're pretty smart. At least enough to know how to be efficient at it, right? I mean, you're not the kind of pony to waste time, right?” she asked.

“What's your point?” he asked, raising an eyebrow,

She smiled all the larger, looking much like a grinning cat. “So I bet that means you like to do things as efficiently as possible. So, if that's so, and you happen to know of a more effect way to do this, then that means that there's a reason we're going around like this! I'd bet you have a personal reason for traveling like this!” she declared proudly.

“Wrong.” he said, though not too convincingly.

“You know, I'm gonna make a pretty big bet, and I'm gonna guess you're not actually under orders to do this, are you?” she asked, almost licking her lips.

“I am your transport, not a subject of interrogation. Is that amulet ready to be used yet?” he asked, his brave business face cracking.

“It is if you answer my question.” she looked up at him, her devilish grin bigger then ever.

There was a long pause. “No.” he said tersely.

“I thought so! So, why are you doing this then?” she asked, her face a little more gentle.

“I thought you said you'd use the amulet if I answered your question.” he looked down at her, his face a rather complicated mix of emotions.

“Please?” she asked, rather sweetly.

She saw his eye tic, his head shake a little in rage, his eyes close, and then he finally let out a sigh. “Fine. But if I answer this last question, will you please stop interrogating me?” She nodded, he sighed. I'm not doing this for the Princess; I'm doing this for-”

*****

“Colgate?” Rainbow asked, dumbfounded. “Like, our DENTIST?”

“We have a dentist?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure we do!” Fluttershy smiled. “She's so nice. I visit her office all the time! She even looks at my furry friends!”

“That is correct.” Luna nodded. “It is the very same.”

“But, why?” Applejack asked, looking confused.

The three princesses looked between each other once more. Then Celestia spoke. “Over a thousand years ago, my sister and I were approached by Colgate. Though, she had a different name at the time.”

“Some called her by her title, Starswirl.” Luna added.

“Starswirl? Isn't that the famous unicorn wizard Twilight likes to write those dorky stories about?” Rainbow asked.

“Correct, but also incorrect.” Luna nodded. “Starswirl was the first to hold that title. After him came Clover the Clever, who declined to be called Starswirl. However, the position he held gained his name, and all others that followed were given the same. Though, that system died out shortly after we defeated Discord.” Luna looked over at her sister, who shared a look before looking back at the four friends.

“Indeed. After his defeat-”

“Which, I must say, is still rather embarrassing!” Discord's voice rang throughout the hall before his face filled the giant table. “I mean, FRIENDSHIP? I, ME! Was defeated by the power of FRIENDSHIP? Ugg!” he rolled his eyes as he emerged from the table, and took a seat at one of the chairs. Silence fell as everpony in the room looked at him. “What?” he shrugged. “Oh, was I interrupting? How rude of me! Go on!” he smiled as he leaned forward and rested his chin on his … err … forward appendages.

“Whoa! What's HE doing here?!” Rainbow pointed an angry hoof at him.

“Now now, my dear Rainbow Dash. No need for hostilities! I'm just here to help our royal highnesses sort everything out!” he smiled, a small halo appearing above his head.

“More like popping in when he feels like it.” Cadence muttered.

“Oh, well, excuse ME for wanting to offer a shred of my infinite wisdom and knowledge about what is to be done about our dear Princess of Friendship!” he said with an over-abundance of drama. “But we digress, do we not?” he smiled and turned to Celestia.

Celestia cleared her throat. “Yes, after his defeat, we felt that now that we had the Elements of Harmony, the station of Starswirl was no longer needed.”

“And as I said, Colgate was one of these Starswirls.” Luna said.

“Oh THAT'S why she seemed so familiar! But wasn't she called something like, Minuette, or Hearttrot, or some such?” Discord asked.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Do you know her, Discord?”

“Me? Oh, not personally, no. I just remember seeing her around Ponyville, and thinking to myself, 'She seems awfully familiar!'” he shrugged. “And now I know why. Say, didn't she help you two find those,” he gagged slightly, “'Elements of Harmony'?”

Celestia shook her head. “No. If you will recall, she was supposed to help keep you in check while we went out looking for them.”

Discord put a thoughtful paw to his chin. “Oh yes, I think I recall this now!” he laughed, “Oh do I remember it! She was a hoot!” he slapped his knee. “Of course, that may have had something to do with me turning her to an owl.”

