The Mystery of the Old Ponyville Time Capsule

by GrangeDisplay

The Last Stand

Twilight finished corralling the students as far away from Pinkie as possible, thanking her lucky stars that Trixie opted to hold court in one of the Castle’s most spacious rooms. If they were truly lucky, the students would be too far away to be harmed, and they would keep each other too distracted to hear the confrontation.

Applejack stomped her hoof and threw down her hat. “Pinkie Pie, knock it off! Did you hear Mayor Mare? She said we’ll only have to do community service. It’s not bad. They’re’s nothing in all Equestria that is bad enough to do what I think you're doing. Now put that thing away and git over here before you hurt yourself or somepony else!” Applejack demanded.

“And why would I do that, Applejack?” Pinkie asked innocently. The other’s shivered at the lack of life in Pinkie’s voice.

“Well, because that thing is exceptionally dangerous Pinkie Pie, and you don’t know how to use it. I promise I’m not angry with any of you and I do not want to get you in trouble. I love you girls. Please just put it down and come here.” Twilight pleaded.

Starlight shook her head and whispered to the other mares. “I know that we are all worried about Pinkie at the moment, but the crossbow is not an issue. I used up all of the arrows while fighting the Sundew at Froggy Bottom Bogg.”

The group sighed in relief and were pleased to hear the good news. The only exception was Maud Pie; she studied her little sister with a morbid curiosity.

Pinkie joylessly giggled as she reached into her mane. “Oh, Starlight, you silly silly filly. This crossbow is old. It doesn’t use arrows, it uses bolts. I know this because that’s what Granny Pie taught me when she gifted me this when I first started traveling Equestria.”

Twilight’s entire body tensed as she watched the pink pony pull a bolt out of her mane and expertly load it into the crossbow. She tried to stay calm despite her rising panic. “Pinkie…You’re the one that put the crossbow in the time capsule? But, why?”

“I don’t know Twi-Twi. Sometimes I just don’t know, you know? I get these feelings. These urges. These whims. Like, one day I felt this whim to stay out in the fields a little longer than usual, then I saw it. The rainboom, the most spectacular rainbow I have ever seen. I felt a whim to toss up a rubber chicken and not give a flying feather where it landed. Do you know who picked it up? Cheese Sandwich, one of my bestest friends in the whole world. The night before we filled the time capsule, I felt a whim. I looked at the crossbow, and I knew. I didn’t know what I knew, but I knew. I always do.”

Trixie wrapped her hooves around Starlight and pulled her close. Everypony was thoroughly unsettled by the turn of events, and Pinkie showed no signs of wanting to stop.

Glints of deeper emotions shined briefly in Pinkie’s dull eyes, but she mainly appeared cold and distant. “I appreciate you girls for coming forward, but at the end of the day, I caused all of this. I wanted things to be okay so bad that I somehow made everything extremely not okay. I didn’t fix anything, I screwed up, and I keep screwing up. I spent so many years trying to understand why I just couldn’t fix this, but now I understand. This couldn’t be stopped; it couldn’t be changed.”

Pinkie pushed up her glasses. “I can see everything so clearly now, girls. I can see the threads. The strings that pull us and the strings that bind us. Us coming here today was inevitable. This was always the only path. My Granny gifted me this because she knew too that she knew. And the LDS, the Lunar Defense Society, gave her this crossbow because they too knew that they knew. This was the plan, can’t you tell! I can see it, I can hear it, I can feel it!”

A flash of light burst outside the stained-glass window, bathing Pinkie in a red shadow. The sound of thunder accompanied the flash, and the sound only multiplied as more explosions erupted outside. Twilight looked over at her students. They looked frightened by the sudden cacophony of deafening detonations. The alicorn didn’t have to instruct her friends on what to do, because Fluttershy, Spike, and Mayor Mare were already rushing over to comfort them. She watched them coerce the students into staying calm before turning her attention back to Pinkie.

The alicorn took on a protective stance as she stood in front of her remaining friends. “Pinkie! That’s enough! I don’t know how you're doing this, or why. But I need you to tell me what’s going on right now!”

Pinkie wasn’t threatened or unnerved by Twilight’s demand. She allowed another explosion to sound before shouting at the top of her lungs. “Today is the day, Twilight! It’s our day, the Day of Last Light! The day when all things become clear, no longer obscured by the darkness. Granny Pie once told me that we would all face our day. The day when our truth must be revealed. She asked me who I would be on that day. If I would fight or crumble like a cookie with too much flour in it.”

