Twilight's Canterlot: RotE Episode 6

by Dream Volt

Downer Pie Flutterwrath yet

"Time to be cruel."

Something suddenly shifted. There was some sudden great upswing of power that wasn't there before. Or maybe it was, but well hidden or restrained. It certainly wasn't restrained now whatever it was. For the thousandth time I desperately wished I had my horn. I wasn't sure it was a good idea but I galloped down a turn in the direction of the voice.

"Arivaderchi."

"Oh no you don't."

I blinked. Was that Fluttershy? The only time I had ever heard her that loud was at the gala. Then Discord flew over my head. Fluttershy was running along the top of the hedge as if it was the most solid path in the world, a huge flock of birds following in her wake. She was quickly past me along with the birds and I turned to see her still chasing Discord. I guess she decided he made a good target for her newfound cruelty.

I still hadn't figured this all out yet, but I was getting the idea well enough. Bait us into the maze, get us alone, then somehow reverse our elements entirely. My guess is Applejack went after him just like Fluttershy, and he just hadn't found or otherwise hasn't run into Pinkie and Dash. I've seen him out of the corner of my eyes watching me several times so I assume he's leaving me till last for some reason.

"You're after it too aren't you?"

"No." Pinkie then giggled. "It's just you look absolutely terrible and you're carrying around what has to be a worthless rock."

I spun around to see a very different Pinkie. She was wearing a bunch of odd black clothing covered in zippers. They seemed to belong to pockets mostly, but many of them made no sense whatsoever. There were also a few spikes and chains. Some of these I suddenly realized were in her ears. She had on heavy black eye makeup and had dyed her mane and tail black.

"What do you mean by that? Can't you see this is a big beautiful diamond."

"It sure looks that way, but why would Discord give you a diamond? Then again I guess it could be real, maybe he poisoned it instead, or it's going to explode?"

Rarity turned away. "No, you're just trying to trick me."

Despite all that, it was her mane being flat combined with her body's lack of color that bothered me most. Blinkie and Inky had informed me that her hair going flat on it's own is a very bad thing. Then suddenly I remembered why I was looking up color loss in the first place. I felt it was best not to bring up unless it recurred, but clearly there was something very wrong with Pinkie that day. She was even more grey now.

"Then again maybe it's glass and he figures you'll just be upset once it breaks."

"Pinkie…"

"Oh Twilight, this is all just so horrible isn't it?" she then giggled. "Rarity is all grabby grabby, and Fluttershy looks mean, and Applejack told me she's not here even when it looks like she is."

Pinkie was smiling. She was talking in her normal upbeat voice, and smiling, but her tone in no way matched her words. I took a step back.

"Clearly you got it worst of all. I mean first of all he messed up your…" Then she gasped. "Oh, my gosh, that's even worse, you always looked like that didn't you?"

"What?"

"Oh, uh, never mind. Still, you must be so terrified." She giggled again. "I mean you're soooo, useless right now. At least if Rarity gets off the cheese she'll be able to cast again. He could return it, but do you really think he would?"

"Oh." I looked down. "I hadn't even thought of that."

"Don't worry, I'm sure if losing your horn did any brain damage you won't even notice once Discord wins and all Equestria is even more of a pit of misery and pain."

I blinked. The opposite of laughter is misery, or sadness, or maybe just being an overall downer. This isn't going to get better is it? Wait, she' still Pinkie so that means that even if some of her personality is flipped she's not a completely different pony.

"Oh, and don't worry Rarity, the cheese and all that dirt doesn't make you look that much uglier. Also, just because every step you take with that thing on your back you get more tired meaning you'll inevitably have to drop it you don't have to worry."

"Ah ha." Rarity then pointed one wavering hoof at Pinkie

"No really, I'd never dream of taking it. I mean everypony knows wealth only brings more misery, so I sure wouldn’t want it. I'm sure everypony else agrees too so it's not like you have to be all paranoid about it either.

I groaned. She'd get back to me again soon wouldn’t she? Is there even a point of going on? If he reverses all of them, then AJ will be a liar, and Dash a betrayer. We'll never even find the elements.