The Trap!
The scene was the docks in Manehatten. Rarity and Coco, with saddlebags of their best designed clothing in tow, were walking together towards Warehouse number 45. Apparently, a king of a far off land they never heard of called "Translmania" had sent both of them quite a fancy looking invitation. "Miss Rarity, it really is nice to meet you again. But don't you think it's a little weird we're going to meet this king we've never heard of at a warehouse?"
"Indeed, it is a tad offputting that he'd want to meet us in such a place. But remember Coco dear, he is from a far off land. He may not understand the usual customs of Equestria." Rarity said with a hopeful grin. The letters they received were indeed top dollar and not so distributed without good reason. And the contents itself explained that if this king liked what he saw. He'd make it the official royal wear for his entire kingdom. That kind of prestige was nothing to snuff at.
"Do you mean meeting in a hotel? Or...in a place that didn't feel like we we're being watched?" Coco shivered as she looked back, and up. Despite it being daylight. She couldn't shake the feeling that she and Rarity were being observed. But despite her worry, all she saw were boats coming and going in the distance,seagulls flying, and endless amounts of cargo and storage warehouses.
"Well, yes. I do mean that. But we mustn't be rude about it when we get there. We have to do our best, you see. Coco, you more than anypony should know that sometimes our venues will be less than pleasant." Rarity explained to her
"I know...the payoff is always worth it." Coco sighed, she felt a little bad for giving an impression that she didn't want to be here "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm worrying a little more than usual. Everything just seems so convenient. The letters, the location, and the fact we we're both chosen for tieing in first place in the "Canterlot Fashionista Special" show."
Rarity just gave her colleague a reassuring smile and waved her hoof before chuckling lightly. "You worry too much Coco, how about a quick trip to the local spa after we're done here. Would that be alright with you? It'll be my treat"
"..oh, erm. I suppose that would help me relax. If it's really alright with you. Then I don't mind" Coco now felt like she had overdone it. A free trip to the spa? She sighed, and tried to get her act together. She's done this a hundred times. She shouldn't feel any kind of worry about something so simple. King or no, she had the experience. So she smiled, and looked back at Rarity as she gathered her confidence "I really am sorry about being so worried. But you're right. This is what we do! and I'm ready to do my best!"
"Good to hear, because the warehouse should be...right....aha! There we are, quick. Let's get inside before the sea air ruins our manes." Rarity quickened her steps as walked into a side door, right into the warehouse. With Coco following behind her.
It was dark. Darker than it needed to be. There wasn't a single light on and with the main doors closed, only strands of sunlight entered the skylight windows. "H-hello? Is anypony here? Rarity...why is it so dark?" Coco said with a tremor in her voice.
Rarity lit her horn to light the surrounding area. She noticed that wherever she shined her lights. There were nothing to be found. Totally empty. Not a single pony,prop,stand,box, cargo, or this king they we're supposed to meet. "Hrn, this is Warehouse number 45, isn't it?". Coco watched Rarity walk towards the center of the warehouse. "hello! I say! Hello! Your majesty, we have arrived! Are you here?"
And then suddenly, the door they came through closed behind them with a loud slam. Making Coco jump forward with a shriek. She lost her balance and fell forward on her face with a low grunt "ompf!".
Rarity looked around as she could suddenly hear a mad...yet familiar...cackling. "Who's there! I say, you better not be a ship worker looking for a good time. We may look like fancy mares who can't fight. But I promise you, I have no qualms in knocking you out until next week!". but the cackling didn't stop. And it was becoming clear that it was coming from a mare rather than a stallion.
"Miss Rarity!" Coco yelped as she stood up on her hooves and trotted over close behind her "I'm scared. What's going on?"
Suddenly, the lights of the warehouse turn on as a crazed voice echoes across the entire room "Radiance! We meet again! Haha! Ha! Although you aren't with the rest of those Powerless Ponies! You will be a good start in collecting them all for my MANE attraction! HAHA!" The mysterious voice's mad cackles rung across the warehouse. Coco ducked down and hid her head behind her hooves. Utterly frightened.