“That would explain all of the feathers when we finally found her.” Luna said, looking up slightly.

“Pardon me for interruptin' but could we git to tha' point?” Applejack politely asked.

“Yes.” Celestia nodded. “Not long after Discord's defeat, Colgate departed for a time. She said that she had left to meditate on what had happened, and to see more of the world.”

“Sounds like sour grapes to me.” Discord grinned.

Celestia shot him a look as Luna continued the story, “When she finally came back, we had thought her mad.”

Luna nodded, "Indeed. She told us of a terrible danger from the stars, and that it would soon come to the past. A danger that she called, 'Entropy'."

Celestia shook her head. “It made no sense to us, but given how high the pitch of her voice was, we knew that it must be important.” She then blushed slightly and coughed.

Luna shot her sister a knowing grin. “Doth her affliction amuse you still?”

“Her voice still does it!” Discord laughed.

“What? What are you talking about?” Cadence asked.

“I'll tell you later.” Celestia said, waving a dismissive hoof. “A-anyway, the point is that we asked what we could do to help. That's when she told us something that neither of us could believe.”

“She told us that she wanted us to split her into three parts.” Luna said gravely.

“Wait, WHAT?” Pinkie said.

“Why would she ask you to do something like that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Forget asking why, HOW?” Rainbow eyes got rather wide.

“By dividing her mind into three different ponies.” Luna answered looking over at her sister.

“Oh? Did you actually do it?” Discord asked.

The two sisters hesitated. Finally, Celestia answered, “Yes. Yes we did.”

“Now can we ask why?” Pinkie asked.

“We, we don't fully know.” Celestia admitted.

“WHAT?!” came the collective cry from everypony in the room (including Discord), save Luna and Cadence.

“Wait just a minute here!” Applejack protested. “You sayin' that you split her mind inta three different ponies, and y'all don't even know WHY she wanted ya ta do it?”

“We trusted her judgment, and knew that she wouldn't ask for such a thing lightly.” Luna explained. “So, upon her deathbed, we divided her mind into three parts. Her knowledge, her memoires, and her personality.”

“Wait, her deathbed?” Applejack asked. “Forgive me, yer highnesses, but this an't makin' a lot o' sense.” she shook her head. “Split her inta three? How can ya do that? And what do ya mean, 'her deathbed'? This is an awful lot ta take in all at once.”

“And it's kind of sudden too!” Pinkie announced. “Like, where did all of this even come from? Kinda outta the blue. No pun intended.” she winked, causing a groan of pain from nearby (it was one of the guards standing at the door),

“Not to mention you still haven’t even told us WHY you were all keeping us from her!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“She's right. I think we owe them an explanation.” Cadence nodded.

“YOU. BET. YOUR. CROWNS YOU DO!!” A cry of unbridled fury suddenly filled the air, as everypony turned to see Rarity rising to her hooves. “After what you had put me through, you had BETTER have a good reason for it!” her eyes were on fire, and there was nothing but death in them. Every, single, pony in the room took several steps back (save the guards [they're such troopers]) from the now awake and furious Rarity. “Nopony, and I mean NO PONY, should EVER go through that sort of ordeal!”

Luna looked over at Celestia with wide eyes. “Sister, what did you do?”

Celestia shook her head. “All I did was wear a beehive on my head in Times Stable...”

“I KNEW IT WAS YOU!” Rarity bellowed. “No pony alive would have known how to wear such an ancient fashion!”

“Y-yes.” Celestia cleared her throat as Luna and Cadence looked over at her with a 'what in the world did you DO?' look. “A-anyway. She told us that she had banished the danger, but that in order to destroy it, she, and only those she choose, would have to be with her when she faced it once and for all. And if anypony else was there, that would mean nothing but disaster for all of Equestria.”

“And we believe that time has come. And we knew that you six would want to be there, so we tried our best to keep you away.” Cadence said, a bit shamefully.

“Why didn't you just tell us, or at least Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

“That's part of what we were discussing. Whether or not to tell you, and how much to tell you.” Celestia explained.

“Is that so?” Rarity said dangerously. “Well, then, I think it's about time you told us EVERYTHING.”