Trixie began to shake in Starlight hooves as she whisper-yelled. “I knew it! I knew it! The Lunar Defense Society? Sounds like a lunatic cult to me. Shadow ponies are here, and the shadow ponies are Pinkie! She’s been asleep this whole time, waiting for the Day of Last Light! Take me now, Pink one I’m ready! Ready to join you. I understand it now, it is only after we immerse ourselves in the dark that we know the immaculate power of the light.”

After listening to Trixie’s crazy ramblings following Pinkie’s crazy ramblings, Rainbow Dash was quite tired of listening to crazy ramblings. She tapped Maud’s shoulder, trying to get her stony attention. “Yo Maud, can you get your sister to knock it off. She’s really starting to freak me out here.”

Maud didn’t even blink as she stared at her sister. “It’s too late. There is nothing that I can do. It was already too late long before I even realized that I had lost her.”

Despite the low tone of Maud’s voice, Pinkie still acknowledged her statement, “Maud understands it better than anypony. Even though she despises it, she has accepted it. The fire is raining down from above!”

Rainbow groaned as she returned to Applejack’s side. “I can't wait for this week to end.” she mumbled as she rested a hoof on the farmer. The pegasus considered her next words carefully, before speaking with sincerity, “Hey Pinkie, remember how we talked about the importance of talking stuff out? I know you hate the bad stuff, but I’d rather have you speak your mind instead of you getting all pale and bummed out. If you do something dumb, I’m gonna be like super upset.”

Pinkie smiled after hearing Rainbow’s words. “I am speaking my mind, Dashie, and I’ve never been happier. My work is almost done. I’m simply following the plan that we’re destined to follow. I have found the truth, and I hope you will too. We must accept it!”

“I accept! I accept! I see the fires and I crave the light!” shouted Trixie. Starlight scrambled to keep her from running to Pinkie’s side.

Applejack ran a hoof over her mane, trying to ignore the sound of explosions and the rapidly changing colors from outside. “Pinkie, you know that’s a whole bunch of hooey. Ya gotta snap out of it. The party cannons are doin’ all of the work, I’m sure that most of the fireworks have been dealt with. Come on and step away from the window sugarcube.”

“Applejack is right darling, remember how I told you what two things should never be brought up in polite conversation. I’m not really sure where Nightmare Shadow Government conspiracy theories fit, but I’m certain that this whole affair is quite improper. Be a dear and come over, I really don’t want that window to burst open and cut you up.”

“No can-do girls. It’s almost time. I can sense it, it’s coming. It’s time for me to get The Big Finale.” Pinkie sounded out the last three words as she looked at Applejack.

Applejack stared at Pinkie as the gears in her head began to turn. This whole time, Pinkie had been talking utter nonsense, which wasn’t too out of character. But this nonsense was different, it wasn’t lighthearted or comical. Pinkie had a lot of wild ideas, but this type of thing wasn’t her usual brand of gibberish. Applejack didn’t understand what Pinkie was getting at until she heard those final words, and she wished that she had caught on sooner because there was little time to think of a different plan.

All of the farmer’s reflexes kicked in as she tackled Rainbow and Twilight to the ground. “Everycreature, get down! Here comes the big one!” Applejack screamed as she used her body to shield her friends.

All creatures complied with Applejack’s order except for Pinkie. The lone party pony recalled every crossbow lesson that she ever received. Propping the weapon against her shoulder, she drew in a breath and closed one eye. Calm washed over her as her Pinkie Sense and instincts took over. She had felt its presence looming over her, but now she could see it with her own eyes. The Big Finale deserved its name.

During any other occasion, the firework enthusiast in Pinkie would have studied every inch of this marvel. She couldn’t see the whole thing from where she was standing, only the top. The cone of the projectile had been painted with a purple and white swirl, creating a hypnotizing optical illusion. It spiraled as it rapidly approached the castle. If she had to guess, she would estimate that The Big Finale weighed a literal ton, which meant that it must have taken a lot of force to hurtle it.

When Pump Metal said that his boss had totally lost it, Pinkie didn’t think that he was this crazy. Bugs’ gang not only bombarded Ponyville, but specifically targeted the Castle of Friendship with one of the largest firecrackers in the world. It was an impressive revenge plot with catastrophic consequences, but it was doomed to fail. Bugs thought that he was toiling with Al Capony, but he was actually toiling with Pinkie Pie and her home. And nopony messed with her home.

The party pony mumbled under her breath as she prepared to pull the trigger, “I wish I may, I wish I might. Under the mercy of Celestia’s light. Guide my bolt in its flight.”

