A take on an MLP episode changing things around while making things good
"A hero is someone that does deeds out of the goodness of someone's heart and not for praise."
These are the words that anypony follow when they want to help others for the greater good. When a mysterious hero comes in and steals the thunder of a heroic pegasus, a blue stallion decides to investigate. Discovering their true intentions, he decides to be a hero himself to teach them a lesson. What happens will lead him through many trials and tribulations as Ponyville will experience the rise, fall and rebirth of one of the greatest heroes in Equestria. What will happen? Will this stallion find out the truth? Will Rainbow Dash regain her status as a hero? Or will the actions of everypony lead to something tragic?
It was a typical afternoon in the town of Ponyville. Most of the townfolk were either trotting about or were busy with work. One such pony however was on the move. He was rapidly moving about carrying several things contained in his knapsack. He also made sure not to crash into any incoming ponies during his trot about. With kind words like “excuse me” and “pardon”, they let him pass through. The pony had a blue coat having a light blue mane. He also had dark blue eyes but his cutie mark was very different. It consisted of a yellow outer circle with a black inner circle with two red trapezoids that cover portions of the upper left and bottom right of the circle. His head was moving about. He was worried about something.
Come on already. Where is it? The blue pony thought. Ah, there it is. He raced off in a different direction leading to the park.
He was able to make it with a little time to spare. He saw a crowd of ponies gathering around. They were cheering as a pony was revered for their heroic actions. It was a female Pegasus that had a light blue coat, moderate cerise eyes and a mane that had all seven colors of the rainbow. She had a cutie mark consisting of a cloud unleashing a lightning bolt that was red, yellow and blue. Her name was heard all over the place.
“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” The sound of the crowd got louder as he went closer. He then met up with two of his friends.
“Hey guys!” He shouted. They didn’t hear his voice. He decided to gently tap on one of them. A mare with a cowboy hat turned around and immediately noticed him nearby.
“Hey Robbie! How are ya today?” She said. The cheering made her have to shout.
“I’m doing fine Applejack! What’s going on here?” He answered. “What’s with the cheering?”
“It’s Rainbow Dash! She’s being hailed as a hero again!” Applejack said. She then gave him a nod and the two trotted to a nearby tree. Another pony followed as well.
Applejack was a female earth pony having a brilliant light gamboge coat with a mane having a grayish olive being pale and light. She also had moderate sap green eyes and her cutie mark consisting of three apples. Next to her was a unicorn having violet eyes, a light grayish mulberry coat that was pale and a mane consisting of three colors; brilliant rose, violet and sapphire blue with a modest pinch. Her cutie mark was of a six-sided star, a star inside showing its six points as well as five five-sided stars that cover around the bigger star. The three were far from the cheering crowd. It was a good place to talk.
“What’s with the crowd anyway? They were cheering for Rainbow Dash. Did she do anything nice?” Rob asked.
“She just saved somepony’s baby carriage from running off.” Applejack said. “And now she’s hailed as a hero.”
“A hero? I didn’t know that she’s a hero around here…” But Rob retorts, “Other than me, of course. Right Twilight?”
“We all know that you’re a hero Rob. You’re the pony that saved Equestria. But when it comes to stuff like this, Rainbow Dash is the one.” Twilight replied.
Applejack went on to say, “Yep. I think ‘modest’ should be one such word to describe Rainbow Dash.” The other two nodded agreeing.
“She’s kind of cool in my book. There’s even a fan club devoted to her. I’m not surprised there isn’t one for me.” Rob spoke, “Anyway, I got to find this pony. He said for me to meet here. I’m like where is he and all that.”
“Well, I think I just met him. He’s over there waiting for you.” Twilight went on to add, “You don’t want to get him mad.” That made Rob worried.”
“Right. I’ll see you guys later. If you see Pinkie, tell her I’m going to be back late. See ya!” Rob shouted, waving as he trots off rapidly.
Unbeknownst though, Rob trips on a nearby rock and hits his face on a patch of dirt. Twilight and Applejack winced seeing that. Once he got up, he was on the move again. The two then went back to the crowd that had already dispersed hoping to talk with Rainbow Dash.
“Another day, another rescue. Everypony knows I’m their favorite hero.” Rainbow Dash said. She was self-confident and happy to boot.
“Yeah, everypony knows all that.” Applejack retorted. “Come on Rainbow Dash. We all should head back.” But she looks to find Rainbow Dash already off again.
In a retirement home, there were many elderly ponies enjoying a peaceful day on the boardwalk. Some were playing checkers on a table while others were looking at the beautiful sky wanting some piece and quiet. Below them however, the support that held the boardwalk began to weaken. The ponies up top had no idea what would happen. Within a few seconds, it gave way and the boardwalk began to fall. Everyone wondered if this was the end and they would get hurt. But that soon changes.
“Never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!” The voice of the rainbow-haired Pegasus was heard.
Without wasting time, she was able to hold onto the boardwalk. It caused the descent to slowdown until it gently hit the ground. The elderly ponies were able to walk out of the fallen boardwalk. Ponies began to gather and cheer for Rainbow Dash. Her name was heard throughout the crowd. But Twilight and a few of her friends weren’t cheering. They were more concerned.
“You know what? Call me silly, but I think this whole hero business might be going to Rainbow Dash’s head.” Twilight said. Her other friends nodded in agreement.
One of them in a hyperactive manner replied, “You may be right, silly.” She then giggled for a bit. Twilight however looked on dejectedly.
This happy-go-lucky pony named Pinkie Pie had a coat of light pink with a mane that was hot pink and puffy like cotton candy. She had light blue eyes and had a demeanor that made anyone smile. Her cutie mark consisted of three balloons: two blue and one yellow. Next to Applejack were two other ponies that were concerned. The first was a female pegasus pony named Fluttershy. She had teal eyes with a pale pink mane and a light yellow coat. She had a cutie mark comprising of three pink butterflies. This signified her talent for taking care of animals. Next to her was a female unicorn pony called Rarity who had a look of elegance all around. With a light gray coat, azure eyes, and a moderate indigo mane that has a gradient of dark to modest mulberry. She also had eye shadow that was light bluish gray and her cutie mark was three diamonds. All of them saw Rainbow Dash being praised but the attitude she was showing made them think otherwise.
Two hours later…
Inside the Rainbow Dash Fan Club at Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash was talking about a previous exploit she went through. Many of the ponies inside were looking on in amazement. One such dragon pony however was writing things down on a notepad. He was a purple dragon had pistachio eyes, harlequin spikes, light mulberry scales, an underbelly that is spring budish gray and lime green ears. He wore a journalist’s uniform and next to him was a pony taking photos of Rainbow Dash. Everything was going good.
“Ya know everypony, Rainbow Dash may be awesomely heroic that day but now she’s awesomely arrogant ever since.” Applejack said. Pinkie Pie and Twilight nodded in agreement.
“Hey Applejack. Want to be immortalized as my lifelong friend?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Immorta-what?” replied Applejack, but was too late saying anything else. Rainbow Dash grabbed her and the camera colt took a picture of them together.
“Are you taking notes right now Spike?” Twilight said. Spike nodded. “Oh and what for?”
“Simple. I’ve been hoof-picked by Rainbow Dash herself to write her autobiography. Isn’t that great?” Spike replied. He had a cheerful demeanor taking more notes.
Twilight however was a bit worried, “Uh, aren’t autobiographies supposed to be written by the pony that do this?” But Rainbow Dash interrupted her.
“Maybe for a normal run-of-the mill pony. But I’m way too busy saving lives to stop and write. That’s why I’m hiring Spike as my personal ghost writer.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Eeeeeek! Spike’s a ghost!” yelled Pinkie. She then jumped and ended up behind Rob. Rob was unimpressed.
“Ghost writer… Dashie, I think biographer is the perfect word for it.” Rob said. Hearing his voice gave Pinkie a bit of relief.
“Huh? Hi Robbie!” Pinkie said, hugging Rob. “How was work? Did you do well? Huh? Tell me Robbie. Tell me.” She kept asking over and over. Rob simply felt exhausted.
“Pinkie… now isn’t a good time. Work was a nightmare and believe me, dealing with that one pony is bad enough.” He lets off a sigh. He got a look at Rainbow Dash showing off. “She’s at it again isn’t she?” Every other pony nodded.
“She just saved some old ponies today and now, she’s telling everypony another one of her stories.” Twilight replied. Rob took a look at Rainbow Dash again.
“Figures. She has a lot to learn about what a real hero is. Anyway, I’m going upstairs to unwind. I need to get today’s work out of my system. Later.” Rob spoke. He waved at all of them while heading upstairs.
“Don’t worry Pinkie. Robbie here won’t work too hard tomorrow.” Applejack said. “At least for his sake, he needs a break.” They all look at Rainbow Dash talking again.
“By doing this, I can be completely focused on doing these acts of bravery that no other pony has the guts to perform. That’s right! It takes guts… a lot of guts. It also takes brains and some cases a big lunch and a nice long nap.” Rainbow Dash said. Spike continued taking notes. “After all, being a hero isn’t something anypony can do, but I’m always up for any challenge.”
More ponies continued to ask questions and Rainbow Dash replied to the best of her ability. Twilight and the others looked on seeing how much a hero she is to all of them. They then look at each other nodding. Heading to a nearby room upstairs, the five ponies decide to have a chat. Applejack closed the door so that no other pony can hear them.
“Now that we’re here, we need to talk. Rainbow Dash is really taking it too far.” Twilight said. The others nodded.
“She’s arrogant and if ah didn’t know any better, she’s boasting.” Applejack replied.
“I agree. I think it’s time we should teach Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility. Here’s what we need to do. Rarity, I need you to design some costumes. They’ll be needed for the plan.” Twilight asked.
“Of course darling. I’ll do my best to make the most fabulous costumes.” Rarity replied.
“Um… Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, “What if Rainbow Dash tries to figure out who this hero really is?” Twilight thought about it for a bit but she had an idea.
“This hero doesn’t need one pony to do all the work. We can portray the hero in different ways. Applejack, you have your brute strength. Pinkie Pie, your Pinkie senses can be able to avoid anything. Fluttershy, you can be able to fly and do aerial rescues. I can use my magic of course.” Twilight explained.
“Okie dokie! This is going to be so much fun!” Pinkie Pie replied. “I really can’t wait to be a hero!”
But then Twilight issues one warning to everypony in the room. “One thing though… not a single word to Rainbow Dash. We need to teach her that being a hero doesn’t mean she should brag.”
“Here here.” Applejeack said. All five ponies nodded and went for a group brohoof.
With the brohoof done, the five left the room and returned downstairs. They find that the Fan Club meeting came to an end. Rainbow Dash was simply waiting for them at a nearby table. Chatter between the six ensued leading into laughs. For Rainbow Dash, she enjoyed a day of being herself and being a hero. If only she knew of the misfortune that was about to befall her.
The next day…
It was another typical yet beautiful day in Ponyville. Many of the folk were moving about while in the park, everyone was having a good time. Rainbow Dash was giving out an autograph to a young filly. Trying to write her name with a pencil in her mouth wasn’t easy.
“Here you go.” Said a smiling Rainbow Dash.
“Thank you Rainbow Dash. Someday, I want to be just like you when I grow up.” The young filly replied. Hearing it made Rainbow Dash happy.
“You only need to aim high kid, but don’t aim for the impossible. Anything is possible.” But Rainbow Dash was interrupted by the sound of a scream.
Everyone looked up and saw a pony named Cherry Berry screaming for her life. The hot air balloon she was on caught a hole and it began to descend at a rapid rate. Cherry kept yelling out “Help!” over and over. Everypony wondered if Rainbow Dash would save the day.
“Uh, don’t ya think you should go up there and help her?” said a small unicorn pony named Snips.
“Okay, okay. Give me ten seconds. I need to finish this.” Answered Rainbow Dash. Having a pen in her mouth made it hard to speak.
“This is getting tense. Will Rainbow Dash make it and save the day?” Spike said, looking in anticipation.
But that changed when somepony came out of nowhere and saved Cherry Berry from the falling hot air balloon. Everyone who saw it looked on in amazement. The pony wore an outfit consisting of a purple suit with dark blue hoof shoes, a purple hat and a large dark blue cape. Seeing it save Cherry caused Rainbow Dash to be jealous. Within seconds the crowd gathered around this new hero and praising this fellow.
“Holy turnips, that pony just came outta nowhere and saved her.” Spoke one pony.
“It’s amazing! I’ve never seen such bravery in all my life.” Replied Daisy, an earth pony. But then the Mayor of Ponyville showed up to offer her praise.
“That’s right! On this day, Ponyville has a new hero. We have a mysterious mare that has done a great service by our fair city. Henceforth, I dub this new masked hero ‘The Mysterious Mare Do Well’!” With the mayor’s words, everyone cheered for this new hero.
Rainbow Dash however wasn’t cheering. “Mare Do Well? What kind of name is that? Well that mare would do well to stay out of my way. Ponyville has room for one hero and that’s me!” She flies off hoping to find some other pony to help.
Near the cheering crowd was Rob who was carrying a camera and taking photos. Hearing of this new hero got him curious. Once he obtained enough shots, he trotted off back to town.
So that’s Mare Do Well huh… But after thinking about it, Rob simply described her by saying this, Unimpressive… simply unimpressive. They all have no idea what a hero really is.
He continued to trot back with photos in tow. With everything going on, he didn’t seem surprised. With a new hero showing up in town, everyone was excited. Except for Rainbow Dash however, she wasn’t. What will Rainbow Dash do to regain her fans? Will she be able to outshine Mare-Do-Well or will Mare-Do-Well be the one who will outshine her? Only time will tell.
To be continued…
Disclaimer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust
Four hours have passed since Mare-Do-Well made its appearance in Ponyville. Rob was heading to the Daily Equestria to deliver his photos for the day. Since a few days ago, he has been taking odd jobs left and right. Yesterday was some construction work and today, he was doing photos for the Daily Equestria. Entering inside, he’s greeted by many of the employees.
“Hey Rob, the boss is waiting for you. He wants to see those photos you took today.” An employee said.
Rob went ahead into the next room. He got to see a colt that had a cigar in his mouth. Turning around, he got a look at the blue stallion. The colt had a coat of light gray with a mane that was black and clean cut. He had brown eyes, had black hooves and had a cutie mark that resembled that of a newspaper and microphone. From that, his talents involved taking stories from what he gets and turning them into fresh stuff for his newspaper.
“I’m here sir by your request. I got some interesting photos today.” Rob said. He took out a folder from his knapsack and showed the colt some photos.
“Alright then, let’s see what you got.” The boss, named Front Page said looked at all the pictures he took.
Rob sat down in a chair and waited. Front Page looked through most of the pictures he took and was pretty impressed. But there was one that caught his eye.
“Rob, what’s this?” Front Page asked. He showed Rob the picture of Mare Do Well that he took earlier.
“That’s the Mysterious Mare Do Well sir. She just saved Cherry Berry from a plummeting hot-air balloon. I was able to get a few shots of her so I figure this would be helpful for tomorrow’s paper.”
“Rob…” Front Page said, “We got ourselves a big scoop. This Mare Do Well character. Can you get more shots of this hero? I promise to pay you a lot.” That made Rob a little excited.
“I can do that. So, what am I going to earn for today?” Rob asked. Front Page chuckled.
“Kid, for these pictures, I’ll offer ya 1500 bits. I’m paying extra because these shots of Mare Do Well are going to be on the papers. Ya hear me! Tomorrow’s paper… Mare Do Well, Friend or Foe?” Front Page went on laughing a bit.
Friend or foe? I’m wondering if Front Page really does have a clue about this hero. Rob sat there while Front Page laughs.
“Alright kid, thanks for the pics. You’re a freelancer and all so you have no limit. But if you do bring in more of those pics, you’ll rake in the cash. Here, show it to the filly and you’ll get your pay. Go on get outta here. I got other work to do.” Front Page handed Rob a paper and he left the room.
Rob showed the paper to a teller nearby and obtained his pay; 1500 bits. Trotting out of the Daily Equestria, Rob went to the bank to deposit. Once it was done, he went to get a bite to eat. But it got interrupted due to a colt with a fiery attitude. He was a colt that had a crimson coat with a brown mane and green eyes. He also had some kind of marking around his right eye and his cutie mark consisted of a lightning bolt and three fireballs encircling it.
“Whassup Robbie!” The colt said, glomping Rob out of the blue. “How are you doing man?” He kept talking while Rob tried to keep himself composed.
“I’m alright Blitz. Can you get off me please?” Rob replied. Blitz was able to give him his space. “Thanks. I’m going to get something to eat. Wanna come?”
“Sure.” Blitz replied. “By the way, you heard about this Mare Do Well? It made Rainbow Dash look bad.” Blitz got angry after mentioning her.
“Dude, calm down. Mare Do Well doesn’t impress me. Besides, no one has any idea what it means to be a hero.” Rob said. The two reach a café to get a bite to eat.
“Okay Rob, tell me. Why do you think that Mare Do Well isn’t impressive?” Blitz asked, eating a sandwich.
“That’s simple. Coming in just simply to impress others with their skill isn’t what a hero does. That’s what Mare-Do-Well is. Sure, Rainbow Dash could have saved Cherry Berry but she wasted too much time.” Rob said, eating a sandwich himself.
“Yeah…” Blitz responded. He let out a sigh causing his face to show a lovey-dovey expression. “But anyway, I don’t like what that hero did to Rainbow Dash. Makes me want to go at Mare Do Well and give her a beat down.”
“Don’t bother Blitz.” Rob said. “Violence isn’t the answer and Rainbow Dash wouldn’t like that. Anyway, I got to head back to Sugarcube Corner. I have to get myself ready for another job. It was a pleasure talking to you again Blitz.” Rob went to the cashier paying for both his and Blitz’s lunch.
“Uh sure. Take care of yourself Rob.” Blitz replied, waving at him. Rainbow Dash then shows up feeling really aggravated.
“Can you believe this Rob? This hero shows up and is stealing my thunder.” Rainbow Dash hollered. “A few hours back, she saved Cherry Berry from that falling hot air balloon. You know about that right?”
“Yes I do. Dashie, is there a point to all of this?” asked Rob. Rainbow Dash continued on with her rant.
“Of course! Ponyville has one hero here and that’s me! Just an hour ago, she saved some tourists from a bus. I mean come on, I can get that done easily.” Rainbow Dash continued on ranting.
“Don’t worry about a thing Rainbow Dash. I’ll make sure that Mare Do Well never shows herself again.” Blitz said. Rob and Rainbow Dash were simply silent after hearing him say that. “What?”
“Violence ain’t the answer Blitz.” His attention then focuses on Rainbow Dash. “Listen, I have to head back because in an hour, I’m needed for another job. Rainbow Dash, just don’t worry about Mare-Do-Well. I’m one of the few that actually don’t like this hero. She’s unimpressive.” Rob said.
“You know I’m the better hero right Rob? Tell me now. Who is the better hero here?” Rainbow Dash asked. Rob simply looked at her with a serious expression.
“Truth is, I don’t know. But at the moment, you are just stubborn. If you weren’t so boastful then I would praise you. Listen, I got to go. I’m going to run late and that’ll be a really bad thing. Catch ya later Dashie.” Rob waves, trotting along to Sugarcube Corner.
“Wanna hang out with me Rainbow Dash? I promise I won’t let anything happen to ya.” Blitz asked. She wasn’t amused.
“Sorry but not today. Put it on hold until I can get my Mare-Do-Well problem solved.” Rainbow Dash replied. She decided to fly off hoping to find somepony to rescue.
Heading inside Sugarcube Corner, Rob heads to the back to prep up something to eat. Once he got what he needed, he took a seat. Finding a nearby newspaper, he takes a look at it to find that it relates to Rainbow Dash’s efforts yesterday. Suddenly, some of his friends came in and they began talking. He kept reading hoping not to get their attention. Rainbow Dash was nearby but the anger in
“Ah gotta hand it to the girl, that Mare Do Well can pull off some heroic feats.” Said Applejack. Twilight agreed with her by nodding.
“She really does care for everypony’s safety… especially when she was able to stop that buss.” Responded Fluttershy.
“Have you even seen her costume? It is so to die for! If you ask me darlings, she’s a hero that has a lot of fashion sense.” Rarity said, chuckling. Rainbow Dash keeps looking on.
“Don’t forget that she’s both modest and humble. Mare Do Well lets her actions speak for her. That Ah really admire from her.” Applejack spoke. It was all for Rainbow Dash to handle.
“Please. I don’t need to admire somepony like that! She isn’t that great. Don’t you think so, Spike?” asked Rainbow Dash. Spike was writing something on his notepad.
“Yep. She really is… great.” Spike said. Rainbow Dash didn’t like hearing it from her fellow biographer.
“I didn’t say that!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Like I said, Mare Do Well isn’t that great and I know one other pony that agrees with me.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Really? Who thinks that Mare Do Well isn’t that great Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.
“Rob Stallion. He thinks of her as simply unimpressive plus he’s a hero himself. He knows that I’m the true hero around here and that’s me!” Her words fell on deaf ears.
“If you ask me, I think Rainbow Dash is kind of jealous.” Spike said. Everypony began to laugh making Rainbow Dash really upset.
“You know what? Fine! Laugh all you want, but I’ll make you eat those words that I’m just as good- no, an even better hero than Mare Do Well! Heck, I wouldn’t mind seeing a new hero outdo her. That’ll be the day. Just you wait!” She stormed off fuming in anger.
A new hero outdoing Mare Do Well… well, that’s not a bad idea. Rob thought as he saw the whole thing.
“I’m going to head back to the Library. See you later guys.” Spike said, walking off. The other ponies waved at him.
Rob saw the five ponies head upstairs to the room where they had their previous meeting. The only difference was that a certain blue stallion followed quietly. In a manner similar to a stealth op, he got to listen in on what’s going on.
“So far so good girls. Mare Do Well is making a name for herself all over town. We just only need to do this so that Dash can learn humility.” Twilight said.
“Twilight, something bothers me.” Pinkie replied, “What if Rainbow Dash said is true?”
“What do you mean by that? Does it have to do regarding a new hero outdo Mare Do Well?” Twilight asked. Pinkie nodded, cautiously.
“Ah ain’t worried Pinkie Pie. There’s no way some hero can outdo her. Absolutely no way.” Applejack reassured Pinkie Pie. The others did the same.
“Don’t worry Pinkie Pie. If we keep this up, I know Rainbow Dash will see the error of her ways and learn from it. Besides, it’s not like we’re making her look bad. Okay, so here’s what we need to do next…” Twilight went on discussing a plan with the others.
Outside the room, Rob was eavesdrooping through a crack in the door hearing the entire conversation. He continued to listen in, not attracting their attention. He had a look of anger and concern in his eyes. Hearing enough, he quietly trotted back to his room on the third floor. Closing the door, he contemplates the situation at hand.
So Mare Do Well is just an act by them… all for the sake of teaching Rainbow Dash the meaning of humility?! Now I know Mare Do Well’s unimpressive. He heads to a nearby drawer and opens it. Finding what appears to be a red starburst, he takes it getting a good look.
“I haven’t done this in a while… but I must do what needs to be done.” Covering his eyes, he began to glow in a gold aura. Feeling a strange power inside, he let off a smile. Mare Do-Well is about to meet her match… she can count on it.
The next day…
Far from the town were a group of construction ponies working hard on developing a building. Some were using various tools such as jackhammers, drills, wrenches and various tools. It’s considered hard work but also takes a strain on both mind and body. One of the workers was hard at work with a jackhammer felt exhausted. But then, he begins to lose his balance. The other workers tried to reach him but were too late. Not only did the worker fall but several dangerous tools fell as well. Rainbow Dash who had just arrived saw the worker falling.
“Never fear, your friendly neighbor- huh?” Rainbow Dash was then interrupted by something that came out of nowhere.
It appeared like a blur catching the falling worker and landing at a safe distance. The tools were also rescued with little difficulty. But that wasn’t the end. The building itself was losing support due to the combined weight. Suddenly, all the workers were falling and that included more tools. All Dash can do was watch as this mysterious fellow rescue everypony from harm’s way… in such a short time. He then turned to the mess that occurred as a result of the collapse. He immediately organized everything so construction can begin anew.
“Whoa… wh-who is that?” Rainbow Dash said, looking on in astonishment. She decided to head closer to find out who it was.
Everypony got a look at this mysterious pony that saved them. He wore a uniform that was completely different from Mare Do Well. It consisted of a blue garment covering the neck, torso, front and back hooves. There were three yellow starbursts signifying some rank but were letting off energy. His front hooves also had two starbursts that did the same. He also had spike guards on his fore hooves, shins and upper shoulders. His back had a six-sided starburst while his helmet that covered his head had a red starburst that had eight points. He also had a belt around the waist connected by a buckle in the front that had three circles. His hind hooves had yellow stripes running from the belt all the way down. There were also four pleats starting at the guards wrapping around the back. Everypony silently wondered who this hero was and why he’s here. Rainbow Dash wondered as well.
“Um, excuse me mister…” One pony asked. He turned to look at the young colt. “Are you a hero too? Can you tell us what your name is?”
He thought about it for a quick minute. Seeing the many ponies around him wonder if it was right. But he did save the workers from certain danger so it was only fair that he tells them who he was… without blowing his cover.
“My name… it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Standing on his hind hooves, he tells everyone who he was. “Kid, you can call me Nova. I am an elite warrior from the planet Xandar. My mission is to protect the universe, keeping the piece while enacting order under the intellect of the great Worldmind. I am its highest-ranking member going by the title of ‘Centurion Nova Prime’. Basically, I lead my own squadron to keep the peace. Sadly however, I am all that is left of an intergalactic militia called the Nova Corps.” The more he talked, the more everypony looked in curiosity. Even Rainbow Dash was amazed at this.
A hero from another world… this is really too good to be true! I really got to ask him. I really do. Rainbow Dash went closer to Nova, listening to everything he said.
“Since the disappearance of the last Nova Prime, I’ve taken it upon myself to follow his footsteps hoping to lead the Nova Corps. Our mission will not only be protecting the universe but to find a way to save our leader. These folks here are safe and unharmed. I have to go now.” Their attention was turned to the workers who were out of harm’s way. “These workers are safe and sound so there are no worries. For where evil strikes, there must be someone who needs to strike back. That is who I am. I am Nova… and that was for Nova Corps.” He was about to leave but Rainbow Dash stopped him hoping to ask.
“Wait! Before you leave, I want to ask you a question.” Asked Rainbow Dash. Nova turned to listen. “I want to ask you one question. Do you know of the Mysterious Mare Do-Well? What do you think of her?”
He thought about it for a couple of seconds. Looking at Rainbow dash, he provided his response, “Mare Do Well is no hero in my book. Being a hero for the sake of making another look bad is unacceptable. A true hero is one that does their responsibility for the sake of others… and not for the sake of themselves. Basically, I feel that Mare Do Well is not a hero. If a hero is what this city needs, look no further for I am here.” It was all Rainbow Dash wanted to hear.
“Thanks for answering my question Nova. You sir, are simply awesome!” Rainbow Dash shouted, letting off a cheerful yell. Nova smiled hearing that.
Everypony all saw Nova look up and then fly off at the speed of light. Where he went, no one knows. One thing was for certain though, finding out that a new hero has stepped up to the plate made this pegasus pony a little excited. Far from the park was Mare Do Well getting a look at what happened. She didn’t say a word but knew that somepony arrived to make their mark as a hero. With that, Mare Do Well has some competition… serious competition.
End of Chapter 2
Disclaimer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust Nova belongs to Marvel Comics Rob Stallion belongs to me Blitz Inferno belongs to DeviantART user Inferno111
A few hours have passed since Nova arrived in Ponyville. Everyone in town was still talking about how he saved those construction ponies in record time. It didn’t stop with Nova’s first rescue. Since then, he had been seen all over Equestria helping anypony that needed them. In Manehattan, he had stopped a group of armed robbers from taking Manehattan National Bank of thousands of bits. Coltifornia saw Nova rescue a colt that wanted to end his life because he had nothing to live for. The words he gave him were all heard throughout the city.
“Even if you have nothing to live for, there will always be someone who says that you do. That’s why you should keep on living. Live not just for the sake of it but for everypony that knows will help you. You’re not alone. Believe me because I’m all that is left of the Nova Corps. Let me help you… please.” Nova held out his hoof to the gray colt. It took a bit but he ultimately accepted and in the process, Nova was able to save him.
Once he succeeded in saving him, Nova flew off again. Equestria saw him perform a variety of heroic feats in record time. By sunset, he was able to perform more than a hundred tasks. In a nutshell, he has done more than what Mare Do Well would ever accomplish. Despite this, the town is conflicted over which hero would be Ponyville’s #1 hero. Trotting back after submitting his photos to the Daily Equestria, Rob had a look of confidence on his face. He was looking forward to showing everyone what he got in his hooves.
“Hey Robbie!” Blitz’s shout caught Rob off guard. He turned to find that Blitz had glomped him hitting the ground. “Hey Rob, you hear? There’s a new hero in Ponyville! Everypony is talking about it.”
“Yeah, I heard. I’ll tell you all about it… if you can get off me please!” Rob replied. Blitz did just that and gave Rob his needed space.
“Much better. Geez, I just came from the Daily Equestria. I had got a lot of photos because Nova was all over the place. Front Page had a field day with them going as far as to stop the presses so he can release this.” Rob shows Blitz a newspaper titled Daily Equestria: Special Nova Edition.
Blitz got a look and was amazed seeing all these photos of Nova saving ponies all over Equestria. Whether in Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Coltifornia, Ponykyo or even Baltimare, Nova was there. Rob got up and showed him more. It was a sight to see.
“Dude, this is just amazing! Nova is just awesome! Heck, he makes Mare Do Well look whack. Maybe this can help Rainbow Dash. What do you think?” Asked Blitz.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if Dashie can tolerate another hero in this town. It’s bad enough that Mare Do Well stole her thunder but with Nova, it’s even worse.” Rob replied. That would soon change when he saw Rainbow Dash trotting about happily. He waved at her catching her attention.
“Hey Rob, hey Blitz. What’s up? You heard about Nova too? Everypony is talking about him. He’s so awesome.” Rainbow Dash said. Rob nodded and showed her the newspaper.
Within just a few seconds, she was hooked reading anything and everything about her. All of it made Rainbow Dash really happy and excited. Normally she was angry that the Mysterious Mare Do Well was stealing her thunder. But with a new hero showing up and stealing her thunder, she couldn’t help but feel so excited.