The three of them looked between each other, and then nodded. “Yes, I think you should know.” Celestia said. And she would have too. Not only that, they would have released Twilight from her rather luxurious prison and brought her to the palace. They would have done all of this, if there wasn't a tiny, itty bitty problem preventing them from so doing.

You see, it was at that precise moment when reality as they knew it broke, and was ripped asunder.

*****

As Steve and the other heads drained their glasses, they slammed them onto the ground. “Goodness me! That was, at once, both the most wretched thing I have ever tasted, and the most wonderful thing I have ever drank!” his eyes shot open and he looked around. “I, I feel, strange. I feel...” his eyes went a bit distant for a moment, then suddenly turned deep red, “HUNGRY!” he roared.

The others jumped back from him as all four heads let out a terrifying cry, and the hydra's body suddenly grew larger.

“BON-BON, CATCH!” Lyra cried as she tossed the drink at her.

“GOT IT!” Bon-Bon grabbed the bottle, and gave it a massive swig.

At that point, one had two very interesting things to look at. In the left corner, we have Bon-Bon, who, despite earlier failure, had begun to undergo her transformation process (with musical accompaniment none-the-less). In the other corner, the hydra. For Colgate, her eyes were glued on the latter, for its transformation was much more terrifying.

She watched in horror as large spines began to protrude out of the creature's body. Each head gained massive horns that were more accurately described as series of sharp spikes. From their jaws came even more spines, and all along its four necks large bony spikes shot out. From its chest burst forth four new legs, each with claws that were nearly as large as a pony. From its back came six massive wings, torn and terrifying. And its eyes went from solid red, to filled with fire and lighting. The creature let out another terrifying roar, and the trees near it bowed in fear, then splintered. In short, The Hydra and the other heads had become the stuff of nightmares.

Really, you'd think they would have learned their lesson about letting strange creatures drink this stuff. I mean, there was Pinkie, then there were some bandits, and there went Bon-Bon crashing through the trees like after being tossed like a rag-doll, and then there was the griff-wait, what?

Colgate blinked a few times at what had just happened. Bon-Bon, who had finished changing, had so easily, and simply, been tossed to the side by the monster that now stood before them. Lyra grabbed the bottle, swigged it, and then flew at the monster. She too was knocked easily to the side, with a cry of 'Your turn!' as the bottle was tossed to Berry.

The bottle landed on the ground in front of her, and she looked down at it hesitantly. “Go on, little pony, drink it...” four deep and sinister voices said. She looked up in surprise at the monstrous hydra that now stood over her. “Drink it...”

Berry blinked a few times, then grabbed the bottle.

“BERRY, DON-” Colgate cried, but in vain, for Berry had already drained it.

This time, however, nothing happened. Berry stood there, stunned. The creature laughed as it threw its heads back. “What is the matter, little pony?” with a swipe of one of its new legs, it easily brushed her aside, causing her to drop the bottle. “What about you?” the voices said as the monster turned to Time Turner. It then hesitated for a moment. “Are you not afraid?” it asked.

Colgate dared to take her eyes off of the monster for a moment. Standing there, staring right at the beast with the largest eyes (where those stars?) she'd ever seen, Time was smiling like a foal in a candy shop. “How could I be?!” he exclaimed. “You are the most fascinating creature I have EVER seen! Why, I'd bet there isn't another creature like you in all of Equestria!” he shouted.

The monster regarded him for a moment, as one of the heads bat Bon-Bon away once more. “You are most curious, and most likely delicious. Drink. Drink it little pony...” the beast said.

“And miss out on the chance to see what else you can do? No wa-” he shook his head, but was abruptly interrupted when on the heads grabbed him. He shouted out in surprise, which was drowned out as another head shoved the bottle into his mouth. He began coughing and gagging as the beverage nearly filled his lungs. Colgate took a few steps back as she saw him begin to glow, then, all at once, he simply vanished.

“What?” the monster exclaimed as the four heads began looking around. “Where is it?” they asked. After a moment of fruitless searching (and a casual Lyra deflection), it then turned towards Colgate. “And you, little pony, you will drink it too.” It said as it took a massive step towards her.

“STOP!” a sudden shout filled the area, causing the monster to turn around. Even Lyra and Bon-Bon froze in mid-air to look at the shouter. Photo Finish struck a hoof out and pointed at it. “STOP! Why are you doing this?! Do not hurt zem anymore!” she commanded.