"Radiance?...That's not my name but...why does it sound so familiar? hm" Rarity took a look around as she kept a brave front. Knowing she would have to stand tall and proud to protect her more timid colleague and friend. "Come out you fiend! Or are you as cowardly as a common rat?"
"A rat?" The voice scoffed "A rat she says...HA!" as the mysterious figured cackled again. Rarity looked up to see odd green vines moving along the light fixtures. "I'd like to think of myself as......hmmm..Actually. I can't think of what I'd think of myself as...other than" Suddenly, a mass of green slithering vines...or..more exact. Slithering strands of mane dropped in front of Rarity and Coco. And when they began to split and move back, they revealed an insane purple coated pony with crazy green and red eyes. The vines themselves seem to be her mane. "A....no, no...still don't have anything. Why don't you both stick around while I have another thought about it...HAHA!"
Rarity suddenly realized why she was called "radiance". But it was too late to react as strands of the mysterious pony's mane stretched out and grabbed both ponies by their upper torso. Holding them tight enough to restrict the movement of their forelegs. "Ngh...What do you think you're doing?! Let us go, right now!"
Coco was terrified. She was doing her best to break free, kicking her hind legs in the air to try to slip through. "Miss Rarity! What's going on!? Who is that?!"
"Really? She doesn't know who I am? How could you take on a personal sidekick and NOT tell her who I am? I'm your biggest adversary! I'm the biggest adversary of ALL the power ponies. Now I just feel insulted.....HAHAHAHA!" The mysterious pony couldn't resist letting out another crazed snicker as she held both her prey up to gaze upon them as if they we're trophies.
"Grrr. You're that GHASTLY Mane-iac! How could you even exist?! You are a mere comic book character, Are you not? You are purely fiction." Rarity couldn't believe it. That couldn't possibly be THE Mane-iac. She only existed as a comic character. Then again, considering how they met. There could have been another instance of cosmic tomfoolery. A Tomfoolery that filled her with dread.
Mane-iac snickered at her as she gave her a crazy look. "Haven't you ever heard of a crossover!? Ha-Ha....wait" Mane-iac brought a hoof to her chin as she actually began to ponder this "I actually have no idea how I got here. In fact, if you had to have a writer figure out how I got here, he wouldn't be able to figure out a good reason without it sounding like bad fanfiction. So let's just say I....popped right in...hehehahaa!"
Rarity rolled her eyes, unphased as she remained suspended in mid air by the tentacles "That's not a good joke. It seems to me they'd need a good writer to make you sound at least halfway threatening. And besides, I'm not this "Radiance" you're looking for. So shoo, go back to your world and leave us be"
Coco's voice shook with terror, surprised on how Rarity could be so relaxed in front of somepony so scary "M-Miss R-R-Rarity! M-Maybe we sh-shouldn't get her a-a-angry!" She was still struggling to escape. But no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't break through the hairy tendrils.
"I'm sorry Coco, but I simply cannot let this stand. She is wrong in her accusation and she has no business being here. So begone, or else things will only become bad for you" Rarity threatened, looking upon Mane-iac's eyes without falter or fear.
"Wrong? Me? Wrong?! HAHA! No no no...I saw you in the paper. You have the same mane, which is dreadful by the way. You have the same voice, the same coat color, the same pretentious way of speaking. Mhmm, you are definitely her. Lack of powers is kind of weird but...nehehehehe" She looked to Rarity with an evil glint in her eyes "I'm not complaining."
"PRETENTIOUS?! ME?! NOW SEE HERE YOU CONTEMPTUOUS SHE DEMON! I AM A LADY! AND YOU ARE A BARBARIC CRIMINAL WITH THE WORST MANE STYLE I'VE EVER SEEN!" Rarity burst in anger. Never before, even when it has happened before, has she ever felt so insulted. Ever the melodramatic mare she was.