“This… is just so cool. Did you know I got to see Nova work? He was fast! He was amazing! He saved everyone in the construction yard!” Rainbow Dash continued to get giddy talking about him.
Rob and Blitz looked at each other before looking back at her. They wonder if she would end up becoming Nova’s biggest fan. But Rob had somewhere to be. Taking the newspaper, he heads to Sugarcube Corner to show his friends something that will knock their socks off. Rainbow Dash and Blitz followed as well.
“You guys ain’t going to believe this but… Daily Equestria: Special Nova Edition featuring the newest hero in Ponyville.” He shows his friends the newspaper. “That’s right. It’s Nova. He’s the new hero in Ponyville.”
“Yep. Nova is just awesome!” Rainbow Dash was cheering about happily. “He’s fast, he can fly, is super strong and has some awesome powers!”
“Uh that’s nice but I think Nova doesn’t hold a candle against Mare Do Well. Mare Do Well is what a real hero is.” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“Mare Do Well? That’s so yesterday. In fact, that’s so last week. She’s unimpressive, boring and not the hero everypony looks up to. Nova is where it’s at.” Rob said. But his words didn’t seem to impress Twilight at all. Not even the other ponies either.
“Ah hate to be a spoilsport Rob but what does Nova have that Mare Do Well doesn’t? Tell us. We all love to hear what Nova has to say.” Asked Applejack.
“I don’t have to. If you were there like Rainbow Dash, you would have seen how fast Nova was saving through construction ponies. He can fly, have super speed, fire cosmic energy blasts, skilled in combat, super strength, can lift 20 tons and heck, he can pull a Sonic Rainboom in less than 7 seconds.” Rob replied. Everypony was shocked hearing that.
Rainbow Dash, still in shock, turned to Rob and said, “Can Nova… really do that?” Rob nodded. She was going completely crazy finding out about it.
“Wow. She really seems excited huh Rob?” said Blitz. Rob was already smiling at this. “But seriously, Nova can do all that?”
“All that and more. According to this in-depth interview, he has a load of different abilities he can do. Oh and did I forgot his uniform is so sleek and cool?” Rob said. He showed everyone what his uniform looked like.
“Oh my… is this what he wears?” Rarity asked, “It looks so sleek and different. Whoever made this must have an excellent sense of fashion.”
Twilght however disagreed with her. “Are you serious Rarity? I thought you said that Mare Do Well has some good taste. Now you say that Nova has better tastes?”
“I’m not saying that Nova does. I’m just amazed at what he wears. It just… just clicks darling.” Rarity’s response made Twilight a bit uppity.
“Oooh, who’s that Robbie? Is that a new hero? Is he friends with Mare Do Well?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Pinkie… he’s not friends with Mare Do Well. He’s here to show Mare Do Well the door. In other words, Nova is here to be the new hero of Ponyville.” Rob replied.
“Pinkie, I don’t think he want to be in your parties. In fact, Mare Do Well is a much better party guest than him.” Twilight said. Her tone detected a bit of anger and jealousy.
“Are you jealous of Nova, Twilight?” Rob said, “Why are you changing the subject?”
“I’m not jealous! It’s you who is jealous Rob Stallion!” Twilight went closer to Rob and continued, “Just because a new hero showed up doesn’t mean a thing. Mare Do Well is the real hero this town needs, not some supersonic hero that comes in out of the blue.” Twilight shouted. Rob however smiled.
“You’re right Rob. She is jealous. In fact, everypony here is jealous of Nova.” Rainbow Dash continued on, unaware that it would ire the very friends she made. “Mare Do Well has no chance against him. Maybe we should call her Mare NOT Do Well! Get it Mare Not Do Well because the mare can not do well as a hero.” The three of them began laughing. It was enough to make Twilight and the others a bit livid.
“Let’s go girls.” Twilight trotted upstairs to the second floor. The others did the same, looking on angrily at the three.
After the laugh-a-thon, Rob along with Rainbow Dash and Blitz were by themselves in Sugarcube Corner. Sitting down in a table, the three decided to grab something to eat.
“You know Rainbow Dash, I think that was a bit uncalled for saying that Mare Do Well is a Mare Not Do Well.” Rob said. Blitz agreed.
Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to care, “So what? I hated what Mare Do Well did to me. She made me look bad but now that Nova is here, I feel like I can laugh on at how lame she is.” Rob however felt that there was something more to it than that.
“Dashie, do you even know why Nova is here to begin with?” asked Rob. She turned around to listen. “He isn’t here to make Mare Do Well look bad, not that it matters. The reason why he’s here is because Equestria needs a hero… a hero that can do what Mare Do Well can not.”
“What are you trying to say Rob? Are you saying that he’s here for something else?” Blitz asked.
“I’m afraid there’s more to it than that. Right now, I just want to forget about today and simply relax. Tomorrow’s a new day and with it, Nova can continue doing what he does best.” The others agreed with Rob. Rainbow Dash was already excited.
A new hero appearing has caused the town to wonder who’s the better hero. Was it the Mysterious Mare Do Well? Or is it the sole survivor, Nova? It wouldn’t be long before the town would finally decide on whom. But when will it happen? That’s the question.
The next day…
With Celestia’s sun shining over the town came a gorgeous day. Rob was at the moment enjoying a nice stroll through town. On his knapsack, he had with him several tools along with his camera. Today was twofold for him because he had to assist some ponies in building something at the park and getting pictures of Nova if he ever came around.
“Another day, another bit. Time to see if we’ll be getting something good.” Rob reached the park where several ponies were waiting for him.
However, somepony was watching Rob’s every move. It was Twilight who was still peeved after yesterday. Hiding under a bush, she watches as they got to work building something at the park.
So Rob is right now helping some ponies build something at the park? That’s not so bad. But still… what’s he hiding? He knows who Nova really is. I can feel it. Twilight kept watching. The events that happened yesterday made her ticked.
Flashback… yesterday
“I can’t believe what Rob did today was so uncalled for. I mean, who is this Nova anyway? Some big shot or something?” shouted Twilight Sparkle.
“Beats me Twilight. If what Rob said is true, we’re in trouble. Very big trouble.” Applejack replied. The others agreed.
“That’s why I have a plan. I have a plan up my sleeves. We’re going to show Nova that we don’t want him here.” Twilight said. She was still fuming over earlier.
“But how will you do it Twilight? Nova looked really cool in that picture. Maybe I should bring him for a surprise party!” Pinkie replied.
“Darling, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Twilight doesn’t seem to be happy about this new hero.” Rarity said. Pinkie didn’t say a word.
“Twilight, you shouldn’t worry about Nova. If there’s anything Nova doesn’t have, it’s us. We can show him what Mare Do Well can really do.” Applejack reassured Twilight. The others nodded.
“What do you have in mind Twilight?” asked Fluttershy. “You heard what Rob said. Nova isn’t like Mare Do Well at all.”
“That’s why I have a plan that is foolproof. Here’s the plan…” Twilight gathered her friends and discussed everything in secret.
Many of them nodded knowing what they should do. If it was a plan to show Nova what they can do, they need to be cautious. When it was done, the five laughed for a bit. But they all were certain that a plan needed to be done.
End flashback
Rob really is being like Rainbow Dash. He’ll learn that Mare Do Well is the hero everypony needs. Twilight continued to keep watch.
At the park, Rob along with a few other ponies got to work in construction. The same ponies that Nova saved yesterday asked Rob to help out. He agreed and they all went to work. This time, they made sure to get the building properly done. Twilight kept watch hoping to see if Nova would appear but nothing was going on. In another part of town, there was a building that was a couple of stories tall. It housed many ponies that lived there happily. Although most of the town was full of houses, some buildings were recently made due to a rise of population. But something wasn’t right. Smoke began to pour out of one of the windows. A mare named Bon Bon got a look at it and knew what it was.
“Fire!” Bon Bon’s shout has gotten everyone into a panic. The smoke began to build up even more until hints of red and orange were seen.
The fire was spread throughout most of the room where it occurred. Windows were then opened causing more smoke to pour out. It was a crazy situation that if it isn’t taken care of, it can be disastrous. At the park, one of the worker ponies got a look at the smoke.
“Hey Rob, you see that smoke up there?” A worker named Drill Bit asked. Rob was able to get a look.
“Yeah! The building is on fire! Listen, I’m going to go and get some help. You guys keep going without me. Knowing this, Nova will be there to save the day and I need to get the photos needed to tell all. Later.” Rob replied, trotting off and waving at the workers.
The workers waved and then got back to work. With the support that held onto the construction, Rob knows for sure that nothing will go wrong. Twilight had a persistent watch over him. She wanted to know what he was doing next. The fire that occurred in another part of town was something that she didn’t anticipate.
“Look over there! It’s Mare Do Well!” A mare named Lyra shouted. The sight of Mare Do Well got everyone excited.
“It’s Nova! He’s here!” A colt named Caramel said getting a look at the Centurion arriving at light speed.
Mare Do Well jumped over a couple houses reaching the ground where the building was located. Nova arrived next to Mare Do Well getting a look at the surroundings. The two heroes then got a look at each other. Everypony was silent wondering what’s going to happen. It would take something to interrupt this.
“So you must be Mare Do Well. I’ve heard much about you and I think of you as unimpressive. Time to see if my theory proves right.” Said Nova. Mare Do Well was silent, not saying a word. “This situation is something not even I can handle. For the sake of things here, let’s call a truce.” He puts out his front hoof hoping to make it happen.
Mare Do Well did the same and the two did a brohoof. The crowd looked on as both heroes got to work. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was flying through town hoping to find out if Nova appeared. After getting word from Blitz that Nova arrived along with Mare Do Well, Dash flew to find out.
Where are they? Where’s Nova? I got to see him make Mare Do Well look bad. All of this was flowing through Rainbow Dash’s thoughts as she flew around to find him.
But then she got a look at Mare Do Well in front of her. This had her investigate. She raced forward to see but Mare Do Well was gone. She looked all over to find out where she was but no success.
“I thought I saw Mare Do Well. Wait a minute, why am I saying that? I should be looking to find Nova.” Rainbow Dash flies off again but suddenly, she ends up caught in a trap.
The trap had her all tied up in some kind of strange net. She tried to fly but couldn’t. All she could do was struggle but that didn’t stop her from yelling so someone can help her. Up above, Mare Do Well got a look at someone who was caught but didn’t do a thing. While Rainbow Dash tried to escape, Nova and Mare Do Well were hard at work.
“This is serious. I have to hurry before the fire spreads through the rest of the building.” He then fired a blast of energy to contain the fire.
Mare Do Well was busy evacuating everyone out of the building. With simple gestures, she told everyone to leave. The sound of sirens was heard outside the building. Everyone saw a couple of ponies come by and with a fire hose they began to take out the fire.
With these ponies putting out the fire, my work here is done. Time to check on everyone to see if they’re okay. Nova flew to check on the occupants. Fortunately, no one was harmed.
“They did it! Mare Do Well and Nova did it!” Everypony started cheering for the two heroes.
Mare Do Well and Nova looked at each other with silent glares. Despite the fact that the two worked together, they don’t see eye to eye. But the cheering was then replaced with arguments over who would deserve all the glory.
“Three cheers for Mare Do Well! She helped the ponies evacuate the building.” Said one brown pony.
But another pony came and said, “No, three cheers for Nova! He kept the fire under control until the fire ponies showed up.”
In just a matter of seconds, the town’s inhabitants were at war with each other. One side of town voted Nova as the better hero while the other votes for Mare Do Well. It was something both heroes didn’t expect to happen.
“Please, everyone. Calm down. We both deserve praise because if it wasn’t for neither of us, those poor ponies would have been seriously hurt or worse.“ Before he can say anything else, Nova hears the sound of somepony screaming far away.
“Huh? What’s that?” He goes airborne to find out where it came from. Where is it? I hear it! I know where it’s coming from.
Heading back to the ground, he gets the crowd under control. “Forgive me but I must be off. Somepony is in need of rescue! I am Nova and that was for Nova Corps.” He then flies off at the speed of light to find out where it came from.
Rainbow Dash struggled as hard as he could to break free but couldn’t due to the trap’s tight grip. Her screams were on deaf ears. No one was going to rescue her. She got a look above and saw Mare Do Well just standing there, waiting. This got her curious.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to save me?” shouted Rainbow Dash. Mare Do Well didn’t do anything. “Some hero you are! Got to… break free.” Rainbow Dash then focused on trying to break free from the trap.
Nova was checking every section of Ponyville to find out where the scream came from. Having to go through all of it more than 30 times was a pain. He hears the scream again. Looking, he finds a pony trapped in some kind of net. Dashing straight at it, he fires a blast of energy freeing Rainbow Dash catching her.
“Are you alright ma’am?” Nova asked. “You don’t have to worry anymore. You’re safe.”
“Huh?” She got a look and saw Nova smiling. “Nova!” Using her wings, she floated beside him. “Am I glad to see you! Did you take care of the fire?”
“I did. The fire was put out and everyone’s safe. Although I had help from Mare Do Well.” Nova said.
“Mare Do Well?!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Funny because I just saw her stand there on the roof of a house.” Nova looked to find no one there.
“I don’t see anything miss. My guess she left.” But Rainbow Dash doesn’t buy what Nova said.
But then something began to click inside Rainbow Dash. “Wait a minute. If you were with Mare Do Well helping out in quelling the fire and I saw Mare Do Well watching me then…”
“There is more than one Mare Do Well here in this town. It appears the truth behind our masked heroine is about to get interesting.” Said Nova, putting the pieces together.
“I got to tell Rob about this. He’ll flip when he finds out!” Rainbow Dash replied. Before she could fly off, Nova stops her.
“Wait! Don’t!” Rainbow Dash wondered why Nova would stop her from telling this information. “I have a better suggestion in mind. Come with me. It’s time we find out the truth behind this Mare Do Well. Try to keep up.”
Nova flies off at the speed of light to somewhere in town. Rainbow Dash didn’t waste any time and followed him pulling off a Sonic Rainboom in the process.
I had no idea that there’s more than one Mare Do Well. Something bugs me for sure. I know it! If there’s anypony that can find out all of this, it’s Nova. Keeping up with him, the two head for the Daily Equestria.
Finding out that more than one Mare Do Well was seen in Ponyville has changed things considerably. To make matters worse, the town itself has been split over who is the better hero: Is it The Mysterious Mare Do Well or the blazing centurion, Nova? Only one hero would claim the title of Ponyville’s #1 hero. But who would claim the title? Who would it be?
To be continued
Disclaimer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust Nova belongs to Marvel Comics Rob Stallion belongs to me Blitz Inferno belongs to DeviantArt user Inferno111
The day was still going strong in the town of Ponyville. A few minutes ago, Nova and Mare Do Well were forced to form a truce in order to evacuate a building’s inhabitants from a deadly fire. With their combined efforts, the two heroes saved the day. But the townsfolk became divided over who deserved the most praise. Nova tried to keep things under control saying that if it weren’t for either of them, it would have ended badly. But hearing the sound of somepony screaming had Nova be on the move. He rescued Rainbow Dash but not before he heard a shocking revelation.
“If you were with Mare Do Well helping out in quelling the fire and I saw Mare Do Well watching me then…” said Rainbow Dash, finding out the truth.
“There is more than one Mare Do Well here in this town. Looks like the truth behind this masked heroine is getting more interesting by the minute.” Replied Nova, putting two and two together.
Rainbow Dash was ready to warn her friend Rob Stallion of this but Nova had a better idea in mind. The two then fly off to the Daily Equestria because the blazing centurion had a plan up his sleeves. Entering inside, the two reach Front Page’s office. The look he had on his face seeing Nova in front of him was of complete shock.
“N-N-Nova? What is Nova doing here?” He presses a button on the intercom. “Cancel all my meetings. I have an important visitor. No one is to disturb me. Got it?”
“Was it really that necessary to do that? You know everypony can hear you.” Said Rainbow Dash. Her face was of dull surprise.
“Sorry. Anyway, what brings you around to the Daily Equestria? You know my best pony Rob Stallion is on the move getting good shots of you. I pay him big to bring the best!” shouted Front Page.
“I’m… honored but I am not interested now in photos. I request the aid of your newspaper company. I wish to issue a story of my own to the public.” Asked Nova.
“A story? Well, I’d be more than happy to.” Chuckling, Front Page took out a pencil and notepad. Front Page listened to what Nova had to say. “Tell me, what do you have in mind?”
“Ma’am, please wait outside. What I’m about to tell him is classified and must not be released to the public.” Both men looked at Rainbow Dash who was nearby.
“Alright then. I’ll see you later. I promise I won’t tell anyone what I found out.” Rainbow Dash replied. Before she left, Nova had one last thing to say.
“Wait. Before you leave, is Princess Celestia around?” Nova asked. “I wish to ask her something relating to what you have told me.”
“Yeah, she is available. If you want to see her, just head to Canterlot. I have to go now. It’s a pleasure meeting you Nova!” Rainbow dash ran off to meet with her friends. Keeping her promise, she decided not to tell a soul.
“Now then, let us begin with what I want you to put for tomorrow’s paper.” Front Page got to work taking notes. “I’m issuing a challenge to the Mysterious Mare Do Well. Tomorrow at 3pm, Ponyville will witness what I consider to be a day that no pony will ever forget.” Nova continued telling Front Page what he wishes to be put for the papers.
Nova’s talk with Front Page lasted for a couple of minutes. Everyone pondered what was going on inside the room. The door suddenly opens revealing to be the blazing centurion. Everypony saw him walk off, not saying a word. Front Page then shows up seeing most of the workers standing there.
“What are you all standing around for? We have a story to make and a deadline to reach. Get to it! Now!” barked Front Page. Everyone was then back at work but doing so at a faster pace. “This story is going to hit the big time. I want it in tomorrow’s paper! I want to make sure that everypony reads it. Tomorrow is where everypony will see… the challenge of the century!”
Front Page felt motivated due to him getting access to a story that would net him big. He was going to let everyone know what Nova had told him. Outside town, Nova flew off at high speed toward Canterlot. The townsfolk that did get to see him let off a cheer seeing that he would help another in need. Things were different however. He arrived at Canterlot getting a view of the Royal Castle.
Haven’t been here since the Gala incident. Now I need to pay a visit to a certain alicorn. He then flew off to a room at the highest floor.
Reaching inside, he was able to get a look around. It seemed quiet with no one there and the room was very neat. He saw a bed that had the quilt folded, the pillow in its place and the sheets straightened. Nova had to be cautious. His presence was an uninvited one.
“Halt! Who goes there!?” The voice of a loud alicorn was heard. It caught Nova completely by surprise.
There was an alicorn that was tall having a dark sapphire blue coat, a mane that was moderate cobalt blue and moderate cyan like eyes. Her cutie mark was a splotch of night with the crescent moon showing brightly. The two looked at one another with different glares but had the same focus.
“I said, who goes there?” The alicorn named Luna shouted. Her shout was loud causing Nova to wonder if it’s how she speaks.
“It is I, the blazing centurion. You can refer to me as Nova ma’am. I wish to have an audience with Princess Celestia. Is she around?” asked Nova.
“Princess Celestia is at a meeting at the moment. If you wish to address your concern, you can do so with me.” Luna replied.
“Luna, what’s going on?” The sound of Princess Celestia was heard from a distance. Heading closer, she asks, “Is anyone in my quarters?” She turns to find Nova, calm and waiting for her. “Who is this?”
“He claims to be Nova, Tia. He wishes to have an audience with you.” Said Luna. Celestia went inside her room to confront Nova.
“To what business do you request my presence Nova?” asked Celestia. “You don’t need to be afraid. If there is anything you wish to tell me, please say so now.”
“Before I do that…” Nova begins to take off his helmet. The two princesses got a good look at who was behind the mask. “I figure that this would be best.”
“So this Nova is actually Rob Stallion?” questioned Luna. Celestia became silent. “What brings you to Canterlot Rob? It has been a while.”
“It has. I need to address something to you Princess. It relates to your faithful student and it is of great importance.” Rob’s tone became serious.
Celestia then went to her sister, “Luna, close the doors.” Luna nods and closes the doors to her room behind her. “I wish for this to be a personal discussion. Now then Rob, what is it about Twilight Sparkle that you wish to tell me?”
“This is really hard to say but I feel that now is as good as ever.” Rob goes on to explain everything that had happened over the past two days.
The two princesses listen to Rob who went into detail on the situation. He explained that Twilight and her friends formed a plan to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson on how a hero should act. They formed the identity of the Mysterious Mare Do Well and using their different talents, they were able to outperform Rainbow Dash. He saw the princess’s expressions change from concern to disappointment.
“Is something the matter you two? I’ll stop if you want.” Asked Rob. The two looked at him with serious looks. It made the blue stallion nervous.
“Continue. Tell us all you know. I wish to know anything and everything.” Spoke Celestia.
Rob reassured himself and continued. He overheard Twilight and the others boasting on how good Mare Do Well is causing Rainbow Dash to be angered with jealousy. When he discovered their true intentions, he decided to get involved by being a hero himself. So as Nova, he performed heroic tasks but he did it for the sake of making Mare Do Well look pathetic. He wanted to teach Twilight and her friends a lesson of his own. He also went on to say that he admitted to boasting just like they did. But after he teamed up with Mare Do Well to quell a fire in an apartment complex, he learned that there was more than one. Putting two and two together, she discovers that there was more than one.
“I’ve heard enough Rob. I didn’t think that my faithful student would be this bold to perform such a thing.” Celestia said. Hearing this got her very upset.
“Tia, why would Twilight and her friends do such a thing?” asked Luna. “Do you have a clue?”
Rob didn’t hesitate to answer. “All of that will be revealed tomorrow. I’m issuing a challenge to Mare Do Well. Only then will the truth be out.”
“I only hope you know what you’re doing. If what you tell me is true then I may have to intervene.” Reassured Celestia.
Rob nodded as he put his helmet back on and flew off. Knowing of the information, Celestia and Luna begin pondering the situation. Regardless of the risks, they know that everything will be exposed tomorrow. All Rob hopes is to find out who’s behind the mask and why would they do this. That would be all that matters.
The next morning…
“Twilight! Twilight, you got to read this!” shouted Spike. He showed her a newspaper that had the title Nova Challenges Mare Do Well.
She reads the article to herself hoping to get more information. According to the article, it states that Nova has issued a challenge to Mare Do Well telling her that if she fails to show up, he’ll reveal her secret. Twilight had a look of shock pondering if Nova knew the truth. With a look of anger, she decides to do something.
“Spike, I want you to stay here. I’m heading to Sugarcube Corner.” Said Twilight. The young dragon never got a reason why.
What’s up with Twilight? Ever since Nova showed up, she’s being different. Could it be that Nova knows something about Mare Do Well? Spike then got to work putting stuff away.
Twilight reached Sugarcube Corner where her friends (save for Rainbow Dash) were chatting. They got a look at her and knew it was something serious. The five of them went upstairs to the room at the 2nd floor and had their usual meeting. Throwing the paper on the floor, Twilight let the others see what was on it. They then got a look at her who was really mad.
“Can you guys explain to me why we didn’t get Nova yesterday?” asked Twilight Sparkle.
“We had no idea that Nova would be there when the fire happened.” Replied Applejack. “We thought he would get it done fast until you showed up Pinkie Pie.”
Everyone looked at Pinkie Pie who tried to provide an explanation. “Um… the fire was too big… big and scary. Nova said that we should work together to get everyone out of the scary fire. We did and we became heroes.”
“You did what?” Twilight let off a sigh and felt really ticked. “So how did Rainbow Dash got into the trap?”
“We don’t know. I heard she was looking for Nova but when Applejack decided to move about, that was when she decided to look.” Rarity replied, putting the blame on Applejack.
“Me?! What the hay Rarity? Why ya gotta blame me for? Fluttershy was just standing there on the rooftop not doing a thing.” Shouted Applejack.
“Well I… I couldn’t do anything. Twilight told me to wait until Nova was in the trap. Um… I’m sorry.” Whispered Fluttershy.
Suddenly, the meeting went into an all-out argument with everypony blaming each other for what happened yesterday. It was all Twilight could take and so she responded in the only way possible.
“ENOUGH!!!” Twilight’s yell silenced everyone in the room. They all looked at her breathing heavily, her mane was ruffled and her face had a look of extreme anger.
“Are you okay Twilight? You seem to be really angry right now.” Asked Pinkie Pie. Twilight didn’t waste any time.
“Am I okay? NO! I’m not okay! Our whole plan is in ruins and it’s on the verge of being a total failure! If anyone is going to deal with Nova, it’s me! I will deal with him myself!” Twilight trotted off in anger slamming the door on the way out.
“What just happened?” queried Pinkie. Everyone else wondered the same thing. “I’ve never seen Twilight so meany before.”
“It’s cause of Nova. Nova is the reason why she’s mad. Our whole plan is going bad and that mare decided enough’s enough. Ah hope she knows what she’s doing.” Said Applejack. The others agreed and decided to leave the room as well.
3:00 PM… Outside Ponyville Town Hall
Many ponies began to gather around the middle of Ponyville. The Mayor, an Earth pony named Mayor Mare went up to the podium and began to speak. All the townsfolk were silent, ready to listen to what the mayor would say.
“Citizens of Ponyville, it has come to my attention that our fair town has two heroes. They are known as the mysterious Mare Do Well…” She sees some ponies that supported Mare Do Well cheer on. “… And the Blazing Centurion, Nova.” The mayor sees the others who support Nova cheer as well.
“But on this day today, there will only be room for one hero. Nova has challenged the Mysterious Mare Do Well today. We don’t know what it is but I can assume it has to do with a recent discovery.” The sound of someone flying at high speed was heard. The Mayor gets a look to find that Nova has arrived. “There he is!”
Everypony got a look up above and saw Nova. He descended gently and hitting the ground shook hands with Mayor Mare. The crowd went wild seeing Nova appear making an entrance. But then everyone went silent as Mare Do Well made her appearance. But Nova was quick to see that something was different about this heroine.
Mare Do Well has arrived… but she’s got wings. Look like someone else is taking the role here. Nova kept himself firm. The crowd that was there became divided over both heroes.
“Please everypony, settle down. I’m sure there’s a reason why they’re both here.” Mayor Mare turned to Nova who waited. “Now then, is there something you like to say?”
Nova nods and takes the podium. “I thank you all for coming. I’ve come here today to issue a challenge to you, Mare Do Well!” His sight was on Mare Do Well. She didn’t say a word. “You say that you’re the one hero that Ponyville needs right? I think of you as unimpressive. Why is that? Because you do it for the sake of making another hero look pathetic!”
Everypony was in shock finding out this revelation. Even the mayor was surprised. Mare Do Well simply stood there and watched. She heard the accusation Nova had made.
“I know it. Thanks to an anonymous tip, I have figured out who you really are. I know who’s behind the mask.” Everyone wondered the same thing that Nova wanted.
But before Nova could say anything else, the sound of a loud stomp was heard. They all turned to find a large monster heading this way. It was a creature that had four heads and each of them with long necks, a big body, two feet and a destructive tail. It then used its heads to attack the town bringing destruction in its wake. Everyone was in a panic trying to run from the monster’s brutal assault. It used its heads to reduce a house to nothing letting off a roar signifying its arrival. The two heroes however stood there wondering who would take it down.
“I guess this is why I brought you out here. If you are as good as they say then prove it. Take on the hydra. I’ll be watching.” Nova said, giving Mare Do Well the honors.
Mare Do Well started off by flying straight for the hydra dodging its four heads. The town saw her use magic conjuring up a powerful spell. She then fired it striking the hydra. It moved back a bit but held its ground. The hydra responded by letting off a powerful ear-deafening roar. Mare Do Well dodged the incoming fireballs and responded by using its wings to evade. Getting on top of its many heads, it fired a spell at close range stunning one of them. She kept moving using her magic to strike the Hydra on its legs. They made their mark causing it to lose its balance and hit the ground hard. Everypony cheered for Mare Do Well who succeeded. However, Nova wasn’t impressed one bit.
“It’s not over yet!” Everyone stopped cheering. “The hydra isn’t finished. You only knocked it down making it angry.” They all then saw the hydra lashed with its tail striking Mare Do Well.
It was sent flying a few feet before it hit a house. The force of the impact knocked Mare Do Well out making things serious. Everypony ran for their lives. The hydra used its heads to tear the town apart. Far away from the destruction, Rarity and the others see the hydra causing trouble.
“Twilight! We have to do something girls and fast!” Applejack shouted. The others agreed and they went into their Mare Do Well costumes.
Nova simply watched as the hydra continued its destruction throughout the town. But then he gets the sight of another Mare Do Well flying in mid air getting the hydra’s attention. If that wasn’t enough, another one used its hind hooves to strike from behind. But then he sees another one use its magic to strike it with a boulder.
“What is this? One, two, three… four Mare Do Wells?” question Mayor Mare. “What is going on here?” Nova knew all the answers. He was silent.
He saw the hydra being attacked by four Mare Do Wells. But due to earlier, it became violent using its brute strength to knock each of them down effortlessly. Although one of them evaded everything due to its senses, it eventually got knocked aside as well. Seeing this knew that Mare Do Well didn’t have what it takes to defeat an enraged monster.
“Looks like it’s up to me now.” Nova hits the ground and gets himself ready. But before he does, something was missing. “Hey you two!”
“Uh yes?” said a blue unicorn named Snips. His friend, a yellow unicorn named Snails also got his attention.
He handed them a large boom box with a CD. Nova only had one thing to say to the two, “Play my theme song.”
“Sure.” Replied Snails. They put the CD in the boom box and pressed the Play button. Within seconds, a song was heard and Nova was ready to kick some serious hydra butt.
Nova, never backing from action he’s
Nova, the protector of galaxies
Justice and honor – hero of the Nova Corps
Nova, wields a power you’ve never known
Nova, with his armor his power grows
Evil won’t stand a chance against the Nova Force
Nova raced for the hydra delivering a multitude of punches striking it in the stomach. Each blow he delivered made the hydra roar in pain. It responded with a volley of flame blasts causing him to evade rapidly. He then went from behind and struck him with a blast of cosmic energy. Turning around, it yelled out and used its heads to attack. Nova immediately went on for another round of evasion.