The creature looked at her for a moment, then all four mouths grinned, showing far too many pointy teeth, “No.” they simply said, and turned back toward Colgate.

“Please, beloved! Leave them be! Come, drink vit me! Come! Now!” she stomped a hoof into the ground.

One of the heads turned back to her, and roared. Much to Photo's surprise, a blast of wind came from its mouth, knocking her back in to the trees and out of sight. It then turned once more back to Colgate. “Drink it.” the four heads said in unnerving unison.

For their part, Lyra and Bon-Bon were not to be so easily beaten. Indeed, from behind the monster came a huge teal net, which wrapped around two of the heads, and suddenly jerked backwards, knocking the whole creature off balance. She saw Bon-Bon suddenly swing from behind it, holding onto a white rope that tightened the net, and wrap around the other two heads. Then, with surprising strength, she pulled, and the net tightened, causing all four heads to yelp in surprise and gasp for air as the whole creature fell onto its back.

“BERRY!” Bon-Bon cried. “HURRY, THROW LYRA THE BOTTLE!” Colgate's head swung to the side and saw Berry (a bit battered and brushed), hold up her hoof to summon the bottle.

Nothing.

“BERRY!” both Bon-Bon and Lyra cried.

“I'M TRYING!” she cried. After a brief moment, the bottle finally appeared, and Berry threw it directly at the monster, and let out a shout of surprise as the bottle changed direction mid-air, and flew directly into her gaping mouth.

This time, the change was instant. Where Berry once stood was now the most dashing and handsome stallion Colgate had ever seen. Indeed, for a moment, he was the only thing she could see. He was as picaresque as a mare could ever hope for. He even flicked his head to the side, causing his long, flowing locks to flick in the air, causing her heart to flutter, and her senses to fail.

Then she got hit in the head, again. This time, however, she got hit in the head by a net, rather than some large, heavy, blunt object. Needless to say, she was knocked from her revere, and began struggling to free herself from said net.

“Ow!” Lyra said. “Stop kicking so hard! I'm trying to untangle us!”

“Sorry!” Colgate replied, relaxing a little as the felt the net around her begin to shift around of its own accord. It was a very strange sensation, and it only got weirder as she suddenly felt herself become lifted from the ground. She cried out in surprise, and saw the world around her spin a little, and then come to a stop, with three of the monster's faces looking at her. Still being trapped in the net (and nearly hanging upside down) she was powerless to do much more then simply stare at it. Well, that would be the case if it wasn't for the fact that she still had that numbing spell she could try.

Her horn glowed brightly as she tried to inject all three heads with Novocain. It hit them like a train, but sadly, she was only a little pony, and it was a very big monster. Indeed, the only visible effect that Colgate could see was the monster's three heads blink stupidly for a moment, before all three shook in perfect unison.

“Nice try, little pony. But such spells are useless against a hydra.” they all said. “One mind in four heads, four minds in one head. Unless all are afflicted, none are afflicted.”

“Alright, you heard him, I'll drop you and you try that again.” Lyra whispered into Colgate's ear. “Ready?”

“Wait, wha-” Colgate was caught completely by surprise as the net suddenly unwrapped her and she tumbled to the rather soggy ground below. Good thing it was soggy, for had it been hard, odds were she would have smack hard onto it and been out like a light. Since it wasn't, she landed softly (and half sunk) into the rather squishy ground. Also fortunately, she did not land on her head, but onto her rear hooves.

The impact, as well as the surprise of the fall, caused her to lose her sense of what was going on for a moment. Thankfully, Lyra was prepared for this, and proceeded to wrap herself around the head that had picked them up. The beast grabbed at her with the other three heads, and pulled to yank her off. It didn't feel good for poor Lyra. Bon-Bon, quicker than ever, leapt upon one of the heads, and promptly dropped a small round object on its nose. “EYES SHUT!” she cried, as a bright flash of light and a terrible sound filled the air.

The beast roared in annoyance, and flailed all of its heads madly, whipping everypony and everything on it and near it away, and far into the swamp. It then turned its heads to Colgate, and with eight twitching eyes, spoke: “Feisty little things, you ponies are. But I will not be denied!” it roared, causing the trees around the clearing to bend once mor-

Was that a flash of purple in the air?