There was a click when Pinkie pulled the trigger. The bolt zipped away from her, and she prayed that her aim was still good after all these years. The stained-glass window shattered when the bolt pierced through it, scattering shards far and wide. The light from the outside was blinding due to the lack of a barrier. The bolt continued on its trajectory, entering the smoky air and finding its target. The apexes of each projectile touched with pinpoint accuracy, but neither were done with their path. The bolt penetrated the massive object, disrupting the chemical reactions within. It exited out of the other end of The Big Finale, covered in remnants of sulfur and copper.

Knowing that her job was finally done, Pinkie finally allowed herself to shed a tear. The crossbow clattered to the floor as The Big Finale ignited in a spectacular display. She turned to her friends and smiled a genuine smile. They didn’t have time to grab her before she was engulfed by a heavenly, and explosive, light.

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There were many ponies in the room who believed that they could have done better. Maybe if they were faster or quicker to think. Maybe they should have protected their family better, were better at identifying when their friends were keeping secrets, or if they had just told the truth from the beginning. But at the end of day, when the smoke finally cleared from the room, somepony was severely hurt, and there was no time to ruminate on past actions.

Thanks to Pinkie’s quick thinking, The Big Finale did not land inside the Friendship Castle, but that did not stop it from exploding outside. The combination of the force of the explosion and the lack of a proper barrier after the stained glass shattered, threw everycreature backwards. Torrents of flame and soot blasted through the window, torching everything within a close radius. Pinkie, who stood closest to the window, bore the brunt of the impact. Her body was left limp and contorted several feet away from where she was previously standing. Smoke wafted off of her as she lay unmoving and unconscious.

Everypony rushed to Pinkie’s side, wanting to administer some sort of aid, but Rainbow was quick to take control.

“Everypony be careful! Something might be broken!” she shouted harshly.

She knew that this was not the time to panic. Pinkie needed her. She ran through the safety training that she underwent with the Wonderbolts.

“Pinkie? Pinkie, can you hear me? We’re going to get you help, okay.” She gently checked Pinkie’s head for any gashes or bleeding. She could feel a minor pump on the back of Pinkie’s head. She swallowed and looked up to see Fluttershy flying over.

Rainbow hovered her hoof over Pinkie’s muzzle. “I-I think she's breathing.”

Fluttershy nodded and placed her hoof to Pinkie’s neck. “And she has a pulse. The impact must've knocked her out. We’ll have to take her to the hospital. Aside from the burns and cuts, she might have a concussion.”

Applejack shook her head solemnly. “We ain’t bringin’ her into town, we don’t know who might be out there. Fluttershy, is there anything that you can do to tide her over until the coast is clear?”

“I could get her more comfortable and maybe bandage some of her wounds, but I’ll need somepony to help me.”

Twilight looked around at the small assembly of ponies before her. “Maud, I’m certain you want to stick with your sister. You and Fluttershy can take her to one of the guest rooms.”

Maud didn’t hesitate as she nodded. She looked to Fluttershy to know what to do next. As they got to work securing the body, Twilight formulated a plan.

“Starlight, Trixie, and Rarity, can you three take the students somewhere else? Mayor Mare is still watching them, but she might want to return to Town Hall. Tell Spike to grab fresh linens and the first-aid kit for Pinkie.”

Seeing that the unicorns were complying to her demand, Twilight turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Applejack, if you really think that town is still unsafe, we need to warn everypony to stay indoors until further notice.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Then I guess you’re thinkin’ the three of us will team up to do so? Sounds like a plan, Twi. I have a feelin’ that Bugs might still be out there. Rainbow, you ready to get goin’?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t answer, she stared intently at the window that previously housed the stained-glass. Her entire body was rigid except for the occasional twitch of the muscle. She glowered at the dubious cloud that floated outside.

Applejack gently tugged her tail. “Rainbow, you good? We ain’t gone send you out there if you’re fixin’ to do something crazy.”

“He could have killed her Applejack. I’m not gonna let them come here, screw around with my friends, and walk away.” Rainbow growled.

The farmer stood up and joined Rainbow in her observation. “Hey, I know you’re angry. Look at me. You think I’m not angry too? I’m mad at myself for lettin’ this happen, and I’m mad at him for taken it this far. But right now, we have to make sure that nopony else gets hurt. After that…I think we need to start Plan B.”