A Super Nova, heroic light in the dark
No matter where is, the fight - he won't be far
A Super Nova, the Pony Rocket will soar
We have a New War-ri-or
A Super Nova, see the Centurion might
Winning the battle, he'll leave - a streak of light
A Super Nova, Secret Avenger of peace
Whenever needed, bring it - and lead to victory
Nova continued his offense but the hydra was persistent. Mare Do Well’s previous assault got it riled up turning the whole town into a warzone. If that wasn’t crazy enough, the two ponies began to gather everyone in town and they all were singing his theme song. It was downright crazy. Even Rainbow Dash and Blitz joined in on this whole mess.
Those two really gathered a crowd for this. But I have bigger problems. The hydra struck Nova with its tail sending him flying.
He then hit the brakes and then dashed straight at the monster with a furious tackle attack. But it didn’t do any good. This forced Nova to try a different tactic after seeing its four heads. Hitting at high speed, Nova moved all over the place. The hydra moved its heads trying to keep up. Everyone got to see how fast Nova was going… a bit too fast.
“Is it me or is Nova going too fast? I can’t keep up.” Said Blitz. “What about you Rainbow Dash? Can you keep up?” He saw Rainbow Dash still looking. Her eyes moved all over keeping up with Nova’s high speed.
Come on Nova. You can do it! Show them. Show them how awesome you are! Rainbow Dash continued watching. Blitz did the same.
After more than a minute, Nova was able to outwit the hydra to the point where it’s four heads were tied in a knot. Seeing it at a disadvantage gave Nova the opening he needed. The crowd cheered to find the Hydra unable to do anything but was still dangerous because of its tail.
“Nova! Go for his tail! Give this hydra a wild swing!” shouted Rainbow Dash. He turned giving a nod.
Everyone saw Nova go after the hydra’s tail grabbing it in the process. He went into the air reaching a high enough height where no one would be harmed. Once he was high enough, they all saw Nova spun it around in a cyclone. The crowd wondered what he would do next.
“Okay, that should be enough. Now to send this monster back where he belongs.” Nova lets go causing the Hydra to fly off. But he needed to make sure that it wouldn’t come back. “Feel my power… Gravimetric Blaster!” Building energy inside his body, he fires a blast of cosmic energy.
The blast strikes the hydra sending it far away from Ponyville hoping that it wouldn’t bring harm to the town or its civilians ever again. He turned to find everyone cheering. They were all loud knowing full well who their town’s hero is. Mayor Mare trotted to Nova sharing a brohoof as an act of kindness.
“There you have it everypony! We have our new hero! Three cheers for Nova!” shouted Mayor Mare. “Hip hip hooray!”
Everyone cheered for Nova whose actions in defeating the hydra have earned the praise of the entire town. But Nova was in no mood to celebrate. There was something he needed to do and after quieting the crowd, he went to work.
“I thank you all for your praise. At least the damage to this town isn’t severe so much work is required. However… there is the matter of Mare Do Well.” Nova heads closer to one of the Mare Do Wells who was still knocked out from the hydra’s enraged attack. “Now to find out everyone. Who’s behind the mask? No turning back now.”
He pulls the mask off Mare Do Well revealing it to be Twilight Sparkle. Everyone was in shock finding out about this. Rainbow Dash flew closer to see and one look seeing this threw her into a major loop.
“What!? Twilight is Mare Do Well? What’s going on Nova?” shouted Rainbow Dash. But he was far from finished.
“Twilight isn’t the only pony behind this little ploy. Plus, she used some kind of spell to give her pegasus wings. That’s kind of clever. Bring me the others.” Asked Nova. Within seconds, the other Mare Do Wells were gathered.
Nova took off their masks revealing the Mare Do Wells as Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie respectively. Twilight regained consciousness and saw Nova who was upset.
“You! You ruined everything!” Twilight raced at Nova but was quick to move out of the way. Rainbow Dash saw how angry she was.
“What do you mean by that? I want to know Twilight. Why? Why did you decide to be Mare Do Wells?” demanded Rainbow Dash. She was upset. All Nova could do was watch.
“It’s simple Rainbow Dash. Y’all kept on boastin’ and braggin’ ‘bout being a hero. We figured that we’d teach ya a proper lesson.” Explained Applejack.
“We thought that being Mare Do Well would help teach you how to be a proper hero.” Said Rarity. “Oh, I made the costumes for all five of us. They really are fabulous don’t you think?”
“Yeah, they’re fabulous but that doesn’t give me a good reason why you guys would do this.” Rainbow Dash said, not convinced of their reasons.
“Rainbow Dash, I have to agree with Applejack. You went on and on saying how good you were but it ended up being something that was just annoying.” Twilight replied.
“Yeah Dashie, you were being a braggy pants.” Said Pinkie Pie, “But Nova here is the bigger braggy pants. He’s a meanie pants!”
“At least Nova didn’t need to gloat about how awesome he was. He’s everything that Mare Do Well isn’t and more.” Shouted Rainbow Dash.
“We wanted to show you that there’s a difference between being a hero and being a jerk. Heroes act with humility, not with their ego.” Twilight said.
“They don’t brag… and they do their actions with kindness. That is what a true hero should act.” Followed Fluttershy.
“Yeah. Nova may be all super goody-good but he’s all super baddy-bad. A meanie to the end!” shouted Pinkie Pie.
“If only you had any idea who’s behind this mask. You wouldn’t understand what a hero truly is.” Replied Nova.
“What do you mean Nova?’ asked Rainbow Dash. “Is there something you want to tell us?”
“As a matter of fact, I do…” But then his voice began to change. “In fact, I do have something to say. You five really disgust me with what you’ve done!”
Everyone was speechless when they heard the change in Nova’s voice. But they weren’t prepared for what happened next. In front of an entire crowd, Nova took off his helmet. What they saw was revealed to be an irate stallion that is not happy with what his friends have done. The Mane Six were shocked to find that someone they trusted pulling something behind their back. Pinkie suffered the most shock out of all this. Finding out that the pony you love ended up doing something like this started taking a toll on her.
“You… you’re Nova?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rob didn’t say a word for his face spoke for him. “But how? Why? What’s going on?”
“Yeah! Why do this Rob? This isn’t like you at all to do such a thing. We only wanted to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson but then you screwed it up. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” shouted Twilight. The others were also angry for what he did. Rainbow Dash however was curious.
Rob didn’t waste any time stating his reasons. “Of course I know what I did. It’s called giving you a taste of your own medicine. Or to put it blunt, it’s karma.” He shouted.
“Never thought ya stoop this low to do this.” Said Applejack. The others nodded angrily. “I’d say you’re no different than Rainbow Dash.”
“I’m afraid I have to disagree. You guys really don’t know what a hero is. Despite teaching her humility, what you did only made your friend feel very uncomfortable.” Rob said. Rainbow Dash looked at them in anger with her hooves crossed.
“But we had to do it. We wanted to show Rainbow Dash what happens to those who brag about their endeavors.” Replied Rarity. “We had no idea this would happen with you getting involved. Although I do have to say, you look really smashing.” The other ponies looked at her angrily causing her to feel ashamed.
“I appreciate the compliment Rarity but it isn’t enough. Now who is to say that you guys brag about your endeavors huh?” questioned Rob.
“That’s different. This is about Rainbow Dash right here. What do we have to do with all of this?” replied Rarity.
“It’s that simple. You guys brag on how good you guys are every day. You Rarity brag about how awesome your dresses are. Applejack brags about how delicious her apples taste. Twilight brags about being Celestia’s faithful student and all that junk. Pinkie really brags on how astounding her parties are not to mention how she keeps telling about her delicious sweets. Flutershy… uh, I got nothing on her. She takes care of pets real well so she gets an exception.” After hearing this, the five Mare Do Wells began to show signs of anger.
“So you became Nova to steal Mare Do Well’s thunder right?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rob nodded but the response he got was something no one saw coming. “Oh my god! You are awesome! I don’t believe it!”
Rainbow Dash was already airborne yelling out how awesome her best friend was as Nova. It was something Rob didn’t expect but his friends think otherwise. With looks of anger, they were ready to lash out at him in a matter of seconds.
“Are you finished Rob?” asked Twilight Sparkle. Rob was persistent because he was far from being finished.
“No! I’m not finished!” yelled Rob. The crowd got a look at Twilight and her friends. They weren’t pleased one bit. “I figure it’s high time you five learn a lesson of your own.” Looking at the angry crowd, Rob took a deep breath and continued talking. “A hero does their job for the sake of helping others, not for making others look bad. What you five did was purely unacceptable and goes against everything that a hero stands for!”
He saw the anger building up within the crowd. Something inside this stallion’s gut tells that it’s going to get worse from here. But then Twilight decided to give him a piece of her mind.
“But what about you? You’re no different!” shouted Twilight, “You came in because you wanted to teach Mare Do Well a lesson. If I didn’t know any better, you’re just like her!”
“That’s right! You’re the bigger meanie pants here Robbie. You did a really bad thing by being a hero.” retorted Pinkie Pie. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Pinkie’s eyes shed a tear.
“Is that so? If I was then how come you five couldn’t beat the hydra? Hmmm? Well?!” Rob waited for a response from any of them. Sadly, he didn’t get one. “I thought so. Looks like Mare Do Well has just went from being a hero… to a zero! Your lesson on what a hero really means… begins now.” His shout of anger now got everypony jeering at them for their actions.
“You ponies stink! You call yourselves heroes!” shouted one pony. Rob turned to find the crowd at its peak.
“But please, let us explain. We only did it to teach Rainbow Dash that-” Twilight clarified. But was interrupted by somepony throwing something at them.
“Shouldn’t you talk about it instead of pulling this ploy? You all are despicable!” another pony shouted. Within seconds, they started yelling at them. Rob watched as everything fell apart.
“Mare Do Well stinks!” shouted an irate mare. She threw a Mare Do Well poster to the ground tearing it up in the process.
“Heartless jerks! You deserve nothing! You don’t deserve the respect you get. Down with Mare Do Well!” In an instant, the phrase ‘Down with Mare Do Well’ was chanted through the crowd. The five ponies were pelted with rocks, signs and even merchandise relating to Mare Do Well. Rob simply stood there as the crowd continued expressing their animosity and disgust toward them. He then sees Rainbow Dash giving them a piece of her mind.
“You guys did something that’s totally not cool and lame! I don’t even know if I should even forgive you besides, Rob is the new hero now!” shouted Rainbow Dash.
Rob however had something in mind for Rainbow Dash, “As for you Rainbow Dash, I think it’s time you are in for a lesson of your own. You and I are going to have a little talk after this. Do you understand?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Good. At least with this, you’ll learn something. You are a hero in your own right but there’s a time and place for everything.”
“You’re right. At least talking about it will help me learn… unlike them!” The two check to see the five jeered at by the irate crowd. For some odd reason, Rob doesn’t feel happy with the outcome.
Mayor Mare takes the podium and calms the unruly crowd. “Alright everypony, that’s enough.” With the crowd calm again, she continued. “Our challenge has ended in victory for Nova… or should I say Rob Stallion. Three cheers for our new hero!”
Her shout caused everyone to cheer for Rob who had a look of worry on his face. If that wasn’t enough, they lifted him up and paraded through town celebrating his victory. All five of them watch as Rob was paraded through town. Pinkie however felt like someone stabbed her in the back. Her face was about to burst into tears seeing Rob get all the glory while they ended up with nothing.
“Come on girls, let’s get out of there. Let him enjoy his victory.” Said Twilight coldly. They all went off, save for one. “Pinkie, come on. Let’s go!”
Twilight went to check on Pinkie finding that she’s already crying. Crying because the colt that had a lot of feelings for her ended up doing an act that had them humiliated by everyone in town. Seeing Twilight, she ran to her in an embrace. The violet unicorn watched the celebration continue on. It was enough to make her sick.
“Let’s go Pinkie. At least you’ll always be friends with us.” Twilight said, comforting Pinkie. They all left taking their Mare Do Well costumes with them.
It was a happy time for everyone. Rainbow Dash was airborne pulling off a Sonic Rainboom while yelling out how Rob has achieved a new level of awesome. Rob smiled through and through but got a look at how angry his friends were. He let off a sigh and wondered if this was the right thing to do.
“What’s wrong Rob? You should be happy you’re a hero not just to me but everypony here in town.” Said Rainbow Dash.
“How can I be when I ended up doing this to them? Look.” replied Rob. He showed Rainbow Dash her friends trot off in anger.
“Leave them! They deserve everything they got for that they did to me.” Said Rainbow Dash. Rob disagreed.
“I only did this so I can teach them a lesson on what a hero should do, not like this. This isn’t what I wanted.” Rob said. He felt guilty for what he did.
Rainbow Dash however dissuaded him. “Just forget about it. You should be happy that you’re a hero now. So come on, let’s celebrate!”
“Maybe you’re right. They have a lesson they need to learn.” Rob said. But inside him, he felt like he did more than just expose his friends. He hurt them bad. Pinkie… I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
Rob then saw her fly off and leading everypony in town to a big celebration. He didn’t feel happy despite proving himself against the hydra. Looking at his friends who were fuming mad, he knew that something needed to be done. But for now, he smiled and waved. Something in his gut tells him that he had to do something. At the rate things are going, it was going to get worse.
In just a few hours, Ponyville experienced what many consider to be a crazy day. The blazing centurion Nova issued a challenge to the Mysterious Mare Do Well. No pony had any idea what it was but a hydra appeared causing mass destruction through the town. Both heroes gave it their all against the monster but in the end, Nova was victorious. After the battle, Nova revealed the identities of Mare Do Well to the entire town. Rainbow Dash was shocked to find that Twilight and her friends were behind it. But nobody was prepared for when Nova revealed himself as Rob Stallion. Angered by this revelation, Rob gave the five mares a piece of his mind on what a hero should really do. But something happened. The townsfolk expressed their disgust to them for their actions. Within seconds, the five were hated and reviled by the entire town. It was something Rob didn’t want to happen but the damage was already done.
A few hours had passed since the town celebrated Rob’s victory against the hydra. He was recognized as a hero by the entire town. But with that fame came a price. Deep inside his heart, he began having doubts. Doubts that has span into a massive guilty conscience. Due to the tension between Rob and his friends, he decides to spend the night with Rainbow Dash at Cloudsdale. Arriving at Rainbow Dash’s house, Rob felt pleased he could enjoy some peace and quiet.
“I really appreciate letting me spending the night here Rainbow Dash.” Said Rob. “Your friends seem really ticked after what happened earlier.” Rainbow Dash pat his back as a sign telling him not worry.
“Yeah, they’re still really mad. But hey, you said they needed to learn a lesson on heroics right?” She replied. Rob nodded but his face had a shed of doubt. “Come on Rob, don’t be all mellow on me.”
“It’s not that.” He turns to Rainbow Dash asking, “Dashie, do you want to know why I took it upon myself to be Nova?”
“No. As a matter of fact, I don’t know why you became Nova to begin with.” She sat down on a chair. Rob took a seat as well. “Tell me. Why did you become Nova?”
“I became Nova not because I wanted to teach your friends a lesson but… I made a promise. I made a promise to someone. Someone I wasn’t able to save.” Rob let out a sigh trying not to choke up from the feelings inside him.
“Wait so you made a promise to somepony? Who was it?” questioned Rainbow Dash. Rob didn’t want to say a word. “Come on! Tell me! Who was it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know because he never got to tell me.” Responded Rob. “This happened about a week ago. I was doing my usual work when I saw a colt taking on some kind of monster. I was far away so they didn’t stop me. I saw everything and the colt was in trouble. My gut told me I should help but I had second thoughts. Pushing my worry aside, I went to him and got a look. He was in really bad shape.” Trying to remember that moment was something he didn’t want to relive.
“Is everything alright?” inquired Rainbow Dash. “What happened next? Did you help him?”
Rob nodded as he continued. “When I saw him in that state, I had to do something. He then gave me some kind of strange item. It looked like a starburst that had eight points. The colt told me to place it on my head and I did. Next thing I knew, I transformed into what you’ve already seen. I didn’t waste any time. I took out the freak in about 28.2 seconds. But when I went to check up on him… “ He couldn’t continue on.
“Is everything alright Rob?” Rainbow Dash questioned. She saw him starting to shed tears. “Uh… Rob?”
“I’m sorry. Excuse me.” He trotted off outside to somewhere quiet letting out his feelings and cried.
Rainbow Dash quickly followed as he let out his feelings in the only way possible. She was seeing a side of him that hardly anyone ever sees. He continued to cry causing Rainbow Dash to comfort him for a little while.
“Look, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me what happened Rob. I had no idea that this happened to you.” But she decided to ask him. “But tell me, was that colt you tried to help a hero too?” Rob turned to her and nodded.
After letting out a high amount of waterworks, the two went back inside Rainbow Dash’s house. She then sat back down and listened to more of Rob’s story. He took a deep breath and with whatever emotions he had inside continued.
“Anyway, when I got to see him, he was barely clinging to life. I thought to myself if I can use this power, I could use it to help him. But a look from him told me that I shouldn’t. He then went on to tell me something really important. Care to hear it?” He asked.
“Yeah, yeah! Tell me already. I want to know. You said yourself that you were to tell me what a hero should really do.” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
“I’ll get to telling you that but let me finish first. This is what he told me in his own words… ahem.” He looked at Rainbow Dash with a serious glare. “You now carry a power that has been wielded by some of the greatest warriors in the galaxy. However, they no longer exist… after the sacrifice made by the last Nova Prime.” He sat down after saying these words.
“The last… Nova Prime?” Rainbow Dash wondered, finding out that there was another hero like Rob. “Are you saying that there’s more of the Nova Corps besides you?” Rob looked at her, nodding.
“That’s when he said. I still remember it. He then went on to say that I’m now the last surviving member of the Corps. I stood by his side until his time came. It was really sad. I’ll never forget it. He had no other family so I went to an obituary and he was properly buried. I honor his memory since then by being a hero taking up the mantle of Nova. If I really am the last survivor, then so be it.” Rob said, looking at her with a serious tone. Rainbow Dash had her mouth wide open hearing everything he said.
He trotted to Rainbow Dash moving her front hoof a bit hoping to get her attention. Shaking her head a bit, she got a look at Rob. He looks at her wondering if she got the message. By the look on her face, Rob assumes that she has.
“I take it now you know why I decided to be Nova right?” Rob wondered. Rainbow Dash gave him a nod. “Good. I’m hitting the hay. Maybe tomorrow I can find a way to fix this mess.”
Rob trotted off to his bed but before he went any further, Rainbow Dash had something to ask him. “Wait a second. I want to know one thing.”
Rob turned and replied, “Yes? What is it? If it relates to the story, I plan to tell everypony about it eventually.”
“It isn’t that. Look, I know you’re still upset over what happened today. But you should know that Twilight and the others got what they deserve. Why should you even worry about it? You should be happy.” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
“I’m not happy!” He shouted. “Not happy at all. It’s my fault that all of this happened. I regret getting involved in this Mare Do Well mess. I need to find a way to fix it… but I have to do this on my own.” Rob looked at Rainbow Dash, giving her a smile. “For now, I need some sleep. Good night Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash saw Rob trot off to his bed hoping to get some shuteye after everything that happened. Letting out a sigh, she smiles heading to her room. But she turned once more to see him snooze off.
Don’t worry about what happened Rob. Just enjoy being a hero. That to me is all I really need. She then went to her room turning in for the night and calling a day.
Meanwhile…
While Rob was enjoying a nice rest in Cloudsdale, things in Sugarcube Corner were already at a fever pitch. Since Nova (or Rob Stallion) humiliated them in front of the entire town, they all felt betrayed in the worst possible way. Pinkie Pie took it the worst due to her having a lot of romantic feelings for Rob. Twilight Sparkle started the meeting between her and the other ponies. Despite their mixed feelings, things went underway.
“I can’t believe this. I really can’t believe this!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. “Of all the ponies in this town, Rob had the nerve, no, the audacity to humiliate us!” The others saw her fuming in anger. They were worried on how she was behaving.
“Is everything ahright, Twilight? You seem a bit upset.” Asked Applejack. Twilight wasn’t in the proper mood.
“Of course I’m upset! Everything we did, everything we planned… is all ruined! Ruined!” yelled Twilight.
“That colt should have never gotten involved.” Replied Rarity. “Although he did look really impressive in that uniform of his.” Everypony looked at Rarity with an angry glare. “What? What did I say?”
“Never mind. I don’t want you to mention his name around me. I hate him. I really hate him!” Twilight’s shout got everyone worried.
“You know Applejack, ever since we were humiliated by him, Twilight has been a bit too wound up.” Rarity whispered. Applejack nodded, agreeing.
“I agree Rarity. This isn’t like her at all. It’s all Robbie’s fault that this is happened. Pinkie Pie hasn’t stop crying for hours.” Applejack responded.
“I know. I worry for her, I really do.” Rarity whispered back. The two then looked at Twilight again who continued ranting on and on. “By the way, where’s Fluttershy?”
“Huh?” Twilight said. She turned to find that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were missing. “I noticed. Where are the two anyway?”
“Fluttershy went home ta get some shut eye. Pinkie is at the other room weeping like a baby… she’s been weeping for hours already.” Applejack responded.
“Guess I’m not the only one who’s hurt by all of this.” But then, Twilight had an idea. “You know, I have an idea.” She had a smile on her face that was evil.
“Uh Twilight, what are ya planning? If it relates to Rob, I’m listening.” Applejack replied. Rarity also listened in.
“We need to also let Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy know about it too. Rob wants to humiliate us… then let’s humiliate him. I think we should give him the silent treatment.” Twilight explained.
“The silent treatment? Don’t you think that’s a bit too harsh Twilight?” probed Rarity. Twilight had a stare telling she doesn’t care.
“At this point, I don’t care Rarity. Rob hurt all of us with his actions so now we need to hurt him. Are you in this or not?” Twilight asked. Rarity and Applejack looked at each other than looked at her.
The two nodded and Twilight then continued on explaining to both Rarity and Applejack. Once that was done, the three went to see Pinkie who continued weeping like a baby. After a few minutes of comfort, she listened in on Twilight’s plan. Knowing Pinkie, it would be a perfect opportunity to get back at Rob for what he did. With all of them having smiles on their faces, they were prepared to give Rob a taste of his own medicine. Too bad they had no idea that the blue stallion has problems of his own.
One week later…
A week had passed since the challenge of the two heroes. Things in Ponyville had changed considerably. Twilight and her friends were still hated by all the ponies in town due to their actions by being Mare Do Well. Rob continued to be revered as a hero although Rainbow Dash was still talked about by many. The five’s plan on teaching him a lesson was going well. Anytime he was around, they would ignore him. They wouldn’t speak to him and at times would show their disgust toward him with anger. It all caused a rift in the Mane Seven’s friendship that seemed to be getting worse with each passing day.
Whew. That was a good night’s sleep. Now then, I still have much work to do today. He trotted off quietly until he ended up crossing paths with Pinkie Pie.
The two ended up exchanging glares, not saying a word to either one. But within their minds, they both had a lot to say.
Staying silent huh? Even to someone who you consider a friend? Not very wise Pinkie. You and your friends still have much to learn. His focus on Pinkie continued to be straight.
I hate you Robbie… I hate you! I hate you for hurting me! I hate you for hurting my friends. Twilight and I will teach you what happens when you hurt your friends, especially me. Pinkie looked at Rob angrily.
But he noticed really quickly that her face began to shed a tear. The humiliation that she suffered because of him was the cause. Rob took a nearby tissue hoping to help wipe it off but Pinkie refused it. She was still angry.
“If you’re still upset over what happened last week, you may as well drop it. What’s done is done. You still have much to learn on humility. I however, have my own problems to contend with.” Rob said, trotting off.
Pinkie responded, “What problems? Your victory parade, maybe? Ceremony maybe? Tell me, what? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they should maybe make it a meanie ceremony.” Her shout got Rob riled up.
“You really have no idea. You’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you have a lesson to learn.” Rob trotted off hoping to forget ever dealing with Pinkie.
A few minutes later, Rob finished up eating breakfast, which was a banana nut muffin and orange juice. He was getting ready to head outside to do some work but forgot his trusty bag. He went into the kitchen to get it but got a look at Pinkie who was cutting some dough with a sharp knife. She was still in tears but he notices that the crying began to change.
“Oh Robbie…” Pinkie said. Her tears began to go into laughing. His instincts sense that this wasn’t good.
“Uh Pinkie, what are you doing? You better watch that knife. You can end up hurting someone.” He replied. Pinkie kept coming closer to him but her laughter went into scary levels.
“Tell me Robbie.” She went way close and then in his ear, whispered to him. “Care to help me out? Pretty please?” The knife was nearly at his neck. It was enough to freak him out.
“No! No way!” His shout caught Pinkie’s attention in an instant. She turned around to get a look. Breathing heavily, he took his bag and ran off.
“What’s his problem?” Pinkie let off a sigh and got back to work cutting the dough.
Racing outside Sugarcube Corner, Rob was breathing heavily trying to get that experience out of his system. Although it was for a few seconds, it was very traumatic.
Worst. Experience. Ever. Why does this remind me of some freaky thrill ride of doom? I got something I need to do. No time for freaking out. Rob shook his head for a couple of seconds.
He didn’t want something like that to distract him. Trotting throughout town, he was being praised by many of the townsfolk. Many said hi, others wanted autographs and prices. All Rob could do was be happy that many are appreciating him for his actions. After a half hour, Rob went to a nearby house. Knocking on the door, a unicorn colt came to see him.
“Rob, what brings you around here?” asked a unicorn named Pokey Pierce. “Please come in.” He let Rob inside.
“Thanks Pokey. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” Rob replied. The two shared a brohoof after settling down.
“So Rob, what’s up? How’s Pinkie Pie anyway? Last time I saw her was during one of her parties last month.” Pokey said. “I heard that she ended up getting humiliated because of last week with the Mare Do Well thing.”
“It’s because of me basically.” Responded Rob. “I literally screwed up. You know what happened right?” He asked Pokey.
“I know all about it. Everypony still talks about how your friends were exposed as a bunch of frauds. You of all ponies became a hero. Everyone talks about how better you were than Mare Do Well.” Pokey came by to bring Rob something to eat.
“But I didn’t want them to be humiliated like that. That’s not what I wanted Pokey. Now I’m trying real hard to fix this mess and I need all the advice I can get.” He looked at Pokey, asking him. “Tell me. What should I do? How do I fix this mess?”
Pokey thought about it for a bit. Rob waited in the meantime checked through his bag. He took out a paper and pencil hoping the advice he’ll get is helpful. Looking at Pokey, he was ready.
“Rob, I know you wanted to do the right thing but you knew that what happened would bring more harm than good.” Said Pokey. “The only advice I can give you is that you should tell your friends that you’re sorry for what you did, especially to Pinkie Pie. I heard that she was hurt the most by all of this. Like I said, I don’t blame her but I feel that in the process of exposing your friends, you ended up hurting them.” Rob nodded, feeling sad because of what happened.
“I know. They ain’t going to listen to me. All they will do is just ignore me. Do you have any better ideas?” He replied. The more he tried to figure things out, the harder things got.
“I think you may want to get the whole town involved. That’ll work.” Pokey exclaimed. “You got the town involved when it came to the Mare Do Well challenge so maybe that’ll work here.”
“Pokey, that is a really good idea. I like it! Besides, the whole town got into hating them so I figure that with this, maybe I can set this right. Thanks for your help Pokey. I really appreciate it.” Rob said with a smile.
“Don’t mention it Rob. Besides, you and Pinkie really are meant for each other. I have to at least do my part for her sake.” Replied Pokey.
“Let me guess, you still have feelings for her right?” asked Rob. He let out a devious smile. “Come on Pokey. I know you still do.”
“Yeah… I do.” Pokey blushed a little bit. He knows he’s a bit embarrassed. “Ever since you two admitted your feelings for each other, I felt kind of uneasy. But hey, I’m happy for the both of you but with what’s happening now. I have every right to worry. So don’t worry and lighten up.” Pokey replied. He reassured Rob by patting his back with his hoof.
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out. But until then, I left you a little present.” He showed Pokey some balloons he brought him. “Have fun. I’ll see you around.”
Rob trotted off out of Pokey’s house with advice in tow. Pokey meanwhile was having fun popping the balloons he brought, and there were a lot. However, he feels at times conflicted because one set of advice may not be enough. Even after two days ago when he went to see Blitz Inferno.
Flashback… two days ago
“I don’t know what I can do Rob. You did expose your friends for the frauds they were.” Said Blitz, sipping some juice.
“I know. I can’t get that feeling out of my bucking head! The least you can do is help me out here.” Replied Rob. He felt like he was drained from all the stress he went through earlier.
“The only advice I can give you Rob is that you need to find a way to fix it. Sure, your friends may have been wrong to do that but you were no different.” Blitz trotted off to put the juice carton in the garbage.
“I know man… I know.” Rob shook his head in shame. “But I have to fix this mess. I have to. It’s the only way.”
“Just know that I got your back Rob. Don’t ever forget that. Look, you wanted to show everyone (especially Rainbow Dash) what a hero should be about.” Blitz looked at Rob straight in the eye as he continued. “But you had no idea that the whole town would go about and hate them for it.”
“Yeah, I remember. Why do you think I was there when the entire town yelled at them saying ‘Down with Mare Do Well’ and all that junk?” Rob exclaimed. “You were there Blitz and so was Dashie!” He let out a moan that got him mad.
“Calm down Rob. What’s done is done. You can’t change what happened in the past.” Rob turned around, getting a look at Blitz with an angry glare. “But you can work to change the future. Come on, let’s see if we can find a way to set things right. What do you say?”
It took Rob a couple of seconds for him to make his decision. Blitz wondered if he would accept the help, much less any help. Come on Rob. I know you. You can do this! Blitz thought.
“Alright. I’ll do it. I need all the help I can get after all. I’ll take your advice. I’ll fix this mess. You have my word.” Blitz and Rob shared a brohoof as proof of accepting. Blitz let off a smile seeing his friend determined to do it.
“Don’t forget that I got your back and so does Rainbow Dash. You can do this. I know you can!” Hearing that from Blitz gave Rob a lot of self-confidence. It was all he needed so he can get the job done.
End flashback
Blitz, you really are a god dang lifesaver. I won’t let you or Dashie down. He then wondered where to go next. Fortunately, he knew just the place.
He raced to the outskirts of town where the Apple tree orchard was found. Within that orchard was a treehouse that belonged to a group of ponies whose one desire is to find their true talents. There were three ponies in there undergoing a meeting. Rob hoping not to interrupt decides to check for a peek.
“Ahright, you guys. Time for our meeting ta come ta order.” Spoke a young Earth filly named Applebloom.