Coco could only mutter a low "O-oh no....we're doomed..."
"MY MANE?! TERRIBLE?! WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT! YOU...ER..COCO..SOMETHING. WHOSE MANE STYLE IS BETTER?" it seemed Mane-iac was rather sensitive about her mane. Or perhaps she was just so insane that she needed a topic to complain about before getting on with her plan.
"....Please..just let us go" Coco said with a frightened whimper.
Mane-iac just rolled her eyes, accepting that answer as if she chose Rarity "Typical you'd choose the goody four shoes. Haha! Ahhh well. It's time for the part where I explain my plan so you have a better understanding about how doomed you are. Because, yes, I know you're THE Radiance. As I've already explained. Really, I'd rather have captured somepony else but it's not like any one of you live in a big fancy castle in which you didn't really earn or deserve. Ha! Anyway, You..Radiance. Are going to tell me where the rest of the power ponies are. And then? I shall send them all letters to lure them here. I will then have you all destroyed...somehow..hehe..HA!..haha..hmm. I didn't really have too much time to fully iron out my plan. But it's alright. I'll use the bits I stole from an old pony to buy the very stamps you'd use to make sure they wouldn't know that I sent them. yes..HA. And you BETTER not make me waste a single bit on that useless Humdrum. I don't have time or really,the two extra bits to spend on him."
"You're insane...and very unprepared. It's insulting to hear you say such a feeble plan. Why, I'd even dare to say that my Spikey Wikey would call this the worst comic he'd ever read if it was in fact a comic to be read. Do yourself a favor and let us go. It's obvious that in the real world, you are incapable of being anything else but an uncouth vagrant." Rarity scoffed at her and her weak plan "as evidenced by you robbing an elderly pony. How you went from creating a doomsday device to common thievery is anypony's guess. But it's obvious that unless you let us go now, this will only end poorly for you"
"That's what YOU think! HAHA! I'm glad that you're being so defiant and arrogant! oh yes! heheheHA! I am! I sooooo am! For you see, in this world. I am beyond the shackles of writer integrity and terrible censorship! And that includes my latest batch of henchponies that I left behind too. Truly terrible, I said to set a trap and a mare stepped up to me and presented herself! I thought I was going insane HAHA....well..more insane than usual, but when I realized that she was a he. I knew it was time for greener pastures. I really have no idea how I even ended up hiring that pony. It was like the whole world was hit with some sort of odd diversity wave or something...HAHAHAH! Ahh well, it's torture time. But how to do it...what will make you succumb and tell me the correct postage stamps I need to lure out your team?" Mane-iac slid a strand of her mane along her chin as she pondered.
"Y-you could let us go...That'd be a torture...r-right?" Coco just wanted to leave with Rarity. It was obvious to her now that this was some sort of trap set by some crazy mare she had never heard of in her life. She had no idea how she could sway her mane around, she had no idea how Rarity knew her, all she did know that she just wanted to leave.
"What?! That's not a torture..HAHA! That's laughable really. As If I'd let you-" Then Mane-iac's eyes went wide when she realized a word she said. She then mumbled the word to herself again "Laughable". She then turned to look at Coco, staring right into her eyes with an insane grin. Having the vanilla white pony turn even more pale than she already is "Well Well. Looks like I figured out the perfect little torture for the both of you. I will have my stamps! AND YOU WILL ACKNOWLEDGE MY MANE IS BEST! HAHAHAHA!"
Rarity just furrowed her brow at her, at this point it had become too pathetic. She was sure that she could trick the mad mare in some way. But how? "Coco..." She said in a whisper "I've talked with Spike enough times about these comics he reads to know a small trick about their rather ignorant villans. Perhaps if we argue about our own manes, she will get confused and..." But as Rarity whispered, she could suddenly hear adorable giggling behind her. They were coming from Coco. "Coco? Whatever is the matter?!"