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The walk through Ponyville was a slow and cautious one. Twilight and friends moved as a unit through the streets, fearing that separating could evoke further attack. Rainbow hovered a few feet above, while Mayor Mare walked between Twilight and Applejack. They decided that the first portion of their mission would be escorting the mayor back to Town Hall. Once the mayor was situated, Twilight casted an amplifying spell to make it easier to relay instructions. Ponyville was in surprisingly good shape, despite the prolonged aerial attack. The atmosphere was smokey, and ash coated various roofs, but the main indicator of any abnormal occurrence was the plethora of confetti that littered the streets and the strong stench of sulfur.

By the looks of it, nopony was severely hurt, just scared and confused. The trio did their best to provide comfort quickly while answering questions vaguely. Twilight tried her best to look authoritative and in-control when speaking with residents, but she knew that she was just as uninformed as the majority of the town. She had picked up scraps of what was happening while listening to her friends, and she could tell that Rainbow and Applejack were on edge. They constantly referenced a “bug” in hushed tones.

It wasn’t until they returned to the castle that Twilight saw more of what her friends were dealing with. She paused her movement when Applejack stood on the steps of the Friendship Castle and scowled at the clouds. Rainbow Dash hovered behind her and cracked her hooves.

“I know you’re up there Bugs! You just couldn’t stay away, could you? Your plan failed; we beat you! But I know that ain’t enough for you. And it definitely ain’t enough for me. Come down here, so we can settle this for good. No more plottin’. No more schemin’. No more bein’ clever.” Applejack scornfully shouted.

A pegasus stallion leisurely descended from above. He removed a cigar from his mouth and threw it to the ground. “Applejack, what do you have in mind?”

“I want to end this for real Bugs. I want to set us both free. I have a feelin’ that you ain’t satisfied yet. Al Capony never offended you. I offended you, so your problem lies with me. Not with my town, and not with my kin. You can’t live if you carry this hate around with you, and I can’t either. We’re goin’ to settle this, and I’m goin’ to steady you.”

“Settle this? What, you want us to fight or something?” he asked with a wry smile.

Applejack nodded grimmly. “Eyup. I know that I’ve told a lot of lies throughout my life, but I was being honest when I told you what would happen if you showed your face around her again. You done turned this mess into a blood feud.”

Bugs chuckled as he licked his lips. At least a dozen pegasi descended from above, landing behind their boss. “Alright, alright. I’m not opposed to the fight, but me vs. you just doesn't seem fair.”

Rainbow Dash was itching for revenge. She snarled as she landed by Applejack’s side, “How could that possibly not be fair!”

Bugs gestured behind him to the plethora of henchponies. “I had a whole gang of ponies relying on me. You hurt every last one of my…employees. I’m sure they would all appreciate the opportunity to scrap with you.”

If the prospect of fighting a mob of ponies frightened Applejack, she didn’t show it. Her resilience was unwavering. Rainbow felt much the same. The pegasus mirrored her friend’s countenance as she spoke, “Alright, fine! I’ll beat the hay out of you and your goons too!”

Bugs was amused by Rainbow bravado; he looked back at his associates to ensure that they heard what he was hearing. “I’m sure that the tree-kicker appreciates your gesture, but this dispute is between us and Al Capony.”

Rainbow scoffed as she stomped her hooves. “Are you a moron! You tried to blow up this whole town without even knowing the whole truth? Al Capony wasn’t one pony, they were five!”

“Oh, wow. I did not know that Al Capony was a team of five, but now I do.” Rainbow Dash thought that she knew smugness, but Bugs Marean put her to shame. He and his goons cackled as everypony realized what had just happened.

The mob boss gasped for air between laughs. “Alright Loyalty, you can die alongside your friend. But the other three are going to have to go down with you.”

This wasn’t good. Applejack wasn’t sure what to do now. She didn’t want her friends to suffer any more because of her decision. Rainbow might be willing to fight, but the others aren’t cut out for this type of thing. And even if they were, Pinkie was in no condition to move, and Fluttershy needed to remain by her side. Applejack bit her lip, uncertain of what she could do, which is why it was a good thing that Rarity decided to come out.

Everypony grew silent as Rarity strutted over to her friends and sighed. “Well darling, here’s number three. But I fear that we will not be dying today. We three have fought literal demons and gods. What are you? A little colt in an ugly little coat who got his feelings hurt by a group of teenage girls? Embarrassing really. Imagine going this far because your products were lacking!”

The amusement left Bugs Marean’s face as he ground his teeth. “That’s nice to know. But three still ain’t five girlie.”