“I wonder Applebloom. What are we gonna do to get our cutie marks today?” asked a unicorn named Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah. Tell us. I’m so excited. We can do something really cool like make something delicious for the Nova Parade.” Requested Scootaloo, a pegasus pony that was spunky and full of energy.
“The Nova Parade already happened last week Scootaloo. We need something different if we’ll get our cutie marks.” Sweetie Belle replied.
“Calm down ya two. We have plenty of time ta find what we need ta do. Besides, the meeting must come ta order.” Said Applebloom. But her sight was instead focused on some blue shrub. “Who’s that?”
“Huh?” said Scootaloo. “What do you mean Applebloom?” The three get a look at the blue shrub that is outside.
What the three find that it was none other than Rob who tried to stay out of sight. The four looked at each other for a couple of seconds but then they all were happy.
“Heya Rob, what’cha doing?” said Applebloom. “If you want ta come and join for tha meeting today, y’all more than happy to.”
“Thanks you guys.” Rob replied. The three let Rob in as the meeting went underway.
“So Rob, what brings you around? Want to take part in our meeting?” asked Applebloom.
“I guess but would it be alright if I talk to you guys. I got something that is bothering me.” Rob replied, looking nervous.
“Bothering you?” wondered Sweetie Belle. “What do you mean Rob?” The other two looked at him.
Knowing that this was going to nom at him from the inside, Rob explained his problem. He explained that since the incident last week, his friends have developed a hatred for him. To make things worse, Rob began to have guilt over his actions and it’s now forcing him to fix a mess he made. He told them that he went to see many ponies for advice such as Pokey Pierce, Caramel and Blitz Inferno. Despite the help, he feels that it may not be enough.
“And that’s my story. I’ve been right now trying to fix this mess for almost a week. I’m not having much success with it either.” Rob said. He felt like he wanted to jump off a cliff.
“We’re sorry this has happened to you Rob. We really are.” Sweetie Belle replied. She patted him for support.
“I heard all about it from Rainbow Dash yesterday. You were so cool being out there helping others.“ Scootaloo said.
“Thanks. It was really good of me to help others out.” Rob replied. He let out a smile upon hearing the praise.
“Oh Rob. I heard from mah sister how much she hates ya for what she did. Is that why ya feeling bad about this?” Applebloom asked. Rob simply gave her a nod.
“I noticed Rarity being the same way. Now we know that this is really serious. Is there anything we can do Rob?” Sweetie Belle questioned.
“I need advice guys. Next to Pinkie, I trust you three a lot. I want to find a way to fix this mess and set things right not just for my friends but for the whole town too.” Rob lets off a sigh after saying that.
“We’re not that good providing advice Rob but we’ll do what we can to help for your sake.” Scootaloo replied.
“Why don’t you go see Princess Celestia? Maybe she can help you out.” Suggested Sweetie Belle. The thought of the idea made Rob curious.
“Yeah. The princess always has some good advice. Ah know she can help ya out. Believe us for sure.” Applebloom insisted.
“She knows the three of us really want to get our cutie marks. She listens to us and gave us the best advice anypony needs.” Scootabloom said.
“What was that advice by the way?” Rob questioned. “Knowing the princess, it’s probably something relating to what you guys like to do.”
The three nodded and then went closer to him saying their advice in the best way possible. “Be yourself!” They giggled afterwards.
“Be yourself huh? Why not? Maybe that can help me.” He whispered to himself. He looks at them and smiles. “Thanks guys. I think I know what I need to do. I have to go now so I hope you guys do well in finding your cutie marks.”
“Y’all are always welcome here anytime Rob. We trust ya.” Said Applebloom. The Cutie Mark Crusaders share a brohoof with him.
Rob waved at them before heading out of the treehouse. Obtaining advice from them was the smartest thing he could ever do. But when they mentioned Princess Celestia, he knew there was one more pony he could pay a visit to. Taking out the starburst, Rob places it on his head causing him to transform. Applebloom and the others got a look at him transform. His body became covered in a bright aura. When it disappeared, he wore the clothes that symbolized the hero he was.
“Look! It’s Nova!” Scootaloo shouted. He looked up to see the three happily waving at him.
He smiled and gave them a wave in response. Within seconds, Nova flew off passing through Ponyville in just seconds. The many that saw him let off cheers showing their support. Applejack saw him pass by and not say a word. She was still disgusted with Rob’s actions. She had also no idea that Rob visited her sister and her friends. Rob reached Canterlot in only a few seconds but to prevent himself from being spotted, he landed on a balcony in the highest floor.
Now to see if they’re here. Rob move quietly hope to not get detected. Looking around, he finds that she wasn’t around. Guess the princess isn’t here. I’ll head back tomorrow.
But the sound of an open door caused him to turn around and find out. To his surprise, Princess Celestia and her sister Luna appeared before him. A strange yet eerie silence between the three occurred. It lasted for a couple of seconds. Rob decided to take off his helmet to show the two that he’s no hostile.
“It’s me, Rob Stallion. I need to speak to you both. I’m… in a predicament.” Rob said.
“Of course. How can we help you?” asked Princess Celestia. “Is there something bothering you Rob?”
“Yes, there are some things I want to talk to you about. But first, make sure the doors are closed.” Rob insisted. Celestia nodded and Luna took care of it without hesitation. With the door shut, Rob was ready to explain everything.
“Okay Rob, it’s between the three of us. What’s on your mind?” questioned Celestia. “Or does it relate to how your friends are treating you?”
Rob simply nodded. “Yes, it does. I have a lot to tell you.” He looked at both princesses fiercely knowing that this wasn’t going to be easy.
Rob went on to explain everything that had happened since that day. Despite the fact he was deemed a hero through the eyes of the entire town, he felt guilty because of how he berated and exposed them for their actions as Mare Do Well. All throughout the week, his friends had shown disgust toward him in various ways. Whether it was Applejack throwing apples at him or Pinkie Pie threatening to inflict harm, everything he experienced was something he knew would happen. The princesses were appalled after hearing what Rob said to them. The discussion lasted for a couple of minutes and by then, Rob felt like he didn’t want to speak any further.
“I know you are hurt by all of this but you did what needed to be done. I did not think that your friends would go on to hate you for your actions.” Princess Celestia said. It was no surprise that Rob knew this would happen.
“I knew this would happen. They have every right to hate me. I’ve now caused a mess that is going to tear us apart.” Rob replied.
“Sister, is there anything we can do to help him?” asked Luna. Celestia thought about this for a bit.
“I’ve asked a few of my friends for some advice and many I’ve gotten were pretty positive. However, I feel that it may not be enough. Is there anything you guys can do?” He asked. He hoped that what they’ll say might get him out of this rut.
“Rob…” Princess Celestia took a deep breath before she said this to him. “I know that you are hurt by all of this but I feel that this is something you need to do on your own.”
“Tia, I don’t think this will help him.” Luna came close to Rob and provided advice of her own. “Rob, my advice for you is to follow your heart. Let it determine what you need to do next.”
“You mean to tell me that to follow what’s inside. Did I do the right thing by seeking out help?” He asked. Celestia and Luna nodded at him. Rob simply let out a smile. “I guess I know what I need to do now. Thank you… both of you.”
Rob raced to the two and gave them a hug. But all the feelings that were bottled up inside of him caused him to shed tears. The two princesses did whatever they could to give him support. After a time of comfort, Rob flew off in his Nova gear back to Ponyville. With advice in tow, he knew what he had to do. The eyes of all Equestria always knew Rob as a hero. However, after last week, it seems that this stallion thinks otherwise. Will he be able to save the friendship he has? Can his friends even forgive him for what Rob had done? Or are the seven of them destined to have their friendship torn apart by heroic pride?
To be continued...
Disclaimer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust Rob Stallion belongs to me Nova belongs to Marvel Comics Blitz Inferno belongs to DeviantArt User Inferno111. Used with permission.
Celestia’s shining sun marked the start of another day in Ponyville. Rob was trotting about carrying some things in his knapsack. He had recently finished a job and was now assigned to deliver some stuff around. As a favor to the Ponyville Post Office, he decided to deliver the mail to all of Ponyville’s citizens. However, he finds that he has to deliver mail to each of his friends. As if today alone wasn’t bad enough for him. Over the past few days, he has tried hard to fix a mess that he made. He went to see many of his friends for advice on what to do. Some of the advice that was given told him the only rule that should have been done from the beginning… to be you. Despite this, he took their advice well not to mention their support. Now he’s hoping to put it all to work.
“Alright, I only hope this works. I really hope it does.” Rob said, trotting his way to his first stop, the Ponyville Library.
Rob knocked on the door hoping to deliver the mail and be on his way. But no one answered. He knocked again and there was no response. Something wasn’t right so he decided to just simply enter inside. What he finds were two individuals that didn’t want him to be here: Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike. All three of them were silent, not saying a word to each other. A silence was seen throughout all of them. It would take someone speaking to break it.
“You. I didn’t think you’d bother to show up.” Said Twilight. Her tone was of anger and disgust. “What brings you here? You should know that you are not allowed here.”
“I take it that you are still angry with what happened a few days back.” Rob replied. He kept his focus on each of them carefully.
“I am. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Because of you, everypony hates us. All we wanted to do was teach Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility but now you made us the laughingstock of all Equestria!” shouted Twilight. Her face had a look of rage aimed squarely at the blue stallion. Spike stood firm by Twilight’s side.
“I thought you were my friend Rob. Why did you have to do this to Twilight? To your own friends?” Spike demanded. The sight of even his own friend Spike saying this shocked him.
“I am your friend Spike… but Twilight and her friends have done something that goes against what the Elements of Harmony stand for. All I did was teach them that being a hero for the sake of making someone else look bad will carry consequences.” Pleaded Rob.
“But that didn’t give you the right to get involved. If you didn’t pull off this Nova stunt, we wouldn’t even be doing this right now.” Twilight trotted closer to Rob. She was cautious hoping that he wouldn’t do anything careless.
What are you planning Twilight? You know that your magic is useless against someone who carries the power of the universe. Rob had a focus that was as tight as a laser. He was wary of what she was going to do to him.
“Now then… give me one good reason why Spike and I shouldn’t throw you out.” Said Twilight. All Rob had was a bunch of mail he had to deliver.
“What else? I’m doing a favor for the Ponyville Post Office. Here’s your mail.” He places the mail in the table nearby. Spike and Twilight looked at him wondering if he’ll do anything else. “What? What’s your beef?”
“It’s you who is the problem. Since you’re done delivering the mail, please leave the library…” Twilight then pours more salt on the wound by saying, “And don’t ever come back.”
“I guess you still haven’t learned anything have you Twilight?” questioned Rob, “All I know is that Princess Celestia will not be pleased of this.”
“Can you just leave the library already?!” shouted Twilight. Hearing it made Rob filled with anger. “You’re not welcome here. Don’t make us use brute force to kick you out.”
“Go ahead and try. You know full well that I have the power of the Nova Force to make any attack you pull meaningless.” But before he does do anything else, Rob had one other thing to say. “I know that what I’ve done to you was wrong. All I’m going to say is… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you Twilight Sparkle.”
“That apology alone isn’t good enough Rob Stallion. Please leave the library right now.” Ordered Twilight. But Rob refused to leave. “Guess you won’t listen to reason. We’ll have to do this the hard way.”
Twilight began using her magic to conjure a powerful attacking spell. She unleashed it with all her strength but Rob doesn’t do a thing. Her magic hit its mark and she wondered if it would be enough to convince him to leave. Sadly, it was all a big waste. The two saw Rob already enveloped in a bright light. A circulated shield protected him from Twilight’s magic spell. Rob saw that Twilight would rather use violence instead of words. It wasn’t like her at all.
“So you decided to stoop this low huh?” asked Rob. His eyes were filled with sadness and anger. “You still haven’t learned a dang thing Twilight Sparkle. I begin to wonder why Princess Celestia thinks of you with such regard.”
“You heard Twilight? We don’t want you here.” Spike shouted. He unleashed his dragon breath at Rob. But like Twilight, his efforts were in vain due to the circulated energy shield. “What?”
“I thought of you as my friend Spike… why do this? Why side with Twilight when you know that what she and her friends did was unacceptable?” asked Rob. Spike refused to say a word to him. “Fine. I’m not welcome here anyway.”
Taking the mailbag, he trotted out of the library but not before he slammed the door with a vicious ferocity. The impact was so great that many of the books in the shelf fell to the floor. It was Rob’s response to both Twilight and Spike… and that his effort in trying to reach the two were in deaf ears. He then trotted off to his next location and it was Sweet Apple Acres. Trotting to the farm, he caught the eye of Big Macintosh, Applejack’s older brother. Knowing this to be a good start, he went to see him.
“Hey Big Mac. What’s shaking?” Rob said. Big Mac caught eye of Rob and went toward him. “How are ya doing big guy?”
“Ah’m doing fine Rob. Ah take it you’re having a bit of trouble. Are ya alright?” Big Mac replied. Rob didn’t say a word but then he felt something hit him.
“Huh? What was that?” He said, observing his surroundings. Turning, he finds what appears to be a rotten apple core.
“Where did that come from?” asked Big Mac. Rob looks around and couldn’t find a thing. Suddenly, he was hit again by another rotten core.
“Big Mac, are you doing this?” Rob then goes to say, “Do you hate me Big Mac for what I’ve done to your sister?”
Big Mac responded in his traditional manner. “Eenope, not at all. Applejack got what she deserved for what she did ta Dashie.”
“Are ya out of ya rocker Big Mac? Rob hurt all of us for what he did ta me.” Applejack’s shout had the two colts turn around.
They see Applejack on a nearby apple tree that was carrying around a bucket of rotten apple cores. Since the incident, Applejack had been known as the rotten apple of the family. Everyone at the farm hated her and ended up being the pun of almost every joke there was. It took a toll on her physically and mentally. She was waiting for the right opportunity to get revenge on Rob for his actions as Nova, the blazing centurion.
“You’ve got good aim Applejack… it’s too bad that like Twilight, you haven’t learned anything.” Said Rob. Applejack didn’t take his words rather well.
“And you have no business being on mah family’s farm. Now get out of here! Y’all ain’t welcome!” She began throwing rotten apples at Rob. He did his hardest to evade them. Big Mac however wasn’t pleased due to Applejack’s behavior.
“Applejack, get down from there. Show some respect for our guest.” Big Mac retorted. Applejack didn’t listen and kept throwing rotten apples at Rob.
“No! He doesn’t belong here. Leave Rob. You aren’t welcome here! Now git! Get out of here! Ah don’t wanna see you here on mah family’s farm!” She shouted throwing more apples at him. Big Mac seeing his friend suffer like that decided that enough was enough.
Heading to the tree where Applejack was hanging, Big Mac gave it a good buck with his rear hooves. The force of the hit caused her to fall onto the ground below. When Applejack turned to see, she saw her older brother with a very upsetting look. All Rob could do was look on in worry what would happen next.
“What’s ya problem Big Mac? Don’t you know that Rob didn’t just hurt me but hurt us? Our farm’s in trouble and we can’t even make enough money to keep the place afloat. We’ll go out of business!” Applejack pleaded. Rob continued to hear from her that his actions are going to put the farm in danger. Big Mac didn’t want to hear it.
“Maybe if ya not pulled off that hero thing with your friends, we all wouldn’t be in this situation would we?” Replied Big Mac. Hearing this was something he couldn’t handle.
“Ya think? It’s all his fault!” She then turned to Rob and yelled, “Get out of here. Thanks to you, our family is in trouble. You’re a curse to me and everypony you encounter!” She then threw more apple cores at him. Big Mac got in the way and blocked them.
Rob couldn’t take all of this anymore and decided the only logical option was needed for this. “Forgive me Big Mac but I have to go. Here, you and your family got mail.” He gave the mail to Big Mac and went off.
Before he did, Big Mac stopped him and then gave him a hug out of kindness. At least this was something he wanted to do to show that Rob didn’t need to feel down over his actions. Rob smiled seeing the compassion that Big Mac has given toward him unlike his sister.
“Thanks Big Mac. At least you understand what I’m trying to do.” Rob said. The two brohoof’d afterwards leaving in good terms. Unfortunately, Big Mac had a problem of his own.
“Ah’m really ashamed of you little missy. You and Ah are going to have a little talk back home. Do you understand?” Big Mac questioned. Applejack didn’t listen to what he said. “Ah said, do you understand Applejack?”
“Of course Ah understand!” She yelled. Big Mac didn’t like what she said to him one bit. “Ah’m sorry Big Mac. It’s that Ah really hate Rob for what he did ta us.”
“It’s not what he did ta us but it’s what he did ta you. Now come on. We both need ta talk.” Big Mac replied and the two trotted off to the house. It wasn’t going to be a very pleasant talk for sure.
Reaching outside the farm, Rob took a deep breath. Despite his efforts, he was unable to reach Applejack. Two failed efforts. It was something he couldn’t handle. He looked on a sheet of paper he had and saw that he had other ponies to see. Next up was Rarity at the Carousel Boutique. The only thing he hopes is that she doesn’t pull something that would make him go nuts. Reaching the boutique, Rob knocked on the door.
Rarity… I beg of you, please don’t be like the others. All I want is forgiveness from you. Your friends wouldn’t listen to me. They’re too stubborn to understand… and they haven’t learned a thing. He continues to wait hoping to see if someone would answer.
Fortunately someone did. It was none other than Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle. Seeing this startled Rob but he wondered if Rarity was nearby. Sweetie Belle simply smiled letting him inside. He had to keep his guard up because if Rarity did show up, it would get difficult.
“Hey Rob, what are you doing today?” asked Sweetie Belle. Rob simply provided mail for both her and Rarity. “Oh, I see. You’re doing mail delivery today?”
Rob simply nodded, “Yep. Derpy got injured doing delivery work… again. So, the guy in charge wanted me to do some delivery for everypony in town.”
“Derpy may be a bit strange at times but she has a good heart.” Replied Sweetie Belle. “You are doing a nice thing for her by doing mail delivery.”
“I know.” But then, Rob had something to ask. “Sweetie Belle, where’s your sister anyway? I haven’t seen her in town.” She thought about it for a minute. Rob in the meantime sat on a nearby chair.
“Rarity went to see mom and dad today. She won’t be back for a while. Is there anything you want me to tell her?” questioned Sweetie Belle.
“There is.” He takes something from inside the bag and hands it to Sweetie Belle. “Can you give this to her? It’s a letter I made for all my friends except Dashie.”
“Rob, I know you are trying to fix things with my sister and her friends but I think they really don’t want anything to do with you. They all still hate you for what you did.” Sweetie Belle said. Rob felt down after hearing that.
“I know. I just want to set things right before it’s too late. Listen, I got to go. Make sure your sister sees the note okay?” He asked. Sweetie Belle nodded, smiling.
“Take care Rob and remember, me and my friends trust you.” Sweetie Belle added on by saying, “Remember to take our advice and be yourself.”
The two hugged and Rob was already gone. At least here, he was able to complete a part of what he intended. Sweetie Belle then went with letter in tow to Rarity’s room and placed it on her desk. She looked out the window getting a view of Rob already on the move. Though she is his friend, Sweetie Belle felt a hint of worry. He had much to do if he is to set things right.
At least here, it wasn’t so bad unlike with Twilight and Applejack. Rob now focused on his next location, a cottage that was located in the outskirts of town.
Before he did though, he went for a bite to eat. Everyone at the restaurant saw him and within seconds, they cheered. It was something he had been used to for a while. Many ponies (especially the young ones) went to him asking for autographs. Although he provided autographs, he gave many of them helpful advice teaching them how a true hero should act. They all listened well. It was something that Rob felt really appreciative for. After enjoying a meal, he continued to trot toward Fluttershy’s cottage.
Okay, let’s hope that she will at least listen to what I have to say. Rob continued on his way. But as he walked, he noticed something completely out of the ordinary.
He saw a flock of birds flying toward him. Getting a sight was something to behold. But those birds weren’t here to say hi. They were here to make Rob’s life a pain. They raced toward him and began their attack. Like jets, they attacked and Rob quickly evaded. But more birds attacked from behind. One of them struck him on the back. Rob felt some pain but it didn’t matter. He then sees several animals trying to attack him using various objects.
What the heck’s going on? Why do these animals have a beef with me? What did I do? Rob simply ran evading whatever they threw at him.
He kept running for a little bit until he reached Fluttershy’s cottage. Rob was breathing heavily. He got nervous wondering who else would attack him. Suddenly, Angel was on top of Rob and he looked angry. Still nervous, Rob didn’t do a thing. He watched as Angel went in and attacked him. It was his way of telling Rob that he hurt Fluttershy and that he needed to pay. As if getting pelted by various animals around the field was bad enough.
“Look Angel. I haven’t done anything bad to Fluttershy. She decided to get involved with this Mare Do Well stunt and look what it got her.” Rob said, struggling to get Angel off of him.
Angel kept biting him and attacking him with bunny kicks. It was enough to drive him mad. Hitting the door with his back, he hoped to see if someone was inside. He kept moving while Angel continued his offense. But then the door opened revealing to be Fluttershy. Getting a sight of the animals attacking Rob, she trotted to some of the attacking wildlife and stared straight at them.
“You leave this stallion alone.” Her voice and stare stopped every animal in their tracks. Rob looked on seeing all of them looking and watching her silently.
Cool. I always love seeing Fluttershy do that. Rob thought with a smile, but became a cautious stallion.
Within seconds, Rob saw the animals back away and leave him alone. He wondered if something was going on. Once she was finished, she returned to her normal self. The two then shared a look toward each other. Rob wondered if Fluttershy would do anything out of the ordinary. Fluttershy was more into what Rob would do. They were both cautious as well. It would take something to break the silence between them.
“Um… What brings you around here Rob?” Fluttershy asked. “Did you come to apologize?” Rob simply nodded silently. “I see.”
I only hope she lets me do this. Rob wondered what Fluttershy would say next. Rob then followed Fluttershy inside the cottage. He was cautious but also nervous. Since Twilight and Applejack treated him harshly, he knows he’ll expect the same from her.
But in something that even he didn’t expect, Fluttershy gave him a smile. Something wasn’t right. He decided to find out why she would do something like this.
“What are you planning Fluttershy? Do you still have hate for what I’ve done to you and your friends?” He asked.
“Um… no. I don’t. Although you did something terrible by hurting them.” She replied. He was shocked finding out about this.
But his surprise went to worry due to the sins Rob committed. “I know. Why do you think I’m trying? Your friends weren’t as kind as you.”
“Really?” Fluttershy wondered. “Tell me Rob… what did they do to you?” She saw him try to find the right way to express his feelings. It wasn’t easy… even for him.
“Twilight and Spike threatened to hurt me because I was only there to drop off the mail. They didn’t want me in the library. I can tell that she hasn’t learned her lesson on what a hero really means.” Rob explained, letting off a sigh.
“I have.” Whispered Fluttershy. Rob looked as she explained. “Um… I know what a hero does. They… they do things not for themselves, but for others. Isn’t that um… what you do… as Nova?” Her timid demeanor was something that Rob had a hard time convincing.
But he decided to speak to her regardless. “Yes. That’s how a hero should act. At least when I did it, I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for others. But my actions in making Mare Do Well look bad proved that I’m no different than you guys were.”
“I know. Twilight was really upset with what you did. Everypony was.” She said. Rob wasn’t surprised. He knew this would happen.
“That’s why I’m here to set things right. I’m here to say sorry for my actions as Nova. I only did it to show you that your actions as Mare Do Well doesn’t make a hero.” But Rob begins to choke up as he speaks. “Now I feel that my actions make me no different. Fluttershy… I’m very sorry for my actions against you and your friends. I hope you can forgive me.”
Rob wiped the tears from his face. He tried to keep himself composed but all the emotions that swelled inside him took over. Fluttershy saw a side of Rob that no pony had ever seen. He was on the floor weeping and being overflown with so much emotion. Everything that has happened over the past few days drove Rob to the breaking point. He wanted to set things right with his friends. He didn’t want to be a hero. But when his friends pulled this Mare Do Well stunt for the sake of not only teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson but also making her look bad, he knew what needed to be done. Even when he exposed them for their actions, there was a massive amount of guilt that hung in his heart. It was all too much to bear… too much to handle. What she saw was the immediate result of all the emotion boiling inside Rob Stallion’s tormented soul. Heading closer to him, she gave Rob a hug. She understood his pain, his struggle. For the Element of Kindness, she showed no anger toward him, only concern.
“Rob… I forgive you. I know you’re hurting. I really do.” Whispered Fluttershy. She tried her best to soothe the tearful stallion but saw that his emotions were too much to bear.
She comforted him for a while as he wept. All the animals outside the cottage had no clue what was going on. For a few brief minutes, Rob let out all his feelings. He felt the turmoil collapse all around him and fading away. When it was over, he saw that Fluttershy had forgiven him. This gave him a sense of hope although he can’t say the same for his other friends who have treated him harshly.
“You’re the only one who has forgiven me. For the Element of Kindness, you are as good as they say.” He then smiled seeing he accomplished at least one goal of his. “Here’s your mail. I have to go now. Hopefully I know that someone has learned their lesson.” Fluttershy nodded seeing that she did. “I must go. It was a pleasure and thanks.”
She waved as Rob prepped to leave the cottage. However, he was concerned with the animals and that they would attack him again. The two went outside. Fluttershy saw the animals ready to attack Rob again but she unleashed her stare to stop them in their tracks. It gave Rob plenty of time to leave without difficulty. As he trotted off back to town, something was creeping in his mind. It was the fact that he would have to confront the only pony left, Pinkie Pie. So far some of his friends have expressed hate toward him for his actions. Fluttershy was the only pony that had shown kindness instead of anger. Even better was that she forgave him for his actions as Nova. Arriving at Sugarcube Corner, he checks to see if anyone was around.
Strange. Nobody is here. My guess is that they’re upstairs or busy in the kitchen. He trotted carefully hoping not to attract any attention. Too bad he ended up making it.
“Hello Robbie…” Somepony’s voice caused Rob to turn around and see. He saw Pinkie Pie, who was angry seeing him inside Sugarcube Corner.
Rob was cautious for she was the most unpredictable of the group. “Hello Pinkie. I take it that you have learned your lesson on humility right?” He asked, keeping a straight face to her.
“No, I haven’t. Why are you here?” She then went on saying stuff that gets Rob a bit ticked. “Tell me, why are you here? To have me plan your victory party? Or is it that you want to tell us on your last great deed?” But then she went into his face and said, “Or do you want to blab on how great you are? Huh? Tell me!?”
Seeing Pinkie like this surprised Rob. However, his face tells him that he was in no mood for anything of the sort. “I’m not here for that Pinkie. Not at all.” He took out some mail and dropped it off at the table nearby.
“Then what Robbie, tell me! Tell me what it is that brings you here anyway? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’re nothing but a meanie pants. ” She had a look of anger in her face and her eyes just spelled out disgust at the sight of seeing Rob.
“Is that so? Well I’m here to deliver the mail… and to say this.” He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself composed. “I’m here to say sorry for my actions as being Nova. I didn’t want to be a hero but when you and your friends decide to pull this stunt, it told me I had to intervene. I did and I ended up hurting you… the one I treasure. The one I love. I regret doing it and now I must make amends for my actions. That’s why I’m here. I’m here… to say sorry. That’s it.”
Pinkie listened to him talk and wondered if he was doing it all for the sake of attention. She continued looking on and wondering if he was. “Why should I forgive you? Hmmm? You were a meanie pants trying to hurt us. I don’t think you deserve my forgiveness.”
“Like your friends had done?” He shouted. Pinkie wasn’t aware of this. “I guess you didn’t know.” She was silent as Rob continued. “Twilight and Spike tried to harm me when I went to drop mail for them. Applejack threw rotten apples at me and she said that I'm not welcome on her farm. I don’t know about Rarity because she wasn’t there. At least Sweetie Belle was there and I did what I had to do.”
“Maybe because they don’t want you near them. They all hate you for what you did. We wanted to teach Dashie how a hero should act but you… YOU! You ruined it!” Her shout was heard throughout the room.
“So what if I did. I regret doing it. Why do you think I’m trying to fix this anyway?” Shouted Rob. Pinkie wasn’t amused. “The only person who has forgiven me was Fluttershy.” But the anger turned to sadness. “She understood my pain.”
“You’re just feeling bad because of what you’ve done to us. It won’t work with me!” retorted Pinkie. “I hate you Robbie! I really hate you for what you’ve done! You may live here with me and the Cakes but don’t think you’re getting any goody-goody special treatment… especially from me.”
“I don’t need special treatment.” He responded. “Why do you think the Cakes don’t want to be near you?” He asked her, “Because they know what you did was wrong. I thought you of all ponies would know better that your actions have consequences. Like your friends, you’ve learned nothing.”
But Pinkie didn’t want to hear anymore of what Rob tells her. He then sees her getting her party cannon ready. The Party Cannon is Pinkie Pie’s preferred item of choice. One push of a button turns any area into a place for partying. But this cannon had an added feature and that it doubles as an offensive weapon as well. Pinkie was ready to press the trigger hoping to hurt him. Rob knows that she wouldn’t do it… if she cared for him.
“Do you really want to do this? Twilight, Spike and Applejack tried that already and they can’t even hurt me.” Warned Rob. Pinkie didn’t care. “What makes you think you’ll try?”
Pinkie simply gave him a response. “Because you don’t deserve everything you get. You’re no hero! Not to me or my friends!” He stood there wondering if Pinkie was going to pull it off.
“So what are you waiting for? Do it! If you really hate my guts, then you fire that party cannon at me. We’ll find out what happens from there.” Said Rob.
Both of them were silent not making any moves. Pinkie had her Party Cannon aimed squarely at him. She wanted to make him pay for what he did to her friends. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Mrs. Cake was trotting downstairs to get some sweets ready. Rob, sensing her presence turned to check. This gave Pinkie the opportunity to fire it and she did. But the sound of the party cannon firing caused Rob to turn and see. He didn’t expect this to happen but was prepared anyway.
“Gravimetric Pulse!” Gathering energy, Rob activates a circulated shield that completely absorbs the Party Cannon shot.
Mrs. Cake looked on in horror seeing Pinkie Pie doing something like this to Rob. Seeing her face, she went from afraid to angry in a matter of seconds. This wasn’t going to go well for either of them.
“Well… I never thought you would go and do something like this Pinkie Pie.” Mrs. Cake said. She looked at Pinkie with a serious stare. All Pinkie could do was look in disappointment because of what she did. She then turned to Rob with a normal expression. “Is everything alright, Rob?”