"SHEHEHEHEHEHSTICKLINGMEHEHEHEHE!" Coco said as she did her best to struggle. Overcome by mirth and laughter as the Mane-iac had one of her mane strands stroke and scrub along Coco's pudgy pony belly. Coco could do nothing but throw her head up in gigglish titters as she tried to escape her biological bonds. "HEHEHEHEHELP!"
"You fiend! Tickling?! That'll cause her to sweat and ruin her mane and coat! That is by far the most evil thing anypony could ever do and..w-what are you doing?!" Rarity yelped as she tossed up, and grabbed by all four of her legs by a single tentacle as she hung there. Her mane hanging downward.
"Making you beg...or ruining your mane...or both.HAHAHAH! Whatever comes first!" Mane-iac cackled as she had the tips of another tendril spin and alternate along Rarity's frogs.
Rarity, being the pampered mare she was, had very sensitive hooves. So it didn't take long for her high class laughter to join Coco's soft adorable tortured giggles. "YOUOHAHAHAHAHAHAMONSTERHAHAHAHSTOPTHISHAHAHAHAT...AT..ONCEHAHAHAHA!" Rarity swung about, bouncing with uncontrollable chuckles as the tendril teased along the rim of her hooves. Both her and Coco were filling the room with their laughter. Coco's belly was being expertly played like it was an instrument. more tendrils being added to the rubbing and tickling of her defenseless belly. Rarity's uproariaous laughter always had a short burst of a long "HAAAA" whenever a tendril switched hoof. Her shaking already began to cause her mane to fall more and more out of place.
"And Momma told me I couldn't play an instrument. HEEHAHA!" Mane-iac snickered as she continued to play with her toys. She found this fun, she found this to be true torture, she may have even found it arousing if she wasn't so focused on getting Rarity to tell her what stamps she needed.
After a few minutes of tickle torture. She let them catch their breath as she asked them again "So then, are you going to tell me what stamps I need? Or do you want to laugh more than I ever have in a month? And trust me, I tend to laugh a lot..HAHAHAHA!" Mane-iac cackled.
Coco was taking quick breaths. She tried struggling again, but to no avail. Especially with her being weaker from the tickling. "M-Miss Rarity..m-maybe we should just tell her, I don't know..S-something! I don't think I can take any more tickling."
Rarity however, was only a little phased by the tickle torture as she saw her mane hang forward with many strands out of place. THAT was much worse than a little tickling. Rarity nearly ignored her as she was about to insult Mane-iac again for such an egregious infraction on her stylish mane. But when she looked back at Coco, she realized the poor dear couldn't take it. So she calmed herself, and opted to try REASONING with the crazy mare. "You, Mane-iac. You BELIEVE your mane is better than mine. Yes?"
"I KNOW it is, why? Hahaha! Going to insult it again? That'd be a bad move..." She swung one of her tendrils in front of Rarity's eyes "Unless you want more of this. In..wait. HA! It doesn't matter because unless you give me what I want, I'm just going to do it anyway!"
"Now hold on Darling, hold on. Let us make a bargain. You release my friend here, and I suppose..." Rarity clenched her teeth from the actual physical pain she felt just thinking about it "...I'll declare that you, in fact, have a better mane than I do"
"You can't just SAY I have a better mane! That's not how contests work! HAHAHAH...hehehehe. But if you agree with that. Then it should be obvious for your friend here to realize it too. You, again! Pony's who name I totally forgot! Look at our manes and tell us which one has the better one. Hint, it isn't hers! HEHEHEHAHAHA...oh yes, I have this in the saddlebag!"
If that was what was required, then Rarity would accept it if it meant Coco could escape "Go on dear, tell her who has the better mane"
But Coco couldn't stop crying and whimpering. She just hid her head the best she could and whined "I just want to go home..."