“We have a fourth! She’s inside at the moment cleaning up some of the damage you caused, but she would be delighted to brawl with you too.” Rarity assured with confidence. Rainbow, Applejack, and Twilight looked at her in confusion. She covered her muzzle as she whispered, “Worry not dears. I’m talking about Maud. She might not be here, but I know she would jump at this opportunity in a heartbeat.”

“Okay, you’ve got your fourth. But I know you big mares know how to count, where is the fifth? And don’t try to tell me that Princess Twily was in on the business. I read her autobiography, and I know she was in Canterlot.”

“She is right here!” shouted Trixie as she appeared in a flash. She wore her cape and hat as she held up a hoof for dramatic flair. Trixie glared at Bugs as she took her place on Al Capony’s side. “You’ve terrorized me for long enough Bugs. I’ve been waiting for the day to show you what I am capable of. I’m the fifth Al Capony!”

Bugs Marean smirked as he looked at the ensemble of ponies before him. He wasn’t expecting this, but he was satisfied with the new arrangement. “Okay now you got your five. And since I’m so nice, I’m going to pick four of my best to fight too. A classic five on five.”

He ran through all of the ponies on his roster. Their names slipped off his tongue with ease, “I’m gonna need Pack Heat, Chop Squad, Badaboom and Badabing!”

Twilight assumed that the names correlated with each of the ponies that stepped forward. Each of Bugs’ selections removed their gang paraphernalia as they stood beside him. Pack Heat was a bright red and orange pegasus stallion, he was lean and lengthy. Chopper Squad was a massive earthpony that made Big Mac look like Applebloom. Badaboom and Badabing were pegasi as well. Twilight assumed that they were twins since their pink and purple color schemes matched each other. Unlike Pack Heat, the two pegasi were tiny. The gangsters snickered and taunted at Twilight’s friends.

“Now that I have my squad, I want to discuss the terms of our…’agreement.’”

Applejack tipped her hat up. “Alrighty then. My terms are simple. If you lose, you leave and never ruminate about this again. No more anger, no more bitterness, and no more attacks.”

He studied each of his fighters with a devilish smile. “Applejack, if you lose. You come and work for me for as long as it takes to pay back every bit that you stole. You belong to me till the day you keel over.”

“I’m fine with that Bugs.” Applejack said calmly. She offered a hoof to her enemy, and Bugs took it eagerly.

The mob boss spun around as he studied his audience. “I’ll give you a bit of time before you die. So, go ahead and say your goodbyes. We’ll reconvene in thirty.”

Applejack solemnly nodded as she led her band back into the Friendship Castle. Twilight felt numb as she trailed behind them. Did she really just let that happen? Things kept happening, and she didn’t have the time to grapple with any of it. Pinkie was injured and now her friends were going to fight gangsters. Her friends were criminals, and they were keeping secrets from her. Twilight didn’t often feel helpless, but she certainly did now.

Rarity ran to get Maud as Applejack, Rainbow and Trixie quietly spoke to each other. Rainbow Dash was clearly fired up, she stretched out her limbs as she hovered above her fellow fighters. They paid Twilight little mind as she came closer. Applejack rubbed her face before turning to Trixie. “Trixie, I’m not really sure why you're so keen to fight alongside us, but…I-I shoulda said this to you a long time ago. It’s not just because of what you’re doing here for us today, but I’m sorry.”

Applejack removed her hat and looked at Trixie with complete sincerity. “When I first saw you…I said and did some things that I should not have. You were just doin’ your passion, and I mocked you. My ma and pa raised me better than that, and I should have apologized sooner.”

Rainbow Dash interrupted her fighting practice to speak to the unicorn as well, “Yeah Trix, it’s my bad too. I kinda tend to run my mouth also. I shouldn’t have interrupted you. You’re actually pretty cool. For all it’s worth, I’m sorry too.”

Trixie looked at them in surprise before putting on a haughty disposition. She blew a raspberry and stuck up her nose. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not require your pity! I’m not doing this because I see any of you as ‘friends.’ I am here because I also had terrible experiences with Bugs in my youth. And…I was a bit of a fan of Al Capony’s work. Knowing that Al was all of you, greatly disturbs me. I will fight alongside you, so I no longer have to feel indebted to any of you.”

Applejack chuckled as she nudged Rainbow. “Trust me Trixie, I get what you’re feelin’. Nonetheless, I appreciate you. We owe you one. Consider yourself part of the gang if you like.”

The magician wanted to make a witty and petulant comeback, but Maud and Rarity arrived in a haste. Applejack greeted her cousin with a fond smile, while Maud made a brief statement.

“I’m here. Let’s fight.”