“I’m fine Mrs. Cake. I thank you for your concern. Sadly however, I feel that my presence has made things not very good.” He responded, giving the mail to Mrs. Cake. “I’ll be back tonight. I’m going to head off to Canterlot.”
“Okay. Take care of yourself.” Mrs. Cake gave off a smile as she left. But that turned into disappointment seeing Pinkie with her Party Cannon nearby. “And as for you, I suggest that you clean this mess up. We’re closing for the night and I recommend that you not use that contraption around me. Do you understand?”
Pinkie gave her a nod. Mrs. Cake then went into the kitchen to do some cleaning. Seeing her bark out orders made Pinkie bitter and upset. Rob was treated with a great amount of respect while she wasn’t given anything. It was enough to make her rage but orders are orders.
Darn you Robbie. Darn you! Pinkie saw him trot off hoping to avoid dealing with her. The look she had seeing him leave was filled with hate and repulse.
Rob on the other hand had a much bigger issue at hand. Despite his valiant efforts, almost all his friends have shown nothing but hatred. It was this hatred that made him realize that his friends have learned nothing. Not of humility. Not of what a hero should properly act. Instead, they decided to teach him a lesson of their own. He took their lesson well… to the point where they crossed the line by trying to harm him. After dropping off the mailbag at the Post Office, Rob went Nova and flew off to Canterlot. Reaching the highest floor, he quietly went inside unmasking himself in the process. But something wasn’t right. They weren’t around. He had to be cautious.
I sense someone here. It isn’t Luna… or Celestia. Who is it? Rob kept his bearings. His eyes darted off in different directions. He wanted to see who else was in there.
But his ears caught wind of a light turned on. He quickly turned aiming his hoof at whoever was there. To his shock, he sees a female Pegasus unicorn (or alicorn) that was scared of what he might do. Rob took a deep breath calming him down. He didn’t want her to think that he was an enemy. What Rob saw was a mare who had wings and a horn. She had eyes that were purple with a bit of gray and a mane that was dark violet containing streaks of moderate rose and pale gold. Her coat was cerise that was pale and had a bit of light gray. Her cutie mark was of a teal crystal heart contained in a gold lace. She was startled by Rob’s previous actions. He knew what he had done caused a problem.
“Sorry… I didn’t know you were there. Do I know you?” asked Rob. The mare simply didn’t say anything. His actions somehow startled her. “Have you seen Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? I want to have a word with them.”
He waited for a response but she didn’t get one. This made him feel a bit unease. Seeing that no one was around to hear his plight, he gets himself ready to leave. But then the mare starts to speak. It would soon eventually get his attention.
“W-wait! Don’t leave.” Her voice made him turn around. “Celestia and Luna are at the gardens right now enjoying a view of the stars.”
“They are? I see.” Rob replied, feeling disappointed. “I’m sorry, I forgot to make my introduction. My name is Rob Stallion. It’s a pleasure to meet you miss… ”
“Cadence, Princess Cadence. I’ve heard all about you Rob from my fiancée. Never thought I’d get to meet the hero of Equestria in person.” Cadence chuckled after responding.
“I never thought I’d get to meet the best foalsitter in the history of foalsitters.” He replied. “Twilight told me about that and how much her good times meant to her and you.”
But Rob begins to feel sad. Having heard of this reminds him of something he always remembers. “Is something wrong?” Cadence asked. Rob doesn’t say a word. “You don’t have to be shy. You can tell me. I’m here.”
Rob takes a deep breath and tells Cadence everything. He told her of how Twilight and her friends became Mare Do Well for the sake of teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson on humility. When he found out about it, he took matters into his own hands by becoming a hero himself. As the Blazing Centurion Nova, he was able to outperform Mare Do Well. After uncovering a shocking revelation about Mare Do Well, he decided to issue a challenge to her hoping that she would go for it. She took the challenge and the two heroes ended up facing the Hydra. Nova was victorious. Mare Do Well wasn’t as lucky. He then exposed them and seeing the disgust revealed his identity and giving them a piece of his mind. However, Rob’s actions ended up getting the crowd irked up to the point where they began to hate his friends for what they did to Rainbow Dash. Although everyone in town treated Rob as a hero, he felt guilty due to the actions he committed to his friends. So he took it upon himself by confronting each of them in the hopes that he can fix the troubling friendship he has. But sadly, each of them has expressed disgust toward him making things a lot harder. He has tried for more than a week and despite all the advice he has received, Rob is in a rut. He’s on the verge of giving up and feels that his actions carried huge consequences.
“And that’s about it. That’s what I’m going through right now Princess Cadence.” Rob tries not to cry as he speaks. “I’ve tried. I’ve tried so hard to fix a mess I’ve made… and now I feel that I can’t save the friendship I have. I really can’t.”
Princess Cadence then saw Rob trying to speak but the emotions built up inside him have hit the breaking point. What she saw was something he went through before. He was on his knees crying. The emotions inside him took over making him enter into a depressed state. He smacked the floor with his front hoof. Cadence saw him weep and act like a spoiled child. He was throwing stuff, he was screaming, he was enraged. Everything that he experienced today made him cry even more to the point where he wanted to use the Nova force to tear the room apart. Princess Cadence then went and gave him a hug. Rob had no idea but he felt something strange. It made him stop crying. He then had his hooves around Cadence sharing in the hug.
“Cadence… why?” asked Rob. She didn’t say a word but her hug gave Rob all the answers he need.
A few seconds later, Princesses Celestia and Luna arrived seeing the two in their warm embrace. They stayed quiet hoping not to intrude on them. With their hug over, the two turn to find some very unexpected company. Everyone was quiet not saying a thing to one another. But all of them had smiles seeing that there was an atmosphere filled with happiness. Feeling relieved, Rob went to the two princesses and explained his situation. Within seconds, he provided all the details of what Twilight and her friends have done to him. He saw the looks they had went from happiness to disgust in seconds.
“Are you two alright? Did I say anything wrong?” He asked. Their expressions returned to normal. It worried Rob greatly.
“No, it’s nothing. We are just upset that your friends would shut you out. Despite your efforts, I believe that you have done the right thing. It takes an amazing amount of courage for someone like you to do this.” Replied Celestia. Hearing it made Rob a bit happy.
“I agree with Tia on this Rob. You followed your heart and despite your failed efforts, you have done some good. We are both proud of you.” Luna said.
Rob was pleased after hearing both princesses praise him. However, he is faced with the situation of how his friends have treated him today. His happiness was thrown aside and replaced with a hint of depression. This concerned the three princesses greatly but then one of them had an idea in mind.
“I have a suggestion. If I may, would it be nice if I can foalsit him for a while?” suggested Cadence. Rob was curious by this.
“Foalsit me? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m no little foal. I’m a grown stallion.” He replied.
“But I’ve heard that you don’t have any family. Does it feel hard for you seeing other ponies with their families?” Cadence asked. Rob simply nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll have a great time.”
“I appreciate it Princess Cadence. However, it’s getting late and I have to return back to Ponyville.” Replied Rob. He then looked at the three princesses taking a deep breath in the process. “After much time and thought, I know what I need to do. I hope that this decision I make will be for the better of Equestria. Adieu Princesse Celestia… Princesse Luna.” He then looked at Cadence and said, “Adios Princesa Mi Amore Cadencia.”
Rob gently kissed her hoof and then took a few steps back. Carrying the red starburst in his right front hoof, he placed it on his head transforming into Nova. Heading outside, he flew off into the night hoping that the choice he makes is a good one. The three princesses look on wondering what he’ll do. They only hope that the decision he does is the correct one. Flying to Cloudsdale, he heads to the spare room Rainbow Dash prepared for him. Taking out a quill and a sheet of paper, he got to work on a letter. His eyes showed a sense of determination. He wanted to put an end to this mess he’s in… and he knows how to do it in the only way possible.
To the citizens of Ponyville,
Over the past few days, my heroic endeavors have brought me more than simply praise. My actions brought about shame to several ponies I know. Even as I write this, I am wrought with grief over the sins I’ve committed. Sins that have been caused by my own front hooves. I have thought long and hard about this decision I plan to make. I have sought advice from every pony I knew whether young or old. They have helped me make a decision that I feel is the right one.
Tomorrow at high noon, I, Rob Stallion will make this announcement be known to everyone in Equestria. The only thing I hope is that my decision will make things better not just for me but also for all of us. This is something I must do. Something I feel I have to do. I will see you all there.
Sincerely,
Rob Stallion
With his letter done, he becomes Nova once more and travels to Town Hall. Once he delivered it, he flew off once more into the night. Everything was in place. The stage was set and he knew the audience would be there to hear his words. He only wished that his friends would be there to see it. Reaching Cloudsdale once more, he went back to the spare room to get some shuteye. Tomorrow was a big day not just for him but also for everypony in Ponyville, maybe even everypony in Equestria.
The next morning… 11:55 AM
“Mayor Mare! Mayor Mare! You need to see this.” Spoke an assistant. “We got a letter from Rob Stallion. I think that you may want to read this.”
Mayor Mare takes the letter and begins to read it. The assistant nearby looked on wondering what it said. A few seconds had passed and the Mayor’s look was of shock. Her assistant wondered what was going on.
“Is everything alright ma’am? What does it say?” He said. Mayor Mare was simply silent, having read what was said.
She then looked at her assistant and replied, “I believe what I’ve just read is going to shock everypony in town. No not just Ponyville… but all of Equestria. I want this announcement made. Everypony outside at Town Hall at high noon today.”
“But ma’am. Why at high noon? Does it relate what Rob plans to say?” He replied. The mayor was silent nodding at him. “I… I understand. I’ll get to it right away mayor.”
Her assistant was already at work getting things set up. The mayor however, was more worried about Rob. Since the past week, he wasn’t feeling as happy as he used to be. Was it his actions by exposing his friends the cause of it? Only he knows the answers. All Mayor Mare tried to figure out was what he plans to do.
Rob. I had no idea your actions would bring about displeasure? Whatever it is you plan to tell everypony… I hope you know what you’re doing. Mayor Mare thought, letting off a sigh.
Celestia’s sun was shone over Equestria reaching what appears to be the afternoon. In the town of Ponyville, everypony was talking about the sudden announcement Rob had planned. No one knew what it was going to be except for him. Twilight was entering Sugarcube Corner to get something to eat when she encountered Pinkie Pie. The two looked to see if he was around. Fortunately, he wasn’t. He had other plans in mind.
“Hey Pinkie Pie, what’s up?” Asked Twilight Sparkle. “I’m here to get some sweets for me and Spike. Think you can help?”
“Sure thing Twilight. I’d be happy to help.” Replied Pinkie. She happily bounced her way to the kitchen getting to work on making some sweets.
Twilight then sees a newspaper nearby on another table. Taking a look, it had the words “Shocking Announcement at High Noon! What Does Rob Stallion Plan to Say?” The sight of seeing even his name made Twilight feel bitter with disgust. Since the challenge that occurred more than a week ago, everypony hated Twilight and her friends for their actions. They were humiliated in front of the entire town because of him. As a result, everyone all over town treated Twilight and her friends harshly. Many of the citizens showed their disrespect by doing a variety of things such as name calling, throwing random stuff and even the silent treatment. With an angry look on her face, she took the newspaper, tore it up and threw everything in the nearby garbage bag. At least for her, she didn’t want to have anything to do with Rob. Pinkie Pie then came by with a bag full of baked goods ready for her friend.
“Here ya go Twilight. Some delicious sweets made for you and Spike that’ll make you happy all over. Oh and that’ll be 6 bits please.” Pinkie said. Twilight handed her the bits.
“Thank you Pinkie Pie. Spike and I will really enjoy it for sure.” Replied Twilight. Before she leaves, Pinkie had one other thing to say.
“Oh, by the way. You heard on the newspaper that something big is happening? I’m going to Town Hall and see. Want to come?” asked Pinkie. Twilight turned around turning her smile upside down.
“I’m not interested Pinkie. If it has to do with him, I want no part in it.” She replied. This made Pinkie a bit sad. “But if you really want me to go, I’ll do it. I could care less on what he has to say.”
“Awesome. Everypony is going to be there… but whatever he has to say, I still think of him as a big fat meanie. A meanie to the end.” Pinkie retorted. She was angry as well like Twilight.
“I agree Pinkie. We all do.” Twilight said giving Pinkie some needed comfort. “I got to go. Thanks for making these. Spike and I will really enjoy them.” She waved at Pinkie as she trotted off.
But Pinkie’s sight was now seen on several ponies heading to Town Hall. The announcement that Rob had planned would finally be revealed. Within seconds, all of the townsfolk had been gathered. But what was noticeable was that many of them including the young colts and mares were wearing Nova related merchandise. Since Nova became the hero of all Equestria, retail relating to him was made to please the youth. The kids simply obtained whatever they could get their hands on. In addition, a Nova fan club was created where young fillies and colts talk and reminisce about Nova’s great exploits. They looked up to him. They idolized him. They follow his example. But would they be able to look up to their hero after today? Everypony became silent for Mayor Mare took up the podium.
“Citizens of Ponyville, I thank you all for coming to this event. This is really hard for me to say because I can’t find the right words for this.” Mayor Mare took a deep breath before she continued. “Last night, I have received a letter stating that our great hero wishes to make an important announcement. I don’t know what it is but I feel I want to address this with everyone.”
But the sound of someone flying at light speed caught the Mayor’s eye. The townsfolk look up to see Nova, the Blazing Centurion arriving. Everypony was cheering for him showing the appreciation that a hero deserves. Nova saw all the young ponies wearing things relating to him. He couldn’t help but smile. However, he had something that needed to be done. Landing on the stage near Mayor Mare, the two shared a brohoof.
“Here he is everypony. Give a big round of applause to the Blazing Centurion, Nova!” Everypony continued cheering for Nova. It was something he liked to see.
“Thank you. Thank you everypony. I appreciate the praise. I really do.” The crowd got silent. Nova was nervous doing this but feels that he has no choice. “Before I make my announcement, I like to say thank you to everypony here who has been there and supporting me in my endeavors as Equestria’s protector. However, I wish to address something to everypony here.”
Nova took off his helmet revealing himself to be Rob Stallion, Equestria’s freelancing pony. The look in his eyes was one of confliction and regret. Mayor Mare noticed this right away. She knows that this was going to be big trouble.
“Even though my heroic efforts brought me praise, it has also caused controversy. There are a group of ponies here that hate what I’ve done. Ironic because it’s the same that I have humiliated almost two weeks ago. My own friends who you now show hate towards. I am to blame for all of this.” Everypony wondered what he was saying. Suddenly, somepony got a chance to speak hoping to make Rob ease off his pain.
“You shouldn’t worry about them. Those losers don’t know how a true hero like you should act.” A stallion said. Others agreed with him causing Rob to get really nervous.
“Even so, those ponies were people I’ve hurt. I hurt them because of my actions and everyday, this eats away inside me. Even as I talk, I feel guilty for the sins I have committed against them. I have spent days seeking advice from many far and wide hoping to find a solution to this mess. Many who I spoke to gave me proper advice and I take their advice to heart. Whether it be someone as young as this fellow here…” He got a look at a young colt named Featherweight who smiled. “Or to even someone as esteemed as Princesa Mi Amore Cadenza, they all helped me out very much. Unfortunately, I have made my decision on this matter.”
Everyone wondered what his decision was. Rob then got a look at Twilight and the others who had just arrived. Rainbow Dash wasn’t there. This worried him greatly. He then had a calm look on his face and was ready.
“And so it is with great concern that I, Robert Lightning Stallion…” His face went from worry to seriousness in a split second. “Am calling it quits. I’m sorry but I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.”
In an instant, everyone in Ponyville was at an uproar. Rob Stallion quitting? They thought it was a bad dream. It’s a shame that it’s real. He walked off with helmet in tow hoping not to deal with this anymore. But he soon got the attention of Twilight and her friends. It was something that he wanted to avoid but couldn’t.
“You think that quitting your job is going to make us forgive you Rob? You really are pathetic.” Said Twilight. Everypony next to her had looks of anger. They wanted to get a piece of him. Even Spike wanted a piece of him too.
“You really don’t understand Twilight. None of you do. I didn’t like humiliating you guys. I really didn’t. When you pulled that Mare Do Well stunt, I had to do something. I didn’t like what you did to Dashie!” He replied. His face began to shed tears. Everyone in town heard the conversation between both sides.
“We did what we had to do. We wanted to teach her that a hero should act with humility and grace, not with boasting like a complete jerk.” Said Twilight. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’re the jerk around here.”
“Yeah! You don’t deserve forgiveness from anypony. Not even us.” Spoke Applejack. “You’re not welcome on mah farm no more!”
“I heard everything from Sweetie Belle. As much as I want to forgive you… I can’t. I really can’t Rob. You really did something that is hurtful to everypony.” Replied Rarity. Hearing this was going to make things worse from Rob.
“You’re a meanie. I hate you! I really hate you! You won’t be going to my parties anymore!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “I don’t even want to see you ever again. We’re through.” This struck a chord through Rob’s torn heart.
“We’re not friends anymore Rob. You hurt Twilight and I hate people who hurt my friends. You’re lucky I can’t hurt you because if you didn’t have those flashy powers then I would make sure you would pay.” Replied Spike.
But there was one who didn’t say a word. It was Fluttershy. Rob knew very well that he had gotten forgiveness from her. Twilight went to her and gave a nudge. She wanted to make sure Rob would pay for everything he did to them.
“Go on Fluttershy. Tell Rob what you have to say.” Told Twilight. Rob was prepared for whatever she had to tell him. All he could do at the moment was gulp.
“I… I… I forgive him.” Twilight and the others looked on in shock hearing this. Rob knew because she was the one who gave him forgiveness. “I forgive Rob for what he did to me and all of you.”
“Fluttershy… why of all ponies do you forgive this stallion? Do you know that because of him, everypony hates us? They don’t want to be near us! They humiliate us! Why oh why would you do that?” shouted Twilight. This wasn’t going to go well for Fluttershy or Rob.
“Because… um, because I have felt his pain. I saw him hurt badly by this. I… I had to do something. I did what I could do. And because of that, I forgave him.” Fluttershy replied. She knew what she was doing.
“Well we haven’t. We hate Rob for what he did and we’re happy he’s quitting. Maybe this way we don’t have to deal with his stupid heroics.” Twilight said. The others except Fluttershy agreed with her.
“Then I have nothing to say to you all. Nothing. Maybe this is for the best.” Rob said, getting ready to trot off. But the sound of a rainbow making Pegasus prevented him from moving any further.
“What are you doing Rob!? Quitting!? No! Don’t quit!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She made it in the nick of time but was too late to hear the announcement.
“I’m sorry Dashie but I have no choice. Your friends (save for one) made me feel uncomfortable. Though I am a hero to the eyes of everypony, I can’t do this if my friends decide to act like this to me. That’s why I’m quitting. I’m done. I’m sorry.” Rob said.
Rainbow Dash tried her hardest to dissuade him. “But you can’t quit! You’re a hero to everypony here! You don’t need them! You can be a hero without them! We all believe in you! Please! Don’t do this.”
Before Rob could say anything else, a sound was heard throughout the entire town. It was a terrifying sound… a sound that would drive anyone to run and hide. Everypony became silent while at the same time, afraid. Rob knew who or what it was that would do something like this.
“You got to be kidding me. Not again.” He whispered. It was then the hydra appeared. There was something different about it.
It was stronger than ever. It’s four heads felt like they were in unison attacking whatever in its way. It’s tail attacked viciously like a whip tearing apart a few buildings. Rob thought that sending it flying far away would help protect the town. Guess he was wrong… very wrong.
“It’s back! The hydra’s back!” shouted a mare. Everypony was scared of what it would do. Rob was more concerned with the hydra. It has gotten vicious meaning this isn’t going to be like last fight. This time it was real.
“I guess I have enough for one more fight.” He puts the starburst on his head and in an instant transformed into Nova. “But after this, I no longer wish to be a hero.”
He then dashed straight for the hydra hoping for an opening gambit. He succeeds but the hydra retaliates with a vicious swipe. The force of the blow sent him flying to a nearby house. Rob felt pain all over his body as he tried to get himself back up. He felt a crack in his back as he stretched and boy, it hurt really well.
Dang that hurt! Could it be that the hydra has gotten stronger? This can’t be good. Nova got himself ready to attack again.
Dashing straight toward the hydra, he fired a few energy blasts at it. They forced it back a bit but he was unable to drive it off completely. Everypony in town saw the hydra attack viciously with its four heads. Nova evades some of its heads but one hit its mark striking Rob on the side. The recoil from the hit forced him to move off balance. It gave the hydra what he needed to attack. It used its other three heads to strike back. Nova suffered each blow left and right. The pain was intense, he knew his body may not be able to handle it but continued to fight on. With one more blow, Nova was sent flying and he landed at Sugarcube Corner. The force of the impact caused most of the top portion to crease over and collapse hitting the ground. Everypony was horrified seeing Nova get taken out by the enraged hydra. He got up reeling from the pain. His armor was taking damage and his helmet had cracks. Blood started coming out of his mouth but he used his front hoof to clean it off. He was breathing heavily hoping that whatever energy he had would be enough to take out the hydra.
Got to keep going. I can’t let it destroy the town! He then raced at the hydra going for his signature Pony Rocket attack. It lets him hit light speed in a matter of seconds giving him the strength to do damage.
But the hydra was smart. It knew he’d pull it off but wasn’t expecting him to do it so soon. Nova was able to get a few good hits but it retaliated with a combined head attack. Using all four heads, he was able to veer Nova off course having him crash on a nearby house. The town wondered if he would be able to beat the hydra but judging how the fight was going, it wasn’t going to last much longer.
“Come on Nova, you can do this! Don’t let that hydra push you around!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Her single shout started to bring motivation to the citizens.
Within seconds, voices were heard from everypony from the young who idolize him to the old who respect him. Even though he knew that it was a losing battle, something inside was telling Nova to keep going.
Can’t… give up. I can’t… I can’t give up. I have… so much worth fighting for. Nova struggled to get up but the pain was too much for him to bear.
He tried getting up using every ounce of strength he had. Nova succeeded but his body was unable to keep going. The pain was intense. It drove him crazy. Whatever energy he had was keeping him from collapsing. Nova saw the hydra heading straight for him. It wanted to finish the job. The hydra then smacked him again. He was sent flying to another building… this time, it was Town Hall but the damage was pretty minor. Because of that last strike, Nova was on the verge of collapse. He had no energy to fight back. Not even to fire a blast to drive the hydra off.
I can’t move… the pain is too much. I can’t do this! He tried to turn slightly causing him to be on his back.
He lifted his front hoof using whatever energy he had left. His body was beat, his armor was damaged and his helmet had cracks due to the damage he sustained. For only a brief second, he heard the cries of everypony in town. For some reason, it was giving him the energy to keep going. However, it wasn’t enough. Not enough for him. He needed something more.
“Power… I need more power.” He closed his eyes and began to build up power inside him. I must stop the hydra… I must protect my home… I must SAVE… MY… FAMILY!
It was then that his battered body was suddenly engulfed in a bright aura. Instead of pain, he felt something different… something calm and serene. But then the aura began to pulse out a strange energy. Responding to Nova’s cry, the pulse began to intensify in strength. In Canterlot, Princess Celestia was trotting through the castle. As she was going to reach her room, her sister Princess Luna appeared. The look on her face tells that something big was happening.
“Sister, something is happening in the Elemental Chamber.” Luna said. This had Celestia concerned with worry.
“What do you mean? Is something happening to the Elements of Harmony?” Celestia replied. Luna nodded. This wasn’t good. “Let’s go sister.”
The two head to the Elemental Chamber where the Elements of Harmony were stored. Although Rob and the Mane Six wield brooches that represent their spirits, the Elements were actually seven colored gems. Each gem represented a specific element. For example the white gem represented the Element of Will. As the two sisters arrived at the chamber, they saw the seven gems reacting violently. The look on their faces saw that it was a bad sign all around.
“What’s happening Tia? Why are they acting like this?” Luna asked. Celestia was silent as she saw the seven gems moving about erratically. “Sister?”
The Elements shouldn’t act like this. I sense rage, anger and sorrow coming from them. Whatever is happening out there, I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. She continued watching the Elements act strangely.
But what they saw changed everything. Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony disappeared. Celestia and Luna looked on in shock seeing them vanish out of the blue. Luna was left speechless while Celestia saw it in a serious manner. Back at Ponyville, Nova was still engulfed in the aura of light. He then saw the seven Elements of Harmony appear before him. One by one, they encircled him. They heard his plea and have gathered ready to hear his beck and call.
Sacred Elements of Harmony, give me the power… the power to save my family. I need it now more than ever. Rob spoke mentally inside the suit. The Elements responded by glowing brightly. But there was a bigger problem at hand. The hydra was heading close and his body may not be able to withstand much more.
“Warning. Nova Force is incompatible with unknown power source. Recommendation: Deny interaction. Warning. Nova Force incompatible with unknown energy.” The sound of a computerized voice was heard inside Rob’s mind. Was it an omen? Rob didn’t care about it at all.
“Computer. Override warning. I can’t… I can’t let something like this stop me. I need more power.” Nova said. He was ready to take this chance.
“Warning. Power levels critical. Interaction with unknown source will decrease survival rate. Probability of survival after battle: 5%.” It responded. Rob was ready to take that catch.
“Override warning. Time to show this monster true harmony.” He then closed his eyes as the Elements of Harmony went to work.
The seven gems glowed in a bright light transforming into brooches carrying the cutie marks of all 7 wielders of harmony. With a pulse from his mind, they turned into pieces of armor. Honesty and Loyalty became the shoulder parts, Generosity and Kindness became the knee parts, Laughter and Will became the arm parts and Magic had turned upside down forming the chest. All of the armor connected with his and he underwent a glorious transformation. The transformation engulfed his body and a second later he raced at high speed toward the hydra. It continued tearing the town asunder and everypony was running for their lives. But one who continued to believe was there watching and praying.
“What are you doing Rainbow Dash? You got to run! It’s not safe for you or anypony!” shouted a stallion. She kept watching and hoping.
I’m not running away. Nova told me never to run away. To be a hero is to never run from a threat like this. Thought Rainbow Dash. She got a look at the hydra having a determined face.
The hydra saw Rainbow Dash looking at it as if she wanted to fight it. It went closer to her ready to give her a beat down. Before it could however, something came out of nowhere delivering a fatal blow. The blow forced it back making the monster yell out in pain. Another blow forced it back even more. The hydra was already in pain from two powerful strikes. Rainbow Dash got a look at who did it and was shocked at what she saw. It was Nova but he was also wielding a sacred, legendary armor. There were many legends relating to the Elements of Harmony and how a power like this could exist. But there was a rumor that when the seven Elements of Harmony are gathered around somepony who carries will in their heart, they would turn into a sacred armor that gives them the power to protect those that matter. This was the Harmony Armor, a sacred armor that is powered by the seven Elements of Harmony. Rainbow Dash looked on seeing him in this state. It was something that got her curious.
“Is… is that you Nova?” Rainbow Dash asked. He didn’t say a word. She got a good look and saw he was filled with power. “My god… what are you?”
“I am a warrior that carries the power of both harmony and the universe.” His voice was deep due to the massive amount of energy inside his body. “I am Prime… Harmony Nova Prime!”
The look of anger coming from Nova scared Rainbow Dash. It’s as if he was on his last legs and he pulled something out of the blue. Turning toward the hydra, Nova raced toward the hydra and delivered two strikes. The first strike was for its chest and the second, at its head. It reeled in pain beginning to lose his balance. He realizes that the Hydra would return and cause more trouble for everypony. That’s when Nova decided that something needed to be done.
I don’t have much time. I can only sustain this form for about a minute. After that, I need to expel out both energies. He then realizes that there’s only one way to deal with this menaced monstrosity.
He races toward the monster but in an unexpected twist, he goes under the ground and reappears holding onto the hydra from the bottom. Grabbing it by its tail, Nova goes full throttle hitting 0 to 180 in 6.5 seconds. There wasn’t much time for him. Every second wasted leads one step closer to the inevitable. He kicked it into high gear going faster all while dragging that monster higher into the sky. Everyone in Ponyville wondered what would happen next. Even Rainbow Dash wondered. Reaching high enough, Nova threw the hydra way up reaching the outskirts of space. He then quickly followed and got a good look at the monster. At this point, it was ready to roar out at Nova again. But he wanted to make sure it wouldn’t hurt Ponyville or anypony again.
“Now you’re on my battlefield… time to end this!” Gathering all the energy inside of him, he prepped out in his mind the strongest attack he can think of. “Power of the Nova Force… Super Nova!!!” Shouting loudly, he expels out all the energy he can muster striking the hydra.
The Super Nova came in the form of a large circulated orb that covered Nova but pushed the hydra back. Due to its large size, it was able to easily withstand the Super Nova. Nova realizes that a Super Nova of that size won’t be able to send it away. He decides instead to amplify the Super Nova causing it to increase in size. But even though he was using every ounce of power he had to strength his attack, it was soon going to take a toll on him. Within seconds, the Super Nova that he unleashed was amplified almost to the size of a planet. The screams of the hydra flying off into the cosmos were heard in the vast emptiness that was outer space. Seeing his job done, he let out a smile. It was something that made him pleased.
Good. Now it’ll never bring harm to my home again. But then things began to sink in. He was being pulled into the planet’s gravitational field.
The Harmony Armor began to fade due to the limitations of Harmony Nova Prime. He felt weak, drained of his power and now all that he’ll find when he hits home would be nothing but a painful one. He didn’t care. He was happy to complete what he did. He had no regrets. Back in Ponyville, everyone was cheering as Nova did it. Nova had saved the town yet again from the hydra. Rainbow Dash cheered like there was no tomorrow. It was a moment of happiness, a moment of reprieve. She went airborne and pulled off a Sonic Rainboom celebrating this epic occasion.
“Nova did it! Nova is the true hero for all Equestria!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew off into the sky above.
As she did though, she catches the sight of something falling. Looking at it hard enough, it was Nova. Her look of happiness was replaced with fear. She saw that he was heading down at an alarmingly fast pace. Racing with everything she had, Rainbow Dash hoped that she could save him. Unfortunately, he was heading down like an asteroid hitting Earth’s atmosphere. She wouldn’t be able to save him.
“Hang on Nova! I’ll save you. I know I will!” She hoped to keep up but wasn’t able to. But then, something happened.