Rarity groaned at that response, knowing exactly what was coming "..Fantastic. By the time we're rescued, my beautiful mane is going to be soaked innghhaHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rarity couldn't finish her sentence as Mane-iac used a single long tentacle to bring the mares together and wrap them up tight with their backs against each other. She then tickled both their bellies and hind legs as they kicked, squealed, and laughed against their wills. Both of them could feel the vibrations of one another's giggling along their back as they struggled to get away. Both of them breaking in sweat as they could feel each other's warm liquidy beads travel along their backs.
"HOME! HOME?! WHO IS THIS HOME AND HOW DOES SHE HAVE A BETTER MANE THAN THE BOTH OF US?! THAT'S JUST INSANE!" Mane-iac screamed in absolute anger. But she was only met with more laughter from all the tickling she was giving them. "TELL ME WHO SHE IS, OR ELSE I'LL TICKLE YOU!"
"YOU'REALLAHAHAHAHLREADYTICKLINGUSSSAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rarity responded the best she could before falling back into a chorus of giggles. She threw her head back in helpless laughter as Coco leaned her head forward, squealing and laughing silently as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"....Right...I am doing that still....ugh..."Mane-iac finally ceased her assault. Letting Coco catch her breath as she went limp. Too tired to respond any more. Rarity, who still had most of the fight in her, still furious that her fabulous coat was covered in her labored sweat. Felt she could still stall for time.Or, as she felt it'd be better in this case, just escape and thrash Mane-iac herself. "Now then...Who is Home? HEHAHA!..hmmm...and how does she have a better mane than Radiance? Or..even me? I've said "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE" A lot when it comes to dumb heroes, but this? This is more unbelievable than my origin story. And that was pretty kooky as is. NEHEHEH"
"Let us go...and I'll tell you. I'll explain it to you in EXCRUCIATING detail." Rarity said in a passive yet aggressive way. When she said excruciating. She meant actually bringing overwhelming pain to the villain.
"Fine..." Mane-iac rolled her eyes "But after you explain it to me, it's back to more torture" She cackled. She couldn't wait to be told who Home was and how she kept such a beautiful mane. She gently let Coco down, letting her rest on her belly. Rarity was put down on her hooves. And the moment she was let down. She slowly began to approach the villain. Ready to obliterate her.
"So, do you really want to know who she is?" Rarity asked to stall her, to allow herself to get ever closer.
"Yes..." Mane-iac said
"Are you sure?" Rarity asked again, nearly face to face with the crazed pony villain.
"Yes! Yes! Just let me have it already!" Mane-iac complained impatiently at her.
"As you wish! TAKE-GYAH!" Rarity was about to put the unladylike pounding onto Mane-iac's face. But both herself and Mane-iac we're suddenly caught in surprise when the wall to the warehouse imploded.
"WHAT IN THE?! NOOOOOOOO!" Mane-iac turned back and covered herself with her mane as rubble fell on top of her. It was so fast and swift that she wasn't able to properly defend herself. And was immediately crushed by the falling rubble. Luckily for her, it wasn't enough to kill her. Just knock her out and break a few bones. As well as dirty up her mane.
Rarity and Coco could see a large and fat bipedal figure standing in the light of the imploded wall. They couldn't make it out, but it looked to be some sort of punch bowl. It bellowed out "OHHH YEAAAAH!" before disappearing back into the light, this same light taking the Mane-iac with it. their hero, he seemed so alien, as if something from another world had crossed over into theirs without rhyme or reason. Rarity and Coco had no idea what happened. They couldn't figure it out. They just stared blankly at the scene before them.
"Miss Rarity?...what was that?" Coco asked, utterly confused
"Coco...Dear...Darling....We shouldn't ask such questions. Let's just go and pretend this never happened." Rarity said, caught in the same confusion.
"But what abou-" But Coco stopped speaking when Rarity turned to her with a serious look and simply shook her head.
And so the confused mares picked up their saddlebags and walked out of the warehouse. They would never speak about what happened there or what they saw at any time. They never wanted to think about it again. Not one single thing about it. The only thing that ever went back into their mind when they DID think about it was a strong urge to drink a delicious flavored water drink. And that was it.
The End