“NOW DRINK!” the monster roared.

“BY THE ORDER OF THE VANHOOER GUARD, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!” A surprisingly small, yet authoritative voice shouted.

“YOU'RE NOT EVEN A MEMBER OF THE GUARD YET!” another voice shout-wait, she recognized that one!

“SHUT UP!” the other voice shouted, and as Colgate's head cleared, she saw a small-ish mare in a trashmare's jumpsuit leap from the sky upon the monster's head, and give it a good kick in the eye.

“MY EYE!” the monster roared, and the other three heads plunged at her. She leapt just in time to avoid them, causing them to crash into each othe- “GOTCHA!” it cried as one of the heads suddenly pivoted and grabbed her. “I know that trick!” it said. “I won't be fooled!”

“INSIGHT, HELP!” she cried.

Insight? Wait, INSIGHT?!

A yellow pegasus swooped out of the air, grabbing her and yanked her out of the mouth.

“INSIGHT?!” Colgate shouted in disbelief. The pegasus suddenly paused in surprised and turned to look at her. Not a wise move, as a head suddenly plowed into both he and the trasmare he was holding. “OOH! SORRY!” she shouted as the two of them smashed into the mud.

“Good to see you too, Colly...” he groaned from the mud.

“Move it!” the other mare said, jumping to her hooves, and yanking him out of the way of a massive stomping leg. Then another, then another. “You two know each other?!” She shouted amidst dodging.

“We dated each other at Canterlot University...” he said weakly.

It was about this point when Colgate was ready. She took a quick, deep breath (which both smelled and tasted awful), and closed her eyes in concentration. She imagined all four heads at once, and carefully targeted each one. It was not easy, but given that she only had four, it wasn't beyond her. Then, she filled her horn with a powerful surge of magic, and blasted all four with her spell.

The monster stopped dead in its tracks, and swayed slightly. Colgate could feel the numbing spell taking hold, and she could even feel it spreading through its body, even through that fifth head that suddenl-

Are you freaking kidding me?

Her eyes popped open just as she saw a fifth explode from the monster's body, and she felt her spell suddenly spread too thin. She tried to add the new head, but it was too quick, and picked her up with its new head. “Very clever! I should have thought of that one!” two of the heads said. The other two had begun snapping at (and missing thankfully) the other two.

So, where was Berry in all of this? Berry, for his part, had also been knocked to the side. Though that was hardly his fault. You see, the moment the drink had forced itself into him, his body had suddenly taken control of itself, and had begun striking a number of rather handsome (and distracting) poses right on the spot. He tried to fight it, but his body just wouldn't listen. Finally, when he had been thrown into the trees by the hydra mad flailing, his body and mind were synced once more. It taken a few moments to get his bearings again, but when he had, he charged directly back into the clearing. He had been just in time to see a now five-headed monster with Colgate in the mouth of one, and two other ponies he didn't know dodging two other heads. Though that latter detail meant little to him, as his eyes turned red the moment he saw Colgate in peril. He charged forward, and then his body suddenly stopped. 'What?!' he thought, 'MOVE!' he commanded his body, trying his best to force his hooves to move.

'No.' came a reply in his head.

'Wait, WHAT?' he cried in surprise.

'She must drink, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.' it said once more.

“Colgate!” Berry heard his mouth shout. “Drink it! It's the only way we can beat him!” 'NO!' he shouted. 'DON'T LISTEN!'

“Beat me?” the monster asked. “Why? I feel better then ever!”

Berry watched, and resisted as best as he could as his hoof lifted up to summon the bottle. 'Who are you?! What are you doing?!' he cried.

'I will not answer you, for you are unimportant.' it simply said.

“CATCH!” he cried as he tossed the bottle to her. He watched in horror as she caught the bottle with her magic, popped the top off-

“NO!” he cried, suddenly free.

-and took a deep drink.

And that was the exact moment that caused almost all of reality to break, and fall into nothingness.

Author's Note:

Confession time: Insight is the OC/Ponysona (kinda both) of the fellow for whom I wrote this whole story. I know there was a bit of build-up to the perhaps underwhelming reveal. For that, well, I suppose I can offer no real excuse, other then inexperience.

That aside, this is the last part of Chapter three.