Out of nowhere, a chariot flew over the Ponyville sky. It reached out and grabbed Nova before he hit the ground. Rainbow Dash was relieved seeing him safe. The cheers that covered the town were replaced with silence as they saw it land nearby. What they saw was Princess Celestia who used her magic to save Nova. Everypony saw him as he was now. His uniform was damaged. It had rips all over and some of them showed serious bruises. His helmet had already been split open revealing a beaten Rob Stallion. Rainbow Dash raced to where Celestia was. She wondered if he would be okay.
“Princess Celestia.” She bowed before the Princess as a show of gratitude. “Is Rob going to be okay?”
Celestia couldn’t say anything. Her only response was that her eyes closed and looking displeased. This wasn’t good. Rainbow Dash got to see Rob and saw the damage that affected his entire body. It was a sad sight to see. Everypony got a look as well. They were horrified by what they saw.
“Rob. Please tell me you’ll be okay. Please.” Asked Rainbow Dash. Water began to come out of her eyes.
“So… Did I… did I do it?” He asked her. Dashie responded with a nod and a smile. Rob let off a smile as well. “Good. Then… it’s done. Finally.”
Rob’s body was at a battered state. Using the power of Harmony Nova Prime had drained him considerably. Made worse were the injuries he suffered because of the Hydra made it life threatening. He couldn’t even move a muscle. He was at least able to turn to see his friends’… friends that he hurt with his own actions. He hoped that he had enough to tell them something of great importance. The five went closer hoping to see him. All of them had looks of shock and worry on their faces. Pinkie felt the worse seeing that the person she loved might end up gone from this world.
“Listen… I didn’t want to do this. I really didn’t. But I ended up doing it anyway. All I… I want… all I want to say… is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry… for hurting you.” He then slightly turned to Pinkie. “Especially you. I’m very sorry Pinkie. Can you all… forgive me?”
The five couldn’t say anything. All they could do was nod at him. It was a sign saying that they forgave him. Although it was way too late, to Rob it was something that made him feel relieved. He then turned to a tearful Rainbow Dash who was trying not to let out her emotions. Seeing her like this was something Rob didn’t like to see.
“Don’t cry Dashie… it’s alright. Listen to me.” She stopped crying and listened. “A hero is someone… someone that does deeds out of the… goodness of someone’s heart. And they do it not for praise… but for kindness. The kindness of others.”
“I… I know that. You told me so. You told me how a hero should act. You told me everything.” Rainbow Dash replied, trying not to cry.
“But you forgot… forgot two important r-rules. A hero is not afraid… to risk their own life to save others. And last but not… least.” He coughed a bit and started feeling weak. “A hero shouldn’t let things like friendship get in the way… of what things really matter. Things like friendship should be saved… for other things. Remember it well.”
“I will. I promise that if I do become a hero again, I… I will take your advice. We all will. So please… let us help you. We can get you back on your feet.” Asked Rainbow Dash. Sadly, it wouldn’t happen.
“It’s too late for me… my body is too weak. I feel… I feel at ease. I see a light… a light at the end of this road. Promise me everypony that you’ll… protect this world. Will you?” He asked them. The six nodded despite the tensions that they all have. “Good.”
He then looks up to Celestia and smiles seeing that his time has come. Suddenly, he felt the last of his strength draining away. And then... he let out his last breath and that was it. Everypony was silent seeing this happen. Made worse was that the young fillies and colts watching this. They all saw Rob Stallion’s last words and his passing. The emotions boil over as Rainbow Dash let them out. She cried next to Rob’s lifeless body hugging it tightly. Within seconds, everypony joined in. Pinkie especially hugging Rob’s lifeless head and yelling out ‘I’m sorry Robbie.’ Celestia tried to hold back her tears but couldn’t. She joined in. It became a moment filled with tragedy. What started as a day where a hero would finally put his helmet away for good ended in the worst day ever for all of Equestria. It would be a moment that no pony would ever forget or ever will forget.
A few days later…
Days had passed since Rob’s passing and everyone was still filled with grief. The news of Rob’s death spread throughout Equestria like wildfire. Everyone was heartbroken over this loss. Ponyville suffered the worst because it was the moment where he risked his life to save everyone. The town had begun the slow process of recovering but it would take them a very long time to heal. A funeral was held to honor his memory. Many ponies that knew and befriended him provided their thoughts on how great he was. Even ponies like the Great and Powerful Trixie provided a eulogy. Although she barely knew him, she had a high amount of respect toward him. After everything was done, Rob was finally laid to rest. It was a sad yet tearful moment for everypony in Equestria. Princess Celestia looked upon Twilight and her friends. All of them including the twin princesses had looks of anguish looking down in sadness. What caught her eye was Pinkie. She suffered the worst for a good reason. Celestia knew of the relationship between Rob and her. She felt like she got a look into true despair. It made her shudder.
“Girls…” said Princess Celestia. “This is hard for me to say but I want you all to know that none of you are to blame for what happened. Rob did what he felt was right for Equestria. His sacrifice saved Ponyville.”
“My sister has a point.” Princess Luna affirmed. “Rob’s… ‘passing’ is not the fault of any one of you. I’m pretty sure you all would’ve done the same if you were in his position.”
They all were silent, nodding dejectedly at Luna’s words. But Rainbow was muttering something under her breath. It caught Celestia’s eye.
“Is something wrong Rainbow?” asked Celestia.
The sky blue Pegasus looked up at her. She carried a mix of sorrow and anger on her face. “Yeah, you got that right.” She then began to yell in a broken voice. “If it wasn’t for those ponies!” She then pointed to Twilight and the others. “If it wasn’t for them, Rob wouldn’t have to die like that and everything would be alright!’
“Rainbow, I know you are hurt but like I said, they are not to blame for…” Princess Celestia said.
“Let me finish!” Rainbow ordered. “It’s because of them… what my so called ‘friends’ have done that has got Rob killed! If they would have came and told me about my boasting instead of pulling this garbage, none of this would have happened. Their ‘lesson’ now got the greatest hero of all Equestria taken from us! Rob is never coming back. NEVER!”
“Calm thyself Rainbow Dash.” Said Princess Luna. “We all are feeling sorrow from this loss. Twilight and her friends didn’t really kill him.”
“Yeah but they drove him to do it!” Her feelings were reaching a fever pitch. “Ever since they did this Mare Do Well act, everything went downhill! Not just for me but also for him! I was humiliated… I was backstabbed… but when Rob revealed the truth and humiliated them, he was hurt. Hurt because he felt guilty for his actions! And now he’s dead! I don’t need friends who do this to me or anypony!”
The rest of the Mane 6 were shocked after hearing this from Rainbow Dash. For simply a few seconds, they saw her at her worst state. But one of them decided to get some words out and they weren’t gong to be good.
“Is that so? Well if it wasn’t for you and your bucking boasting then none of this wouldn’t have happened!” The lilac unicorn shouted tearfully. “You’re still no better than when you were when you acted like Trixie!”
But hearing that caught the attention of the Great and Powerful unicorn. “Trixie would never do something like this!” Trixie exclaimed in anger. “You dare to call Trixie a jerk? You all should take a look in a mirror!”
“I agree with Trixie!” A stallion shouted. “She at least has the decency to not resort to this!”
“I’d rather have Trixie come help me out then deal with you jerks again!” Another stallion shouted.
Suddenly, everypony that was in the funeral began to express disgust toward the Mane 6. Name calling, item tossing, anything they did ended up making them look worse.
Rainbow responded to Twilight in a manner that wasn’t pleasant. “So what if I was?! At least Trixie knew when not to boast. You… you’re nothing more than a hypocritical little... ” The look on Celestia’s face was filled with shock after she heard Rainbow say that. “In fact, all of you are hypocrites for doing this! Doing this to not just me but to Rob too.”
Hearing this shocked Twilight and her friends to the point where she was angry with Rainbow Dash. Angry that she would stoop this low and say it in her face no less. The tension between the six was reaching a fever high pitch and it was about to get worse. Twilight had the backing of her friends who looked at Rainbow Dash in anger. Now the friendship that all six of them had was about to break apart really fast.
“I don’t need you or anypony. I don’t need you guys anymore. I’m done! As of right now, this friendship is OVER!” She then looked at Princess Celestia and Luna, still carrying tears in her eyes. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna… forgive me but I don’t want to be with these lame ponies anymore! They make me sick!”
Twilight and the others were all taken aback after hearing this. They hadn’t heard somepony call another pony lame since Gilda came into town more than a year ago.
“You all can go to Tartars for all I care! I don’t need you. I never needed you and I regret making that Sonic Rainboom! We’re done! I don’t want to see ANY of you ever again!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Before any pony could say anything else, Rainbow Dash flew off to parts unknown. Her emotions took over seeing that her friends have hurt not just her but Rob in the worst way possible. She wanted to honor his memory by being a hero. However, she didn't need her friends to do it. She no longer felt loyal to them and decided to be loyal to herself. What she didn’t know was that after she left, Twilight and her friends began to insult her. Many names were called and they even cursed out her name.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” A voice boomed out.
Everypony was silent after hearing that. Twilight and the others turned to see a rather frightening image. It was Princess Celestia that had a very stern yet terrifying look. Her eyes narrowed looking upon everypony. The five felt something inside their stomachs twist as they looked on.
“I’ve heard more than enough out of all of you. I didn’t want to get myself involved for I thought you all would settle this peacefully. But now I have no choice.” Princess Celestia said in a tone that was harsh, brutal and commanding. “I’ve heard about what you all had done over the past couple of weeks!”
“P… Princess, what do you mean?” Twilight asked. She said so in a small yet whimpering voice.
“Rob has told Luna and I everything. He told us about your ‘lesson’ to Rainbow Dash and how you all acted after he revealed himself to be Nova. You threatened him, shut him out and even went as far as injure him!”
Twilight and the others bowed down looking on in fear and carrying looks of regret. They realized that they were in the wrong all along.
“All of you were chosen as the Elements of Harmony for a reason! You each represented the elements and maintained harmony throughout Equestria. This is NOT how I ever expected the elements, especially my faithful student, to act in this manner!” shouted Celestia.
“But Princess… you don’t understand.” Twilight replied. She still was afraid but had to explain her reason. “Rainbow was acting way out of control with her boasting. To make matters worse, Rob ruined our plan with what he did! We just wanted to teach Rainbow Dash that being a hero doesn’t mean you could boast!”
“What about each of you? Rainbow Dash may boast because of her heroics but you all boast because of how good your talents are. For example… Rarity, you boasted on how elegant your wings were during the young fliers competition. But when you were in trouble, who was there to save you?” Celestia asked.
“It… it was Rainbow Dash who saved me.” Rarity replied, looking on in embarrassment over the incident.
“As I thought. You all are no different than Rainbow Dash when it comes to showing off your endeavors to others. All of you should be ashamed for your actions!” said Celestia, speaking in a disgusted and upset manner.
“So thy plan was to humiliate Rainbow!?” spoke Princess Luna in her Royal Canterlot voice. “We heard from Rob about your taunting toward Rainbow for she was angered by this Mare Do Well! Tell me this Twilight Sparkle, was she laughing along or not!?”
The group didn’t say a word. They cowered to the ground shaking violently and forming tears in their eyes. Princess Celestia looked down at each of them hoping to get their attention.
“I want all of you to look at me… right now.” The white alicorn said in a cold tone.
The group look up to see her giving them a very cold glare, filled with anger and disappointment.
“All of you should be ashamed for what you’ve done. You all decided to put your friendship aside for something as pathetic as pride. This is not how I ever wanted to see any of you act. You all turned your friendship into a competition for foolish pride… and you all destroyed it. You destroyed it all by yourselves!”
Princess Celestia then looked at Twilight, who was on the verge of crying. It was hard for her to say it but felt that she had little choice.
“Twilight Sparkle…” She spoke carrying a mix of coldness and disappointment. “I’m afraid I have no choice for what you have done.”
“Huh? What… what do you mean?” She asked in a cracked voice.
“Your plan to do all of this and your poor judgment has cost us the death of Rob Stallion and Rainbow Dash leaving you all. For your actions…” Princess Celestia tried to compose herself as she said this. “I have no choice. Twilight Sparkle, as of this moment on, you are hereby expelled as my student.”
Twilight felt her heart stop and her jaw drop after hearing Celestia say this. The thought of being expelled has left her in a state of shock. Her knees buckled and collapsed toward the ground. The others didn’t say a word looking at each other in complete disbelief.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you this Twilight.” Said Princess Celestia. She had a look on her face that was filled with pain. “But you have failed me. You have done more than just fail me… you destroyed my trust I had to you. It would be best that you never come to me or my sister ever again.” She then looked at all five of them with anger. “You five as well as Spike are banned from entering Canterlot grounds… I can’t trust any of you to even be around me ever again.”
She then walked over to her sister who was also angry. Shedding a tear, she looked at Twilight once more and whispered, “I’m sorry Twilight… but this is for the best.” She then looked at Luna. “Come along now Luna. Let’s find somepony to be your faithful student along with mine.”
The two alicorns’ horns glowed, and in a flash, teleported off back to Canterlot. Twilight looked on in pain as she took in the words said by her now former mentor. She began to realize that all of this was her fault. Everything that had occurred was all her fault. Mare Do Well, Ponyville being angry towards them, Rob’s death and Rainbow’s desertion. To make matters worse was her betraying everything Princess Celestia taught her about friendship. Now she was alone… but then things were going to get worse.
“You really let me down Twilight.” The voice of her brother, Shining Armor was heard. Twilight turned to see her brother and Princess Cadence looking on in anger. “You really did. I never thought you’d stoop this low to do this. I don’t think you deserve to be my LSBFF anymore.” Hearing that got everypony in town curious as to what that meant.
Shining Armor reassured everypony by saying, “If you don’t know what that means, its Little Sister Best Friend Forever.” The town responded by saying “Oh, okay. It’s cool.”
Hearing that from her own brother made her experience a bigger shock. She saw her brother looking toward her in anger. Cadence was there as well and didn’t like what she was seeing. He then looked at Spike who also felt saddened by this.
“And I’m disappointed in you Spike. You knew what Twilight did yet you didn’t take Rob’s side. Why?” He asked him. Spike refused to say a word. Though he wasn’t involved in the Mare Do Well incident, he felt guilty for not listening to Rob, his own best friend. “You all deserve every bit of hate for what you did to him and Rainbow Dash. Twilight, you are my LSBFF no more. I don’t ever want to see you ever again.”
He then turns to Cadence and nods. The two already trotted off hoping to never see Twilight or the others again. Twilight buried her head in her hooves and began to cry hysterically. It was all too much for her to take. She wanted to think of it as a bad dream but couldn’t get out of it. Her world began to collapse around her. Nothing mattered anymore.
“Don’t worry Twi… it’s going to be okay.” Applejack whispered.
She tried to comfort Twilight but saw her friend get up and turn around. She then bolted past her friends with her crying echo throughout the graveyard. With tears falling down her face, she ran off into town. The group watched her head to town to most likely lock herself in the library. Along the way, the sounds of Ponyville’s townsfolk were heard as words of hate and disgust were said toward them.
“Murderers!” shouted one stallion.
“Monsters! All of you are monsters!” Shouted a mare.
“Elements of Harmony? No! You all are the Elements of Disharmony!” shouted another stallion.
Many of them threw things at them in response. In just seconds, they all became the most hated of all Ponyville, no Equestria no less. All of them took in words from the princesses and looked down in disappointment. None of them could find the words to say anything to each other. They all looked at one another merely nodded slowly. All six of them head out of the graveyard and went their separate ways back home. Many days had passed since the funeral and things in Ponyville have changed for the better as well as the worst. Due to Twilight’s depression, she has locked herself in the library and not one pony has seen her since. As a result, Spike was staying over with Rarity. Ponyville now had a new hero for that was Rainbow Dash. She had become the one that everypony relied on. No matter the situation, she was always there to help. However, she wasn’t as boastful as before because she wasn’t letting anything stop her. She honored Rob’s memory and the people had faith in her and believed in her.
“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” The sounds of everyone in Ponyville were heard chanting her name. Rainbow Dash felt happy hearing it.
Rob, I’m going to make you proud. I promise you that. I will be a better hero. A better hero than Mare Do Well. She got a look at the Nova Statue that was erected in the center of town.
The statue showed Rob Stallion as Nova flying off. But what surprised her were the words engraved on the statue. It stated “Rob Stallion – Freelancer, Hero, Centurion”. Rainbow Dash remembered the words that Rob said to her and is taking his advice very well. But with this positive, there was also negative. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were treated with extreme hostility. They were hated and reviled by everypony they knew. They were called names, thrown stuff at them and at times wouldn’t even be allowed to attend anything. If that wasn’t enough, each of them felt disgust from their respective families for their actions. Those ponies now began to realize the reality of the situation and the consequences that have occurred because of it. So on that night, Rarity along with her friends met up near Rob’s gravestone. They all were filled with emotions of sadness due to their actions relating to not just the tragedy but also the actions they committed as Mare Do Well.
“I take it you all got my message didn’t you?” asked Rarity. The others nodded silently. “I believe that this brought out the worst in us.”
“Ah agree Rarity. Twilight being expelled, Rob gone and Rainbow Dash ditching us… everything that happened was our fault. All our fault and ah feel guilty for doing it.” Applejack replied.
“I know. We all did something that I think we’ll never ever take back. I’m now staying over with Rarity because Twilight hasn’t come out of the library.” Spoke Spike. “The door is locked, the window’s are covered and when I left, she must have placed a force field around the library to prevent anyone from getting in.”
“I know…” Fluttershy whispered. “We all hurt everypony… and they all hate us because of it.”
“That’s why I believe it’s better darlings if we… we end our friendship. It was our disharmony toward each other that we lost two good friends. Rainbow Dash…” They got a look at the gravestone that has now been covered with flowers, gifts, and balloons all for the sake of remembering how great Rob was. “And him that has brought about this tragedy.”
The others nodded including Pinkie Pie who at this point has suffered the worst. All of them have suffered in different ways because of the Mare Do Well incident and the tragedy that followed.
“Then ah think it’s time we say goodbye. Ah don’t know if ah’ll ever see y’all again. Maybe it is for the best.” Applejack suggested.
Rarity and the others nodded and they decided to share one final hug before they head off on their separate ways. Their hug was joyous, tearful and above all else very depressing. Once that was done, each of them went in different directions. Each of them knew they wouldn’t see one another again but it didn’t matter. All of them brought about a tragedy that they couldn’t repair. Now being hated by almost everypony in Equestria, it was time for the friendship and harmony they all carried to come to an end. But whereas this friendship ends, something else was about to begin.
In the Canterlot gardens, there was a statue that showed a figure of a draconequus (or dragon-horse) looking in horror. It stood there for some time as a reminder of its defeat at the hands of the Elements of Harmony. But suddenly, the statue began to move about slowly. Cracks began to come about on the statue. The movement increased causing portions of the statue to break revealing hands and feet. Within seconds, the statue broke apart completely revealing a sinister creature. With a smile on his face, he saw that it was his time, his opportunity to bring chaos once more to the world.
“Today is going to be cloudy, with a big chance of chaos!” The sound of his echoing laughter was heard in the empty gardens. Equestria… was going to be in for a disaster of epic proportions.
Nobody ever wonders if life exists beyond Equestria. There were many that made theories but no proof was discovered. Since then, it was nothing but wild fantasy. They still wonder if there’s life outside the cosmos. For one however, this theory proved to be right. Life filled this strange world. Plants were everywhere with trees that grew that at times covering the sky. Several animals were moving about and doing their business whether they’re small as an insect or as large as a dinosaur. But they probably wonder if an unexpected guest would come in to ruin their day. Well… they wouldn’t. The sound of someone flying caught the animals’ eye in an instant. It was moving about getting a good view of the environment below. But in his mind, it was all part of training that he was going through. Whatever it was, he needed to be on alert. Suddenly, several beams of light came for him. He then made his move.
“Gotcha.” Firing a few blasts, he was able to blast these beams with little effort. Several more appeared having him unleash his offensive.
Within seconds, the beams of light were taken down. He then saw several more but they were in the thousands and that would prove to be a problem. Looking at the odds, he was ready to take his chances.
“So you want to raise the roof huh? Fine by me.” He then decides to hit high into the air reaching altitudes of more than 40,000 feet. The beams quickly followed hoping to catch up.
He reached past the planet’s atmosphere into the void of space. Turning around, the beams were heading closer. He began to build up energy inside him to prep up for an attack. Once he had enough, he unleashed a Super Nova taking all the beams out. He let out a sigh of relief after that challenge. He got a good view of the planet above and it was a pleasant sight. There were many planets this fellow has seen but none was comparable to this one. So full of life and full of peace, it made him feel quite serene.
“Well done. I never thought you’d be able to complete this test so well. You have improved greatly.” Spoke a voice that carried a tone that was calm, cryptic and omniscient.
He turned to see a circulated orb that was similar to that of a sun but smaller. It then turned into a head of an old man wearing a helmet that had the same rank as the traveler, Centurion Nova Prime. The look they both had toward each other sparked a conversation. It would be anything but pleasant.
“I have. How many more of these trails you plan to give me? It’s been six months now and I feel more than ready to return home. I have learned to control not just the Nova Force but also the powers that are inside me. So tell me Worldmind, am I done with my training?” He asked. His voice contained a bit of concern due to him having to train constantly.
“Judging by your determination, I feel that you are ready. However, I only give you one grave warning.” Worldmind replied. This caught the fellow’s interest.
“What warning? Are you telling me that my home isn’t as it was?” He asked. Worldmind gave him a nod. “Tell me.”
“Your world is not what it once was when you departed. I have sensed something very amiss. The balance has shifted negatively.” Explained Worldmind, “Yes. Almost as if it has been submerged into… chaos.”
“I see. I will keep that in mind. I shall be going. If what you say is true then I must do what I can or my name’s not No-“ He then stopped. Turning to Worldmind, he continued with conviction, “On second thought, I know what I have to do or my name’s not Rob… Rob Stallion.”
Rob (as Nova) flies off leaving the planet he spent training behind. Worldmind simply watched as he flew off. His look contained a bit of concern but was optimistic due to Rob’s desire. Whatever the reason, he only hoped that the one he trained makes the right choice. It turned back into its previous form following his every move. Nova in the meantime hit light speed traveling through the cosmos until he arrived at Earth. When he arrived, he got a look and knew that there was trouble.
What the? Why does Earth look gray? Has something happened? Hoping to find answers, he flew into the planet to get a closer look.
Entering the planet’s atmosphere, he notices several things that were out of place. For starters, pink clouds covered the skies. As he was heading down, one of the clouds latched onto his leg. Another one latched from behind. He struggled as much as possible but to no avail. He sees more clouds coming in hoping to ensnare him.
Crud! I got to do something before these puffballs get me trapped. He gathered energy from within and unleashed a Super Nova.
The attack got all the clouds out of his way but it wasn’t enough. More of them began to gather. Now he really had to move. Dashing out of their path, he was able to reach the ground below. But he was soon dealing with a brand new problem. His world has changed. It has changed for the worst. He trotted for a bit getting a view of his surroundings. Looking up saw the pink clouds that tried to ensnare him saw rain falling. He felt the rain through his mane but one touch made him suspect something out of place.
What the? This rain… it tastes like chocolate. He then looked up again. Chocolate rain? No. No, it can’t be! Trotting at a high pace, he hoped to reach a place he knew all too well.
Instead what he found was his home torn upside down. Most of the town’s foundation was ripped apart. He saw some houses floating upside down, animals were moving about doing crazy things and even the sky had changed colors from blue to a dark gray. In addition to the changes, the town underwent a major change. It had been fortified. Several ponies in armor were seen moving about and keeping watch. Like everything around this land, they also had changed in color. It’s as if someone took away the color stripping it away and replacing it with something that was purely lifeless. This wasn’t the world he remembered when he “died”. It had become a world… a world plagued by chaos.
“Sweet Celestia… what in Tartarus happened here?” Rob whispered. “Ponyville’s torn asunder. Where is everypony?”
He went into town hoping to find answers but due to the amount of guards there, Rob had to be cautious. Getting caught by one of the guards would be a problem so he decided to try a different approach. Seeing an opening, Rob raced for it avoiding two guards that were moving about in two directions. He arrived deep within town getting a first-hand look. As he saw earlier, Ponyville had changed for the worst. It wasn’t just the town but all of Equestria submerged into madness. He wouldn’t have time however to view the sights. Somepony got him in theirs.
“Hey you!” the guard shouted. Rob turned to see him wielding a lance and looking angry. “No pony’s allowed in this town. You’re violating the rules of our chaotic lord.”
“Chaotic lord? What in Tartarus are you talking about?” Rob asked. His words seemed to ire this lance-wielding guard.
“This town is now under the rule of Discord, master of chaos. You’re violating one of the master’s rules and that Ponyville is declared off-limits to all ponies.” The guard grabs Rob forcefully by his hoof deciding to do things the hard way.
But Rob had other plans and with his grip tighter than the guard’s, he pushes in the other direction giving him a blow to the side. The force made the guard reel a bit but his attack got the attention of many who were patrolling. Many encircled around Rob and right off the bat, he was in trouble.
“You violated Order 29AC: Assault on a Discorded Official. The punishment for violating the order is immediate Discordization.” The guard shouted. Rob saw the other guards get ready to use something.
“Sorry but there won’t be one today boys.” Closing his eyes, Rob undergoes a transformation becoming Nova. “This is one of the reasons why I’m awesome. Pony Rocket!”
Nova goes at high speed attacking each of the guards. Many of them did put up a fight but they were unable to handle his ferocity. Within two and a half minutes, the guards were all taken out. He made sure not to inflict any serious harm upon them. Seeing how Ponyville looked made Rob very sad. This wasn’t what he wanted to see. Powering down, he trotted for a bit getting a look at what was once his home. It wasn’t a pretty sight. He got a look at some of the buildings that stood. They weren’t in good shape. Letting off a sigh, he continued onward. At least with the guards incapacitated, he wasn’t worried of a counteroffensive.
“Huh? What’s this?” Rob said, getting a look at a cloth nearby. “Maybe this can help me.”
He used the cloth to cover himself hoping not to attract attention. But someone did get his attention. Far away was somepony watching… waiting. What was it doing? Only it knows. As it was about to walk away, the pony made a noise. Now it caught Rob’s attention.
“What was that?” He turned to see someone moving. A chase ensued. “Hey you! Get back here!”
Rob went after the pony that spotted him. A chase ensued between the two leading them out of the abandoned Ponyville and into an unknown location. But though Rob was curious, he wondered why was that pony there. So many questions were flowing through his mind. Even if he got one answer, he’d be getting a lot more. The two traveled past the Everfree Forest reaching the ruins. Rob continued on despite his attempts to catch up.
Whoever this pony is must know something. The sooner I reach him, the sooner I can find some answers. Rob thought. He continued on trotting past an open field and into uncharted territory.
Of all the lands in Equestria, there was one place that was deemed hard to explore. Far from Ponyville, far from any town was a swamp-infested forest called Haysead Swamps. Thick trees and brush covered the land, the aura was horrendous and the water there was messy filled with germs and bacteria. This place was a hive where life especially insects and animals were at a major high. Even the most experienced of travelers will have a hard time with a place like this.
“Oh god, why here?” I let off a sigh because I know this is going to be a pain. “But this is no time for complaining. I got to keep going.”
Rob ventured deep within the forest hoping to find the one that spotted him. His only problem is trying to contend with the swamp’s wildlife because every animal wanted to get a piece of him. They were vicious. It was their playground. Seeing an outsider like Rob is like an open meal to them. They don’t care if he fought back because he’ll end up becoming lunch. One gator tried going after Rob. All it got was a hoof to the kisser and it packed a wallop. More of them began to swam and now Rob was in real trouble.
Guess angering the gators really wasn’t a good idea. He held his ground and took them on. Seeing that there was too many of them, Rob jumped grabbing a nearby vine. He used it to swing past the chomping gators.
In just a few seconds, he was able to reach the other side. He let off a sigh of relief before continuing. When he got a look around, the pony he was chasing was already gone. This wasn’t good. He could be anywhere in this swamp. Rob looked hoping to find any leads but all it ended up were dead ends. He took a chance and went strange ahead until he felt like his entire body was struck. A trap had stopped Rob in his tracks striking him with a powerful jolt. It affected him from head to toe. When it was over, Rob hit the ground collapsing.
“Hook, Line and Sinker… we got another one.” Spoke a blue pegasus pony. He got a look at Rob who was on the ground.
“Must be another one of Discord’s troops. Be cautious you two.” Replied a khaki unicorn pony.
The two ponies along with one other got a look at Rob. He was still lying on the floor but the three had to be careful. One of them got a look at him. His look went from concern to hopeful.
“Guys, you’re not going to believe this. Do you have any idea who we caught?” A crimson earth pony asked. The other two listened. “It’s him. The hero of Equestria, Rob Stallion! Thank Celestia that he’s back.”
“Are you still thinking about these stupid tales again?” The unicorn pony said coldly. This made him shut up. “Everypony knows that Rob is dead. What if he’s a Changeling?”
“Changeling? No. I don’t believe it! This is it. I think there is hope for us. Hope for Equestria.” He reclaimed. He had conviction in his words.
“I begin to wonder why we recruited you in the first place.” He retorted. ”Come. Let’s take him back to base. Maybe a little interrogation will help us find out whom this ‘stallion’ really is.”
“Right. Come on, let’s go.” The pegasus ordered. Their compatriot nodded and helped carry the knocked-out Rob.
The three ventured deep within the swamp reaching eventually a long patch of grass. One went closer taking out a radio from his knapsack. He made sure no one got a look before he went through with it.
“It’s me. We caught another one. We’re going in.” The feed was cut. Within seconds, the three saw the long patch split into two smaller ones.
The three ponies ventured inside, the split closing behind them. For a few minutes, they trotted carrying the unconscious stallion with them. After a few minutes, they reached their destination. Exiting the tunnel got the three to see a large base up ahead. It was a fortified base that looked like it had been blended with the swamp. Much of the base was made out of wood such as the buildings along with the wall that covered the base. Several towers were made for observation. Around the base were piers so that ponies can bypass the thick swamps. Much of the swamp helped cover a lot of the area protecting the base from the torrential chocolate rain. Alec along with his two compatriots saw the wall open up letting them inside.
“Good to be back in HQ. Alright, let’s take him in.” He ordered.
The three took Rob inside of the buildings in the base. Entering another room inside, they put Rob in a chair. Rob was still knocked out so they had to try a method to get his attention. Finding the nearest item in the room, one of them took a glass of water and threw it across his face. It woke him up good.
“Huh? What? Where? Where am I? What is this?” Rob looked and saw he was tied up. “What’s going on? Why are you holding me hostage?”
“Calm yourself. I take it you liked out little trap that we set up.” His captor replied. Rob wasn’t in a good mood. “Silent? This could be difficult. I have a few questions I like to ask you.”
“Like what? Before you do, I have two. First, who are you guys?” He asked.
“I guess a proper introduction is needed. I’m Smart Alec.” Smart Alec said. “The one on my left is Turquoise Sky. On the right is Blitz Inferno. He still thinks that there is hope for this place.”
“There is. I know it and I see it right here.” Blitz said. The other two weren’t impressed.
“Blitz, Sky, return to your posts. I will handle this interrogation.” Alec ordered.
“But Alec, what if he isn’t a Changeling?” Blitz asked. Alec looked at him with anger in his eyes.
“Only when I find out the truth will we know. For now, head to your post… that’s an order!” He barked. Blitz and Sky left the room.
“You have a knack for barking orders around these parts.” Rob said. Alec took the compliment rather well. “Where the buck am I?” He asked.
Alec was kind enough to answer. “You are in the headquarters of the Equestrian Resistance. We’re all that remains after Discord plunged our world into eternal chaos.”
“Eternal chaos? How can this be? What happened to the Elements of Harmony?” Rob asked. Hearing Alec brought cause for concern.
“They are no more. Not after the death of… him. But that is not why we’re here. I need to know. Are you a spy working for Discord?” Alec asked.
“A spy? What are you talking about! I’m no spy.” He struggled to get out but wasn’t successful.
“Really now? Did anyone order you to come to the swamps? Hmmm? Tell me!” Alec shouted.
“I don’t need to tell you anything. Do you have any other questions?” He asked. Alec was determined to do this.
“Trying to change the topic will not make this interrogation easy. Many I dealt with broke under the pressure. You are no different. Tell me. Are you a spy for Discord? Are you a Changeling perhaps? Did you think that imitating him would fool the likes of me?” He continued to ask question after question to Rob.
Rob doesn’t say anything. He continued to take the brunt of Smart Alec’s abuse even going as far as getting smacked in the face. He didn’t care. He tried to compose whatever thought he had going through with this. But because of Alec’s constant offense, he couldn’t. At this point, he was tired of it.
“Now then I will ask you again… are you a spy for Discord? Are you a Changeling? Answer my question!” Alec smacked him again. That was the breaking point for Rob.
“You want an answer…” Rob replied. “You got it!” And just like that, he responds in his usual manner. Using energy gathered inside, he unleashed a wave of energy that sent Smart Alec to the wall knocking him out.
Rob was able to free himself with the energy he expunged. Looking around, he saw Alec knocked out. He didn’t mean any harm to him but knew that sacrifices had to be made. Looking around, he opened the nearby door and was able to get out. He went outside and got a good look at the base. What Alec said had turned out to be the truth. The world he left behind was gone and the promise he made to his friends couldn’t be kept.
Alec was telling the truth. I got to do something. Rob then got to work looking around hoping to find answers.
Blitz was nearby continuing his look around when he saw him. Guess he knew all along that this was the real deal. He went to Rob hoping to find out more.
“Rob! I knew it was you!” Blitz said. He gave Rob a hug. Rob unfortunately wasn’t in the mood for one. “Dude, what’s wrong with you? Are you alright?”
“I’m not okay. What the heck is this place? Where am I?” He asked. Blitz tried his best to keep him composed.
“You’re in the Resistance Base. We’re all that’s left after Discord returned six months ago.” Blitz replied. Rob remained silent, listening. “This all happened months back. Everything was peaceful with Rainbow Dash being our #1 hero. But then… he appeared.”
“You mean Discord right?” He responded. Blitz gave him a nod. “Continue. Tell me everything.”
“Okay.” Blitz took a deep breath. “Anyway, Discord appeared and then turned Equestria upside down. Everypony was in a panic. They all hoped Rainbow Dash would be the one to save us. She tried her hardest against him… but failed. To make matters worse that monster corrupted her. Discord now uses her as his personal enforcer. No pony is safe man!”
Rob didn’t want to hear anymore. Hearing that his world had fallen apart took its toll. But it was about to get worse. The alarm was heard all throughout the base. He was in trouble.
“Crud! I’ve been found out. Sorry Blitz but I have to go. I’ll only bring more problems with me around.” Rob said, heading off.
“Rob, wait!” Blitz shouted. It was too late. He was already on the move. “I got to do something and fast.”
Rob continued to move about but was soon encircled by several soldiers. He was trapped. There was no way out. Blitz raced to where he was. Something had to be done.
“Guys, stop! Don’t you see? This is the real deal! He’s no Changeling. There’s no reason for us to fight! We have to work together to save Equestria. This is what Discord wants.” Blitz pleaded. Smart Alec then showed up. He wasn’t very pleased.
“I’m impressed you were able to escape Stallion. But as long as you are here in this fortress… there is no escape. Take him to a cell! I will deal with him later!” Alec shouted.
“No! I won’t let you do this to him.” Blitz shouted. “He could be a Changeling for all I know but even so, I believe that there’s still hope for this world and he’s it.” Rob smiled seeing his friend’s determination.
But Alec knew this would happen. “Still stuck to those stupid fairy tales Blitz? I regret having you out on patrol today. Perhaps you can join him then! Take them both to a cell!”
“That’s enough!” somepony shouted. Everyone looked to see who said that. Rob knew who that voice was.
He looked up and saw Shining Armor on the roof of a building. Shining Armor was wearing military gear that was different from the others. His suit was designed to help him blend with the swamps. It had the various colors of the jungle such as brown and dark green. On his chest was the royal mark of Equestria. Anyone who saw that knew he was part of royalty just like his fiancée, Princess Cadence. His mane and tail were a little overgrown and unkept due to the continued conflict.
“S-sir! We weren’t expecting your return. We just caught the intruder. He tried to escape.” Alec said. Shining Armor looked at the situation and saw some of his troops ready to take both Blitz and Rob away.
“All of you return to your post. I will handle him myself. Come.” He looks at Rob giving him a nod.
“But sir? He was the intruder who fell into the trap. He escaped my interrogation. He deserves to be locked up!” Alec shouted. Shining Armor wasn’t convinced.
“Only when I found out from him that I’ll decide his fate. Until then return to your post. That’s an order!” He shouted. Alec didn’t say anything and trotted off.
Rob just didn’t say anything. Shining Armor trotted inside leaving Rob and Blitz to wonder what to do. The two looked at one another before looking back at Shining Armor.
“Blitz, you head back. I’ll have a chat with your boss. Maybe he has all the answers.” Rob said as he trotted off.
“Okay Rob. But remember what I told you okay?” Blitz replied. He then returned to check up on the base.
Rob meanwhile went inside following Shining Armor. The two went into his personal quarters. Shining Armor’s room was much different than the others. Due to being a high commanding officer, he has access to several things such as a restroom, bed and space where he can read or plan stuff. He closed the door behind Rob and the two looked with fierce focus. But the focus died down and in a second, Shining Armor hugged Rob. Everything turned around in a heartbeat. Rob was confused by this.
“I really don’t believe it. You really are back. You have no idea how long it has been.” Shining Armor said, hugging Rob.
“Yeah… I know.” Rob replied, hugging his friend. “I want to know. What has happened here? Why is Equestria like this?”
“I guess Blitz told you huh?” Shining Armor said. Rob nodded. “But he only told ya half of it. Time I tell you the other half.”
“I hate to say it, but I think I already know what happened.” Rob said with a grim expression. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna failed to stop Discord as well?”
Shining Armor nodded and said, “They really tried to keep Discord at bay, but his power soon overwhelmed them. Realizing they were running out of options, they turned to Twily and the others. And it went as well as you thought it sounded.”
It didn’t take Rob long to figure out what they were. Shining Armor remembered it all too well.
Flashback – Six months ago
“Ah’m sorry Princess. Ah don’t wanna do it. Count me out.” Said Applejack. She was still saddened after what happened on that day.
“Forgive me but after everything that has happened… I can’t do it. It was our efforts in being heroes that ruined everything… and it also took Rob away from us. Please understand.” Spoke Rarity. Being responsible for designing the outfits carried a high amount of guilt for her.
“No way! Not doing it! I don’t want to be a hero! It’s cause of that we lost Robbie. Robbie’s the reason I’m always smiling but now I’m not. Not anymore!” shouted Pinkie. She suffered the worst out of all this hence why her hair isn’t as puffy as it used to be.
“Um… I can’t do it. I’m sorry Princess but…” Fluttershy couldn’t say anything else. Celestia and Luna were saddened seeing that they couldn’t be able to do it.
Not even Twilight was interested. Since the incident, she has secluded herself from society isolating her deep within the library. To make matters worse, there was a force field encasing the library to prevent anyone from getting access. Seeing this made the two alicorns realize that they meant by their words and actions. Turning to see the oncoming chaos approaching, they knew what needed to be done.
End flashback
“Celestia and Luna took on Discord by themselves. Their efforts were in vain. He used his magic to turn them to stone and since then, they’re found inside his fortress…” Shining Armor tried to keep focus. “At the ruins of Canterlot.”
“Canterlot?” Rob said. “Guess things have changed.” He was sad. He found out the world he left behind had changed.
“Yes. I’m sorry that your friends couldn’t keep the promise you gave to them.” Shining Armor replied. Rob had one other thing he had to say.
“Do you still feel bad for Twilight after what happened?” He asked. Shining Armor thought about it for a bit before he gave his response.
“At first I didn’t because she got what was coming to her. But now, I feel bad because of my actions. Even now I worry for Twi. I worry for her a lot.” Shining Armor replied. Rob shared his pain.
“I worry for Pinkie…” But he uttered something under his breath. “And I was going to ask her to marry me.” He looked at Shining Armor with a serious stare. “Shining Armor. I’m going to save my family.”
“How are you going to do that?” He asked. “The Elements of Harmony are no more. I always said that when you died, they went with it. They no longer have their power.”
Rob didn’t say anything. He then used his powers to summon the seven Elements of Harmony. According to legend, the Elements of Harmony were once a set of artifacts that contain an extremely powerful force. Originally, they consisted of six gems; red, orange, green, blue, pink and purple. But due to an unexpected event, a seventh gem was uncovered carrying the color white. Legends spoke that individually, they possessed great power but when united, they can bring harmony back to the world. After seeing that from Rob, Shining Armor was convinced.
“Alright. I’ll see if I can help you.” Using his magic, he gave Rob a piece of paper. He looked puzzled after receiving it.
“What is this?” He asked, “Will it be able to help me find my family?”
“Yes. This paper contains a list detailing where your friends are. We spent a lot of time keeping tabs on them. I figure that it would be necessary.” Rob became silent. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re going to find ‘her’ first.”
“Pretty much. You know me full well Shining Armor.” Rob retorted. “Where is she at?”
“She’s at Manehattan. If you plan on heading there, it’s heavily fortified with Discorded troops.” He explained. Rob let out a smile. “I’m serious. There’s no way to get in there and once you’re in, there’s no way out.”
“All the fun for me. I’ll take that chance. How do I get there?” He questioned. Shining Armor saw that Rob was crazy as heck.
“You’ll have to ask Trixie. She knows a way to get into there.” Shining Armor said. “I forgot to mention that I’m not the only pony in charge. There are four others.”
“Who are the others?” Rob questioned. He turned to look at Shining Armor.
“I am Commander in Chief of the Resistance. My fiancée, Cadence is second in command. She oversees the Refugee Camps and is in charge of the Orphanage at the School. There’s also Fancy Pants. He works as a spy not to mention in charge of finance. As I said before, Trixie is Captain of the Resistance in Manehattan. Months back, Discord led his army to attack our base. It ended with our defeat and we were forced to relocate. She’s at the moment planning to take it back. I figure your help can make it happen.” Shining Armor explained.
“I’ll make sure to do that. Anypony else you know whose part of this thing?” Rob asked.
“There’s one more. Big Mac. He’s leader of Special Ops and a really good stallion. His hit and run tactics never fail and we were able to succeed in a variety of missions. I think you know now what to expect aren’t you?” He spoke.
“You leave things to me. I will find my family and set things right. You just need to make sure you do the same with your sister. She means a lot to you and finding out that losing her BBBFF really hurts. I’m off.” Replied Rob. Before he left, Shining Armor had one last thing to tell him.
“You be careful Rob. Discord has eyes everywhere and if you use your powers, he’ll find you and it’ll be the end of all of us.” Warned Shining Armor.
Rob gave a nod and he was already off. He remembered that Trixie has all the answers in regards to getting into Manehattan. Fortunately she was still at the base so finding her was pretty easy. Heading into the second floor, he spots Trixie right now planning something. Entering inside, he hopes to get some info.
“Uh… is Trixie here?” Rob spots her currently trying to come up with a new plan but it was of no avail. She spots him and the two went into a stare for a couple of seconds.
“Is there anything you like to tell Trixie?” She said. He just took a deep breath and decided to be out with it.
“I do. Do you know a way to get into Manehattan?” He asked. This made Trixie wonder if the plan she had would help.
“There is but…” She looks at Rob again, wondering. “Are you? Could it be?” She went closer to him delivering a sharp stare.
“What? Why are you looking at me like this?” He questioned. This is really starting to freak me out.
“Trixie didn’t think you would be alive. Come with me.” He ordered. Rob went inside. “Trixie has been planning for weeks on end trying to regain Manehattan from that vile fiend.”
“And you haven’t had any luck have you?” He said. Trixie wasn’t amused by his remark. “Sorry.”
“Fortunately, Trixie has discovered a way to get into Manehattan but it is a risky endeavor.” She explained. “There is a cargo ship that passes through the Manehattan harbors every two weeks. It gets thoroughly inspected for anything and everything. If the check is cleared, then it enters the harbor.”
“Basically this ship can help me get into Manehattan right? What’s the risk?” He asked.
“The risk can be if they catch you, you’ll be imprisoned and our chance for victory is lost. Trixie can’t accept failure. Do you really want to do this?” Trixie asked.
“I’ll take that chance. Where’s the nearest ship that’s heading for Manehattan?” Rob questioned.
“Trixie believes this next one is heading to Manehattan within an hour. If we can reach the ship, we should be able to get in the city.” Trixie explained.
“I think we should take that chance right now. The more we wait, the less chance we have.” Rob replied. Trixie gave him a nod.
Trixie went to gather some of her squad while Rob went to meet her at the pier. The wait lasted a few minutes but by then, she had gathered things ready. With no time to waste, they were on their way using a boat to reach the cargo ship. During their travel, Trixie reviews things with Rob.
“Here is Trixie’s plan. We need to reach the cargo ship as it passes through the ocean. There is only a limited time before it reaches Manehattan Harbor so we must work fast. Once in the ship, we will hide inside the cargo crates until the ship arrives. Important thing to know is that we must not make a move until after the crates enter the city. Any mess-up that occurs and it can be the end for all of us. Understand?” Trixie ordered. Everyone nodded including Rob, who caught a look at the oncoming cargo ship.
Showing it to Trixie had most of her forces redirect their boat to the ship’s current location. Reaching it from the rear allowed them to enter in undetected. Trixie showed Rob where the cargo was located. Entering any crate or container they can find, they hid until the ship reached its destination. It arrived after a long travel that took a couple of hours. At Manehattan Harbor, several Discorded guards were keeping an eye on things. They were to check for anything suspicious. A cargo ship’s arrival caught their eye so the two went to check.
“Hey! You up there! This is Discorded territory. State your business or you will be forced to leave the harbor.” One of the guards said.
“I’m here to deliver goods to the city under orders by your governor. The name’s Cargo Ferry. I got clearance.” An Earth Pony named Cargo Ferry said. He wondered if the guards were convinced.
“We’ll need to do a check and see if it’s true. Anything out of place will have you detained. Understand?” The guard replied.
“Yeah, I got you. Just check and let me go through all right? Sheesh.” Cargo Ferry retorted. He waited as they went to check and see.
Trixie along with Rob and her squad were still in hiding. The guards’ arriving to check forced them not to make any careless moves. Rob simply kept his guard up as he was out of sight hiding in a crate. He was watching, waiting. He wanted to knock them out so his allies can escape the boat but he couldn’t risk on account of jeopardizing the whole mission. So for now, he did nothing. After the guards did their check, they went outside giving the captain the good news.
“Alright, it’s clear. You’re clear to drop off the cargo.” One of the guards said. He then nodded at the other guard allowing several more to come in and take the cargo out of the ship.
In only a half hour, the cargo was exported out of the ship and into the warehouses within the harbor. The ship was already off to another location. Things returned to normal but for Rob and his allies, they made their move.
“Good thing you know your way around this place.” Whispered Rob. “Now then, what’s the next phase?”
“Getting into the harbor was the easy part.” She leads Rob outside getting a good view of Manehattan. “Trying to get in there is the hard part.”
The two got a good look at the city of Manehattan. It was a sight that was very unpleasant. After Discord submerged Equestria into Eternal Chaos, Manehattan became a fortified city. It was under marshal law with nopony allowed in or out. Guards patrolled the city while civilians lived in constant fear of being arrested and discorded. Rebels once took over the city but the enemy forces were able to find a weakness and took over in a matter of days. No skyscrapers were seen due to them being torn down except for one. The one skyscraper that was seen held the governor who acts as the city’s ruler.
“Trixie has tried many times to see if the city can be retaken but every attempt ends in failure. No matter what Trixie did, it was all for naught.” She said.
But then Rob had a suggestion. “I have an idea and if it works, you guys can go in undetected.”
“What sort of trickery are you planning?” She asked. Rob then trotted off toward the city. Trixie wondered if he was making a mistake, so she followed.
Two Discorded guards were keeping watch making sure nopony is allowed access. Rob then shows up putting his little plan to work.
“Excuse me gentleman but I wish to enter the city. I have some clearance to get inside.” Rob said. He kept a straight face hoping not to let his guard down.
“Unless you have proper proof, nopony is allowed within the city. Governor’s orders.” Replied the guard. They had their weapons ready in case something happens.
“Don’t worry, I have your proof.” He heads closer to them and presented his proof. “Right here!” He uses a Gravimetric blast to knock them out.
Turning around, he nods at Trixie and they all enter inside. But immediately upon entering, there was trouble and it forced Rob to make a tough choice. Heading on ahead, he went and diverted the attention of one of the guards. Within seconds, he was picking a fight that brought in more guards. Trixie and her crew look on and see Rob get apprehended by them without any effort. She wondered if what he was doing was right but since they’ve made it this far, it was right.
“This stallion didn't put up much of a fight. What a fool. I think the governor will love meeting him.” Spoke one guard.
“Agreed. Take him to the tower. I think he’ll be in for a very long punishment. The rest of you, back to your posts.” Responded another.
Several guards took Rob away while the rest went back to patrol the city. Trixie meanwhile was now faced with a very big problem. With Rob captured, it could mean the end for the Resistance. But she had to continue her mission regardless of the risks. Meanwhile, the Discorded guards had taken Rob to the tower where the Governor was located. After a long trot and a longer trek up several floors, they arrived.
“Governor, we brought another one. This one’s lively so we’ll leave things to your hands. Remember your end of the agreement if you don’t want to suffer the same fate as all the others.” They dropped off Rob and left. The jolt woke the stallion up and he was in full view of the governor’s room.
Rob saw the place and it looked like a traditional room for a governor to be in. Nothing special other than seeing a table, somepony sitting on a chair, several windows providing an excellent view of the city and several memorabilia. Rob wondered who was in that chair. What he would find wasn’t a pleasant one. The chair turned revealing a very familiar sight.
“You… Blueblood. Never thought you’d be the governor of this place.” Rob said. Blueblood had a very cocky smile.
“Well, who would have guessed you’d still be alive.” He gets off the chair. Keeping a straight face, he continues talking. “This is my city now under the rule of the emperor of chaos Discord.”
“I thought it was under the hands of the Rebels. Since when did you decide to betray Equestria?” he questioned.
“I’m not. I’m doing it for the sake of Equestria. The rebels are too shortsighted to even comprehend what really matters.” Blueblood responded. “You know I would have you locked up and discorded right?”
“I know that but you’re way too smug to even pull stuff like that off.” Rob jeered. “What are you offering?”
“I’m giving you a chance to join the winning team… my team. The Elements of Harmony are no more. There is no reason for this foolish fighting. Together we can rid Equestria of these impudent rebels and Discord will bring forth a new age for all ponykind.” Blueblood proposed.
“With a draconesque ruling over a world filled with fear and disorder? Forget it. Not interested.” He replied. Blueblood didn’t seem pleased.
“Guess convincing you isn’t good enough. Don’t you understand? You’re the cause of all this. You’re the reason why all of this has happened. Mare Do Well stealing Rainbow Dash’s thunder, you become Nova to teach them a lesson, your actions causing them to be hated and then split up. Don’t you see? You are the cause of all this. Why do you think Discord has returned? It’s because of you!” Blueblood said.
Rob was then filled with doubt. Doubt because of his actions as Nova and how his sacrifice caused them to be split up. Blueblood looked at him with such glee. He trotted closer hoping to see if Rob can join their cause.
“So… why don’t you rid the façade and open your eyes. The world has changed. Join us. Join the rule of chaos for we can bring back order by creating disorder.” Blueblood offered once more as he saw Rob clouded with doubt.
“As much as I appreciate this offer… and even though I am guilty what I’ve done…” He looked at Blueblood with a serious stare. “The answer… is NO!” He socks Blueblood in the jaw hurting him.
Blueblood was shocked seeing Rob do something like that. It’s then he realized that the easy way didn’t work. His face became serious but also nervous. Since Discord gave rule of this city to him, he had something to expect. But to find that he wouldn’t is driving him to fear. He didn’t want to suffer the same fate as his aunts. He had to do something.
“Guess the easy way isn’t working. If that’s the case then prepare to be Discorded, Rob Stallion.” Blueblood said.
Rob raced straight at him ready to deliver a hit in the jaw like before. Seeing a nearby potion, Blueblood teleported out of the way and grabbed it. He saw the impudent prince drink it down. His guard was still up. He had to be ready for anything Blueblood sent his way.
“Funny, I thought the potion would work. Am I missing anything?” he shouted. Rob was ready to go at him again but something did happened.
Luna’s moon was seen in the corrupted night sky. Blueblood saw it and began to sweat rapidly. He was feeling nauseous almost to the point where he wanted to throw up.
“What’s happening? Why do I feel like this? It’s rather hot.” He then looked at the moon and things went to Tartarus in a flash.
His body underwent a radical change. He became bigger, his hooves began forming sharp claws, the horn on his head grew longer, his eyes began to glow red and his face had the look of a wolf. All the while, the voice of him screaming and yelling in agony was heard throughout the room. Rob looked in horror seeing Blueblood turn into some kind of monster. It’s as if he became a werewolf or in this case, a werepony.
“Holy Celestia… what is this?” Rob said. He didn’t have any time to react because Blueblood was on the assault.
He dodged his first attack but Blueblood was lucky to deliver a second strike. The hit sent Rob flying but he kept his ground. However, he didn’t want to use his powers on account of what this monster could do. Blueblood was vicious attacking Rob at every opportunity. He didn’t stand a chance. Grabbing Rob by his neck, Blueblood was ready to deliver the final blow.
“If you can’t join by choice then you’ll join by force! Farewell Rob Stallion.” Blueblood said.
He got ready to deliver the final strike. Rob in an act of desperation began to quickly build energy from within. The energy he gathered was expelled out forcing the werepony to back away. Breathing heavily, Rob felt drained but he knows he won’t last against something like this. Blueblood, reeling from the energy backlash begins to act strange.
What’s going on? Are my powers causing him to act like this? Uh oh. Rob used his strengths to move out of the Werepony’s way.
It had gotten violent and due to Rob’s powers, it was now making things very difficult. Seeing the window behind him, he held his ground. Blueblood raced toward him hoping to rip him apart. Rob moved out of the way and in a blind rage, Blueblood ran right through shattering the window leading him through a major fall. All Rob could do was look on in horror seeing him fall all the way down letting out a wince when he hit. It was scary and the force of the fall shattered every bone he had in his body. He wasn’t the only pony who saw him fall. Trixie did and seeing that nearly made her sick. But he had no time to waste. Finding a loudspeaker on the table, he got to work.
“Attention all civilians of Manehattan. Your governor Prince Blueblood has just been… impeached. This city is now back in rebel hands. There’s no need to be scared anymore!” He shouted.
“You did it Rob, Trixie never thought you’d do it. All right, time to take back this city! Let’s go! Trixie commands!” She shouted. Her squad was on the offensive ready to attack.
Things in Manehattan were in complete disarray. Canterlot Guards trying to figure out what’s happened. Many of the folks in Canterlot were ready to rebel. Trixie and her squad were on the move ready to take the town back. Meanwhile, Rob was at the moment looking for something. Reading the paper Shining Armor gave him tells that one of his friends was at Manehattan known as “Mental Institute”. Looking at the map of Manehattan, he hoped to find it. Thankfully, he did.
Found it… now to get over there and find her. Rob then went toward the broken window and jumped.
Transforming into Nova, he flies off to the Mental Institute. Since it was at the city, he didn’t fly far. Reaching it, he saw the Institute in complete disarray. He wondered if anypony would be in there. Heading inside, he finds the place rundown and beat up but finds several ponies in straitjackets. He kept moving keeping his guard up for anything. The cloak he had also shielded him from their sights.
“Is anypony here? I’m looking for someone.” Rob said. One of the workers caught his attention.
“Yes? Can I help you?” A mare wearing nurse’s clothes came closer to check. Seeing the horrid sight of this place made Rob depressed.
“I’m looking for someone very special. She goes by the name of Pinkie Pie. Can you tell me where I can find her?” He asked.
“I think you should check at that room over there.” The nurse replied, showing Rob where it was: Solitary Confinement Room X25.
“How is she? How long has she been here?” He asked.
The nurse mare tried to find the right words to say. “She’s been here for almost six months. I’m afraid it’s a lost cause for her. Every doctor that tried to help her was scared off. All we could do is give her food.” Before he heads off, she had one more thing to say. “If you plan to head there, just know you may be the one who can help her. I have faith in you.”
Rob nodded as he went deeper into the Institute. The sight of many ponies trying to grab him from their cells was horrifying. His cloak helped shield him from the many who caught eye of him. Reaching the door, he found it locked. He tried the traditional way but it didn’t work. Using a Gravimetric Blast, he was able to destroy the lock and head inside. What he sees is a very unpleasant sight.
“I said I don’t want visitors. Don’t you dummies read?” She said. Her voice was filled with anger and disgust. Rob looked on in horror seeing her like that.
She was tied to a straitjacket and her mane and tail weren’t as puffy as usual. Her coat was of a dark pink representing the darkness inside her heart. Rob has seen this many times. This was a part of her that was filled with anger, betrayal, duplicity and isolation. She kept looking at him who stood there in shock.
“Are you stupid? I don’t want any visitors!” She grabbed something nearby and tried to throw it at him but no avail.
“Pinkie… this isn’t like you. This isn’t like you at all.” He said. Seeing her like this in anger saddened him.
“What do you know? There’s nothing left. Nothing!” She responded angrily. Rob remembered what Shining Armor told him earlier.
Flashback...
“Each of your friends have suffered in a different way ever since you died. The one you love, Pinkie Pie has suffered the worst. After you passed away, she wasn’t like her normal self. She quit her job in Sugarcube Corner. She no longer does parties and has grown from being happy to angry.” Shining Armor said.
“Anything else? I need to know so that way I can find a way to fix this.” He replied.
He continued. “Turned out there was something that caused her to suffer an emotional breakdown. Due to a recent suicide attempt, she admitted herself into the Manehattan Mental Institute. So far, there hasn’t been any known way to get her cured.” Shining Armor didn’t say anything else. It was all Rob needed to hear.
End flashback
“Pinkie…” He said. This got her attention. Her look scared him greatly.
“What? What do you want?! Tell me!” She shouted. He needed to find a way to snap her out of it.
“Pinkie, please stop this. There’s no need for you to be angry. Whatever happened to when you were always smiling and bringing joy.” Rob asked.
“That’s over with. I don’t want to be happy. Being happy stinks! I hate parties too! I hate everything that has to do with being happy.” She responded.
“Could it be the reason why you’re not happy is because of somepony?” Rob questioned.
“What are you talking about? I never loved anypony. Never! Love is just gross!” said Pinkie, “But… there was somepony that did.”
“Really? Was he blue? Was he always there for you?” He continued to ask hoping to see.
“He was…” But then the anger died down into sadness. “But he’s gone now. He’s the reason why I’m not happy anymore. Why do you care? He’s dead. He ain’t coming back!” She then returned to being angry.
“Is that right? Let me ask you this… do you know he’s alive?” He spoke. Pinkie was curious by this.
“What do you mean? Is this some kind of stupid party trick?!” She responded violently. Rob had to tread carefully.
“It’s no trick Pinkie. Why don’t I show you?” He asked her. Pinkie wasn’t looking at him. “Please… look at me. I tell you the truth. He… is still alive.” Pinkie then turned to see him. “In fact… He’s right here.”
He removed a portion of the cloak revealing him to her. His long blue hair was seen but due to it being too long, it was held into a ponytail. Pinkie got a look at him. It was then that reality began to sink in for her. Seeing him like that made Pinkie Pie remember. Many memories began to flash through her mind of how she first met Rob. Was it fate? Was it coincidence? No. It wasn’t any of that. It began when she saw a pony who was struggling with a lost memory but it led to something more. Then other memories began to flourish through her mind. From their encounter with parasprites, understanding how she acts, how he rescued her at Appleloosa, his decision to confess the truth to his friends, their first kiss after he saved Equestria and so forth. So many memories, all of them were good times. It was then she finally realized what she was seeing all along.
“No… it can’t be…” Her eyes began to build tears from the shock. “Robbie… Robbie…” And then, it all happened in an instant. “ROBBIE!!!”
She raced to him crying loudly. Tears were flowing out of her face. All the emotion that was built up inside her was unleashed. Rob was able to free her from the straitjacket she was in. She then immediately hugged him tight all while bawling like a baby. But she wanted to know if it was really Rob. To prove it, she gave him a passionate kiss. It lasted for a bit but it felt much more. Once they broke off their kiss, she knew straight away it was him.
“It is you… it really is you.” She then kissed him again but this time, Rob responded in his own way.
The two kissed for more than a minute filled with an embrace that brought happiness back to a certain pink pony. Once it was over, the two shared a strong stare. Though she was happy again, there was one thing that bugged her.
“Your face… what happened? How did you come back?” She said. It was only fair that Rob would at least tell her how it occurred.
“It’s a long story. I may as well tell you. This all happened the day after the funeral. One minute I felt my body was still. Lifeless. I thought my time here came to an end. The next thing I knew… my body was then filled with energy.” He took a nearby chair and sat down. “I felt like I wanted to scream. The pain was unbearable. Next thing I knew, I was able to see. I could think, feel, and move around. It was crazy.”
“Crazy? So something happened that brought you back?” Pinkie asked, curiously.
“Yes. Something did happen. Then I felt like I was buried alive. I was able to get out of there and saw things as they were. Next thing I knew, I saw something looking at me. It went on to say that I have much to do.” Rob said. The moment that occurred was still fresh in his mind.
Flashback…
“Huh? What the? What’s going on? And… why am I at a graveyard?” He asked trying to figure things out. He looked up and saw Worldmind, looking at him.
“You are not ready to pass on yet. There is much to do.” He replied, speaking in a tone that was mysterious and omniscient.
“What do you mean by this? Who are you?” Rob ordered. Worldmind simply didn’t say a word. It used its magic to lift Rob up the ground.
“I will help you control the power that is within you. If you choose to accept this, it will help you in the trials to come. So do you accept?” He asked. Rob simply nodded, not saying a world.
Within an instant, Rob along with Worldmind flew off away from Earth to an unknown location. Where they went, nopony knows. Only these two knew where they would go and with a universe as big as this, they could be anywhere.
End flashback
“And that’s about it. I’ve spent six months out there training and mastering the powers I had. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to control not just the Nova Force but also the Elements of Harmony?” He asked.
“The Elements?” Pinkie wondered. “I thought they were gone forever.” Rob nodded negatively, disagreeing.
“They aren’t. All seven Elements are within my body right now and at this point, it’s driving my insides crazy.” He then trotted closer to Pinkie. “Time I return them to their rightful owners.” He placed his hoof on her head.
“What-what are you doing Robbie?” She asked. He didn’t say a single word. He let his actions speak for him.
Pinkie then felt a massive amount of energy surging inside her. She didn’t know if he was doing something good or bad to her. All Pinkie could do was stand there wondering what next. Her straight mane and tail became puffy once more and her coat returned to her usual light pink. Suddenly, it was over and Rob finished what was done.
“It’s done. I returned what’s rightfully yours Pinkie.” Rob said. She had no idea what he meant by that. When she looked at a nearby mirror, she saw that her Element of Harmony has been imbued into her.
“Robbie… what-what did you do?” She asked, carrying a look of utter confusion.
“Simple. I infused you with your Element of Harmony, the Element of Laughter. However, I didn’t just infuse it within you, I enhanced it so that way Discord’s magic can’t affect you.” He explained, “I figure it’s the only way in order to fix this mess.”
“What? Discord… Discord’s back?!” She shouted. Rob nodded and the two realized that they had a job to do.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. We need to rendezvous with Trixie. I’ll explain everything on the way.” Rob said. She nodded and the two left the Manehattan Mental Institute.
The two saw several Discorded guards run off in defeat. Many of them were already captured and being un-discorded. Rob knew that Trixie had everything to do with it. At this point, the rebels have brought back up and have reclaimed the city. They saw Trixie giving orders to some of the troops.
“Huh? Trixie figured you succeeded in your objective.” Said Trixie. “What do you plan to do now Rob?”
“I’m now off to find the others. I already found one…” He plants a kiss on Pinkie’s cheek. “But my journey is far from over. Will you be alright Trixie?”
“Yes. Trixie will be fine. We’ve regained Manehattan and plan to use it as another base of operations. Be careful you two for chaos will strike you at every turn.” Trixie spoke.
“Before we leave, you got a look at Blueblood?” He asked. Trixie simply had a look of disgust. “I thought so.”
“Apparently Blueblood was creating a potion that can boost a unicorn pony’s magic and strength. He had no idea that it had a side-effect causing him to be a werepony.” Trixie replied. “Trixie knows this because this potion was outlawed.”
“Will he be alright? I mean, he didn’t suffer that bad of a fall. Even now, seeing that makes me want to vomit.” Rob said. Pinkie gave him a warm hug.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be alright. Trixie has the cure that can help him but he’ll be interrogated. We need info on him in regards to Distopia.” Trixie explained.
“Distopia?” He questioned. “What kind of name is that?”
“When Discord took over Equestria, he fortified Canterlot as his own personal fortress. It’s now known as Distopia, the center of his new world where he watches everypony.” Trixie said.
“I was afraid of this. We’re heading off Trixie. We hope to meet again.” Rob said.
“It was a pleasure for Trixie to meet you again. Don’t worry. Trixie will be fine. Find your friends for it is together you all will be able to save Equestria.” She replied. Rob and Pinkie nodded, knowing the two were ready for whatever comes their way.
To be continued...
Disclaimer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust Rob Stallion belongs to me Blitz Inferno belongs to dA user Inferno111 Nova Corps, Worldmind belong to Marvel Comics
The two trotted off leaving Manehattan behind at the hands of the Equestrian Rebel Army. Now this became a journey… a journey for Rob to find his family and reunite them. With Pinkie Pie by his side, he was ready to pull it off.
“Okay Pinkie, I think you should know that as long as the Element of Laughter is inside you, Discord won’t corrupt you. This is going to help when we find the others.” He shows her a note that he got from Shining Armor.
“What’s that? It looks like a list.” Pinkie replied. Rob knew that coming from her. It was expected.
“Of course it is. This tells us where the others are located.” He then gives Pinkie a smooch on the cheek. “Since I already found you, I can cross it off the list.”
“Lemme see…” Rob hands Pinkie the paper. “Oooh, we need to head to the Rambling Rock Ridge. I think we’ll find somepony really special there.”
“Good idea. Let’s move.” He said. The two raced for the Rambling Rock Ridge. “One more thing.” The two stopped for a bit. “We need to make sure not to attract any attention. He has eyes and ears everywhere.”
Pinkie nodded and the two continued on their way to find their friends. Although there was a major downpour of chocolate rain, they kept moving to avoid any Discorded guards. Reaching the Hollow Shades gave them an opportunity to avoid them. Not many ponies travel through the Hollow Shades. It was known as a village hidden in the glooms of the forest located between two mountain areas. Nowadays, it has become abandoned and devoid of any life. Rob and Pinkie used this time to rest up though they had to be cautious. After some time to recharge, they continued on their way reaching Foal Mountain. The frigid temperature made things a challenge. Fortunately, the two found a way to reach the other side with little difficulty. With the mountains behind them, they proceeded to their destination; Rambling Rock Ridge.
“What in the world?” Rob said. He was speechless by what he saw. Pinkie also felt the same way.
Ahead of them was Rambling Rock Ridge… or whatever’s left of it. Most of the area felt like it was a complete warzone. Judging by what they saw, an intense battle must have taken place. Holes were seen but they were bigger covering a greater range. To make it worse, the area was unstable. There were cracks seen on the ground below and with every second passing, they continue to increase. Trying to find their friends in a world that was falling apart wasn't easy.
Shocked by the sight of the rock ridge, Pinkie said. “Holy moly…”
“That’s a lot of holies all right.” Rob followed up. “Come on. I know somepony is here. I sense it.”
Despite the unstable area, the two head into Rambling Rock Ridge. Rob sensed that somepony would be there. He knows it. Deep within the ridge, somepony was checking the ground. It was a young mare that had a coat as white like opal. She was using magic hoping to see if anything was under there. Next to her was a young dragon that was assisting. He looked at her wondering if they would find anything. But one look from her guarantees no success. Today wasn’t really their day.
“Guess there’s no gems here either. We’ve been at this for hours now.” Said the young dragon.
“I guess you’re right. This place is becoming more barren by the minute.” The mare replied. “Come Spike. We need to get moving.”
Spike nodded and replied, “Good idea. Maybe we’ll find somewhere else to get gems… if there is any place left.”
“I don’t think there is anywhere else Spike.” She got a look at her knapsack seeing some of the gems they were able to get their hands on. “We’ll only have enough for one more night. After that… I don’t know.”
“Then we’ll have to find another way. We have to Rarity.” Spike responded. Rarity let out a smile toward him.
“I know Spike. I know.” She plants a kiss on his cheek. “Come on. Let’s see if we can trade these for something to eat.”
The two went on their way leaving the Rock Ridge behind. Despite their efforts in a barren place, they got their hands on whatever they could. Before they could leave, somepony stopped the two in their tracks. He was covered in a cloak to hide his identity. Rarity and Spike looked at him with caution. They had no idea who that pony was.
“Yes? Can we help you?” asked Rarity. The stallion didn’t say a word. It looked at the two cautiously.
“If you have anything to say, you may as well say it right now.” Retorted Spike. Rarity wanted to use her magic to push the stallion out of the way.
But there wasn’t going to be any need for a fight. The stallion lifted his front hoof giving them a message. Rarity and Spike kept their focus and their distance on him.
“Never thought you’d be scrapping for gems in a place like this. I thought you’d be at a gem mine right now.” He spoke.
“There aren’t any gem mines left… not after what Discord had done.” Spike replied. “We’re just trying to find whatever we can so we can trade for some food.”
“What happened to this place?” The stallion asked. “Why is it falling apart?”
“It’s really hard to say but ever since Discord took over, he went all out bringing chaos everywhere. Rambling Rock Ridge was one of the few places that he struck.” Spike explained, “For months, this place is breaking down and there isn’t much of the ridge left.”
But Rarity interrupted Spike by saying, “Spike. I don’t think it’s necessary to tell him what we’re doing.” She then turns to Rob. “Now then, what is your business here? There’s nothing left in this ridge.”
“My business doesn’t concern this place. It concerns with you.” He replied. The two looked on in silence. “It’s good to see you again.”
Rarity and Spike look on as the stallion lifted the hood. Revealing his identity, their expressions went from concern to shock. Rob simply smiled, happy that he was reunited with his friends. For the two that see it, they were filled with various emotions. Ranging from shock to happiness, the three looked at one another. In a few seconds, the three went into a warm embrace. There appeared to be much to catch up between them.
“Rob! I can’t believe it… I can’t believe you’re back!” said Spike. He was all teary-eyed hugging his best friend.
Rarity, trying to compose her feelings followed up by saying, “You look so… so different. What happened to you?”
“It’s a long story… I’ll tell you everything later.” Rob replied. “I did bring somepony along for the ride.” They got a look at Pinkie who was as happy as ever.
Pinkie shared a hug with Rarity and Spike. Reunions ensued between them. But they brought Rob into the picture and it was a four-way hugfest. There was some time for tears. It was needed but the four didn’t have much time. Rob and his friends left Rambling Rock Ridge. Seeing the area continue to break apart was a horrid sight. Once that was done, they reached the forest. Getting a fire ready, the four sat down as Rob explained things to Spike and Rarity. He explained how he came back to life and how for the next six months was able to control and master his powers.
“And that’s about it. It wasn’t easy but I’m really happy to be back alive.” Rob said, with a smile.
“It’s really good to have you back Rob.” Rarity replied, shedding a tear. “Believe me darling, it really is. But you look so different now.”
“Yeah.” Spike said, agreeing with her. “You really look like Big Mac but a lot more blue. Not to mention your hair. You really let yourself go.”
“I know. I really did but hey, this is what happens when time flies.” Rob said. He then went closer to Spike. “Listen, I know it’s a bit sudden but…”
Spike interrupted Rob and said, “No, it’s okay. I want to say sorry for not believing you. You were right. Twilight and the others did do a bad thing. It’s that she kept telling me that you ruined everything.”
“It’s alright. You had no idea but still, you should have taken my side. We’ve been buds for more than a year.” Spoke Rob.
“I know. So…” Spike asks, lifting his hand. “Think we can be friends again?”
Rob replied, “Of course Spike, we’re buds for life.” The two shared a dragon-pony brohoof symbolizing their renewed friendship.
To these two, the brohoof they shared had a special meaning. Rob and Spike have been friends for more than a year having experienced many moments whether good, bad or otherwise. Rarity and Pinkie saw the two reconcile. They smiled and after it ended, Rob went to see Rarity. She had no idea what was about to happen next.
“Rob?” She asked, “What are you doing?” She saw Rob close his eyes performing the same power that he used on Pinkie.
Pinkie went to Spike and the two got a look. The infusion lasted for a few seconds. Rarity was engulfed in a bright light during the process. It was warm and serene. When it was finished, the light disappeared. Rarity wondered in confusion what happened. Pinkie knew but not Spike.
“Uh Rob…” Spike said, curiously. “What did you do to Rarity? What was that just now?”
“Allow me to explain Spike. Everypony said that when I passed on, the Elements of Harmony died with it.” Rob tried to compose himself. “But that is a lie. I was brought back to life by some other force. In the process, the Elements started to act violently. It took me six months but I was able to tame them before they would end up doing damage to me and my body.”
“Robbie… I think you should tell Spike what you did with Rarity.” Pinkie said, knowing that he forgot the main focus.
“You’re right Pinkie. Anyway, I infused Rarity with the Element of Generosity.” He said. The two saw Rarity’s element appear. Even Rarity was surprised.
“Yep yep yep. I have it too. Look!” Pinkie showed Rarity her Element of Harmony. It was infused as well.
“You look marvelous with your element darling. So will this help us?” She asked.
“Like Pinkie, your element is enhanced protecting you from Discord’s magic.” He replied. Spike was in amazement after hearing him.
“That’s amazing. I didn’t know you have that kind of power. Will you be able to do the same with the others?” Spike asked. Rob gave a nod.
“I will. But now we must move on. There are four others we need to find.” Taking out a sheet of paper, he crossed off Rarity from the list. “Next up is Applejack.”
But Rob noticed a bit of silence coming from his friends. Seeing this made him very curious. He decided to get to the bottom of things.
“Oh-kay, what’s with the silent treatment?” He asked. “Is there something you three are not telling me?” Rob looked at the three, perplexed.
“Um Rob… there’s something you should know about Applejack.” Spike responded.
“What about it?” He asked.
Rarity stepped forward and said, “You see, when we all went our separate ways six months back, Applejack asked me for a request.”
Rob looked at Rarity and replied, “Request? What do you mean? Or does this have to do with the fact over what happened?”
Rarity, nodded with guilt looked at him and explained. “After your ‘death’, everypony hated us. We were all treated with extreme hostility. I had to close down my shop because I designed the costumes. My family hated me for what I did, even my own sister.”
“Though I wasn’t treated bad like the others, I felt I am partially to blame because I didn’t listen to you. After Twilight locked herself in the library, I decided to stay with Rarity. We’ve been scrapping around for gems so we can get some food. It wasn’t easy, believe me.” Spike replied.
“I suffered the worst… after Robbie died, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Everypony hated me. They became meanies. I quit my job at Sugarcube Corner. I stopped doing parties and I even stopped smiling.” Before she could say anything else, Rob comforted her.
“You don’t have to say anything else. At least be happy I have come back. Right?” Pinkie went closer to him and they kiss. “Anyway, what about Applejack?”
Rarity said, “Applejack has been deemed the ‘rotten apple’ in her family. Everypony hated her. They didn’t want her around. She came to me asking if she can help her be rid of who she was. I couldn’t refuse a request like that.”
“So what did you do? Give her one of your little makeovers?” He asked. Rarity, knowing this gave a nod.
“I did. The darling was in worse shape. I had to help her. I’m not known as the Element of Generosity for nothing.” Rarity said. Rob understood the plight of the situation.
“Can you tell me where we can find her? If anything, at least so I can maybe set things right for all of us.” Rarity however, couldn’t say anything turning her head to the side.
“I’m sorry Rob.” She apologized. ”I haven’t heard anything from Applejack since then. She never told me where she went.”
“I see.” He then takes out the paper he had. “Fortunately, I have a good idea where. Come on. Let’s move.” He ordered.
The three of them followed Rob out of the forest. Still holding onto the piece of paper, he got a good view of a sentence. It may be a clue that would help Rob find his next friend. Pinkie and the others looked and wondered what was going on. After about an hour or so, the four arrived at an all-too familiar place. Rarity and the others wondered if Rob knew this.
“We have arrived. Didn’t think we would be here after so long.” Rob said. He saw his friends look on in disbelief. “What?”
He then turns around and gets a good look at the place. Not many places stood after Discord took control of the planet. Some were either abandoned or occupied by corrupt Canterlot officials. This place was lucky enough to even exist. Nopony knew why but life can be unpredictable. Dodge Junction was one of the last surviving towns that withstood Discord’s wrath. It was a quiet town where ponies would come to grab a drink, have some entertainment or just drop by to at least forget the troubles of this dying world. Rob sensed that somepony was here. He knows it. The others however weren’t.
“What are we doing here?” said Spike. Rarity and Pinkie thought as well.
Rob answered. “What else? To find Applejack. You said so yourself Rarity that you haven’t heard from her for six months.” Rarity nodded.
“Um Robbie, this town is super big. She can be anywhere or anypony.” Pinkie replied.
“You have a good point. Then Pinkie and I will go undercover and find her.” Rob exclaimed.
“What?! Undercover? What are we going to do? Find Applejack? We don’t know where to start.” In her usual fashion, Pinkie asked questions like there was no tomorrow.
Rarity however had a plan in mind. “If you’re going to go in there and find her, you’ll need at most something to wear.”
Rob and Pinkie stopped and got a look at Rarity. They wondered what she meant but decided to go along with it. Finding a nearby house, the four went inside. Little do they knew that somepony was watching them… watching and waiting. It then decided to follow. Meanwhile, Rarity went to work making outfits for the two. She worked her hardest making sure what she does will help the two complete their goal. After a few minutes, she was finished.
“It’s done. Rob, Pinkie… here you go. These will help you blend in this town.” Rarity said. She used her magic to present the two their outfits. One outfit was a traditional cowboy outfit but was made to house some advantages. The other was an outfit fit for a showgirl giving it a burlesque look.
“Alright. Thanks Rarity.” Rob said, getting his outfit. Pinkie did the same and the two went into separate rooms to change.
Rob came out first and had the look of a cowboy. Spike gave him the thumbs-up. When Pinkie came out, Rob’s expression went from confident to infatuated. Seeing her in that outfit made him a little lovey-dovey. It took two snaps from Spike’s fingers to get him out of it.
“Hey lover stallion, wake up.” Spike said. Rob turned to see him, as surprised as ever.
“Oh sorry Spike. Haven’t seen Pinkie Pie wear that since the time in Appleloosa last year. It still gets me giddy.” He replied. Spike wasn’t impressed.
But Pinkie simply blushed and gave him a smooch. This made Rob get even giddy. Spike and Rarity look on and wonder what’s up with this couple.
“Darlings…” Rarity’s voice got their attention. “Could we save that stuff for after we find Applejack?”
“Oh, yeah… sorry. Come on Pinkie. We got work to do.” Rob responded. The two head out. Before they reached the door, somepony was in their way.
It was a stallion that wore a very strange outfit. It consisted of a long hat, a gray jacket, green pants and had some kind of mask to shield himself from view. Rob and the others wondered who it was. Everything became silent until he spoke.
“Excuse me. Ah’m looking for someone named Rob. Is the fella here?” The pony said. Rob trotted closer to see.
“I’m Rob Stallion.” He replied. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
The stallion asked, “Ah hear you are looking for somepony right? Somepony named Applejack?”
Rob followed by saying, “That’s right. Do you know anything about her that can help us?” Rob and the others saw him removed his hat and took off his mask. He revealed himself to be Big Macintosh, head of the Special Ops in the Equestrian Resistance. Rob and the others look on in shock seeing him.
“Ah figure ah’d find you old buddy.” Said Big Mac. He then gave Rob a big hug. Rob hadn’t felt this amount of happiness in a long time.
“Big Mac? What are you doing around in these parts?” Rob asked.
“Ah thought maybe ah’d find mah sister here. To tell her ah’m sorry for what ah’ve done to her.” Big Mac explained. This made Rob more motivated than before.
“I know she’s here Big Mac. I’ll find her. That’s a promise.” He replied. He then assured Big Mac by giving him a brohoof. Big Mac gave him and Pinkie a hug.
Once that was taken care, the two left and went for the bar. Heading inside, they got a view of the place. It was, as anypony would expect if they entered. Many ponies were coming in enjoying drinks, playing cards or watching the live show with the showmares. Along with that, there was a bartender who was serving out drinks to the many customers. Rob gets a look at the bartender who had a brown coat and her mane and tail were trimmed having a black tone. She wore a traditional outfit made for a bartender not to mention she had the skills to deliver.
“Alright, who asked for the spicy cider martini?” the bartender asked. One pony that was sitting nearby raised his hoof. “Here you are. Who’s next?”
“That’s the bartender over there.” He whispered. “Pinkie, you try to entertain the guests. I’ll see if the bartender is what we’re looking for.”
Rob trotted to a nearby stool hoping to get a drink. Pinkie meanwhile had no idea what to do. There were so many ponies having a good time that it made things a little rough for her. She sees one pony that drank a lot get close to her. His face felt like he went through heck and back.
“Hey there missy… how ya doing?” The stallion said. His speech was slurred and out of place. “Care for some ch-chatter? Or some fun maybe…?” He let out a hiccup followed by a burp.
“No way. Stinky! Stinky! Stinky! Get away from me!” Pinkie replied, pushing the stallion away. What she finds is that it made the stallion angry.
“Shouldn’t have done that sweetheart.” He went closer to Pinkie hoping to teach her a lesson. “Now you’re gonna learn what happens when unlucky mares decide ta reject me.”
He was ready to sock Pinkie in the face but a very unlikely pony held his hoof back. The drunken stupor turned to see and it was Rob. He wasn’t very happy. A punch was thrown sending him straight into a wall. Reeling from the blow, he races toward Rob hoping to fight back. Instead of hitting him, the drunk ended up crashing onto a table.
“Hey!” The bartender said, getting Rob’s attention. “If you can throw this idiot outta here, I’ll hook you up with a free drink.” She then winked at him.
Without so much as a simple thought, Rob grabbed the drunken stallion and threw him out of the bar. Everypony cheered for Rob’s accomplishment. It made him very pleased. Things then went back to normal at the bar. Rob went to Pinkie wondering if she was okay. Fortunately she was. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you. He then saw her head to the stage ready to perform a show for the guests. Now his focus was on that bartender. Taking a seat, he gets her attention.
“So pardner, what’ll it be?” She said.
“I’ll take an apple cider please.” Rob asked. The bartender wondered about him.
“Apple cider? Nopony drinks them anymore. How about an apple cinnamon martini instead?” She suggested.
“You serious?” Rob saw a serious look coming from that bartender. He then says, “Okay fine. I’ll have me an apple cinnamon martini.”
“Comin’ right up.” His eyes were on the bartender. From getting the ingredients ready to making the martini, it was all down in just a matter of seconds. “Here ya go. Drink up. It’s on the house.”
“Thank you.” He drank a sip of the martini that was given to him. One taste from it gave him a very positive response. “Wow, this is good.”
“Ah thank ya for the compliment.” She replied. “You’re new at these parts. Want ta give me a name?”
Hoping to find out more without blowing his cover, Rob answered. “The name is… Roy. Call me Roy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He shared a brohoof with her. “By the way, do you have a name?”
“Ah… mah name is. Ahright, guess it wouldn’t hurt. Mah name’s Auburn. Auburn Onyx.” Auburn replied. “Who’s your fillyfriend over there on tha stage?”
“Her. She’s one of the new Showmares. Heard from management that they’re hiring. I figure I would bring her along. She is a really good dancer.” Rob said. Auburn looked at her dance and was quite pleased.
“Ah really have to say, ya picked the right pony.” Auburn gets another look at Pinkie who was dancing. “Strange… why does she look familiar?”
“Huh? Is something the matter?” Rob asked.
“Nah, nothing’s wrong.” Auburn replied. “Ah’ve noticed you’re looking at me. Something on ya mind?”
“There is quite frankly. Tell me… you the only bartender working in this bar? I wonder if there are anypony else.” Rob questioned.
“Ah’m the only pony here. If you’re thinking anything funny then forget it. Ain’t interested.” Auburn said. The tone of her voice became serious.
“Hard to get huh? I wonder if you’re always like this when stallions try to woo ya.” He responded. A look from Auburn shows that he was persistent.
“If you were one of them saps, you’d be on the floor right now.” She rasped. It scared Rob a bit but he was persistent.
“At least I was trying to help get rid of an annoying drunk. Be grateful for that.” He said. He finished up drinking his apple cinnamon martini.
“I am grateful that you did. Ya know… you’re not that bad.” She replied, giving out a smile.
“I’m good, believe me. Very good.” He said. The smile he gave toward Auburn made her blush a little. He then decides to whisper into Auburn’s ear getting her giddy and excited.
As Rob continued his way in talking with Auburn, Pinkie kept watch. Though she was with the other showmares dancing, she made sure not to let her sight off of Rob and that mare bartender. Seeing his efforts wooing her made Pinkie a little irritated.
You better hope you know what you’re doing Robbie. Pinkie kept on dancing with the other showmares, still having his focus on Rob.
Rob looks at Auburn and says, “Tell me something Auburn, you available after hours? I wouldn’t mind hanging out with ya.”
Auburn thought about it for a few seconds. She then looks at him with a reply. “Ah gotta check with mah boss. He’s one tough cookie. Not to mention he’s hard ta convince.”
“Convince? What’s so hard about convincing for some time off? You at least need it if you work your flank off making drinks for people.” Rob followed.
“Ahright.” She said, letting off a dejected sigh. “I’ll check with my boss upstairs. You wait here.”
Rob saw Auburn head upstairs. He looked at Pinkie and gave her a nod. It was all she needed to see. Fortunately she was finishing up her show. After the cheers, she left the stage and followed Rob upstairs. She then reached Rob and was ready to nag at him.
“Robbie, are you out of your mind? What were you trying to do with the bartender?!” She shouted. “Were you trying to woo her huh? Tell me! Tell me now before I bring out my party cannon on you!”
Rob tried his hardest to calm her down but after a few seconds, he succeeded. “Sorry Pinkie. It’s that I wanted to get to know Auburn a little better. I figure it’d help if we’re going to find out more about her.”
“Oh. I thought you were going to ask her out on a date.” Pinkie said.
Rob looks at her for a bit and said, “I wasn’t. Now come on, let’s move.”
Pinkie and Rob followed Auburn to her boss’ room upstairs. When Auburn opened the door to check on her boss, he wasn’t there. Something wasn’t right and she knew it.
“If you’re looking for your boss, I don’t think he’s around. My guess he skipped town.” Rob’s voice made Auburn turned around.
“Ah thought I told ya to stay on your seat. Why do ya decide to follow me?” She asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I know who you really are behind your disguise.” Rob said.
Auburn wasn’t amused. “Ah don’t need any of this. Ah’m getting me security and-” Before she could trot any further, some stallion was blocking the way. “Excuse me. This here’s a restricted area.”
“Ah’m not moving. Ah need to talk to you.” He took off his hat revealing it to be Big Mac. Auburn became silent after seeing him. “Ah know it’s you… Applejack.”
I knew it. Rob looked on, hearing the revelation.
“Ah’m not Applejack. I’m Auburn Onyx!” She shouted. Her tone became fierce. “She’s hasn’t been seen since that day months back. Ah don’t know where she’d be.”
But Big Mac wasn’t buying it. Hoping to snap her out of it, he responds. “Don’t lie ta me! Ah know it’s you! Are ya still angry because our family hates ya? How they made ya the rotten apple of the family? Tell me?! Ah need to know!”
Auburn couldn’t say anything to Big Mac. Rob along with Pinkie knew who she was behind the disguise. Everything became silent. Rarity and Spike appeared. One look from Rob told them not to talk. As for Auburn, she tried to collect whatever thoughts she had and confronted Big Mac. It wasn’t going to be pretty.
“It’s much more than that.” Her voice changed slightly. “Ah was hated. Ah was teased. Nopony wanted to talk to me. What would ya want me ta do? Huh? Tell me Big Mac! Ah had no choice but to run away! Nopony needed me! Nopony wanted to be around me!” She looked at Big Mac shedding a tear. “It was better for me and our family!”
Rob who saw it all couldn’t find the right words. My god… I had no idea my death would trigger all of this.
“Eenope, it wasn’t. It wasn’t better. In fact, we realized how much we need ya.” Big Mac’s words got Auburn wondering. “We need ya sis. We need ya now more than ever. Our world’s fallin’ apart thanks ta Discord and our family has been split up. Ah’m here sis to say sorry… sorry for all the things that I’ve done to ya. All the things our family has done to ya. So please… please come back ta us. We need ya. Ah need ya.” Big Mac tried hard not to cry. “Your sister needs ya. Please… we need ya back.” She saw him shed a tear. He continued to be serious.
Everypony became silent for a few minutes. Big Mac looked at Auburn with serious eyes. He speculated if she was willing to forgive him. Rob along with Pinkie and the others thought the same thing. Auburn then got a look at Rob, Pinkie and their friends. She then turned to Big Mac. It was then she realized deep inside what she needed to do.
“Ahright… Big Mac, I’ll do it. I’ll come back to tha family. Ah forgive ya big brother.” Hearing that made everyone cheer. She then turns to Rob and the others. They went to Applejack and the five shared a hug. Big Mac joined in as well.
“It’s good to have you back Applejack. Really really good to have you back again.” Said Pinkie Pie. “Saw me dancing? Was I good? Huh? Tell me.”
“You were good Pinkie. Although I never thought that Robbie here was such a smooth talker.” Hearing that made Rob blush a bit. “But ah do have to say thanks for getting rid of that drunk. He was a major bother to all the showmares.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do.” Applejack went and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It made him a little jumpy but it didn’t matter. Pinkie was a little upset but was so happy that she didn’t feel bothered by it.
“I do have to say Applejack. You look really well in brown and black.” Rarity said.
“Ah appreciate the comment Rarity but ah’d prefer my old look better. We got work to do and a world to save.” Replied Applejack. The others including Big Mac agreed.
“Now then, it’s time for me to do my job.” Rob said. “Applejack, this may tingle a bit but I feel that it’ll really help.”
“Rob, what are ya doing?” She asked.
“Don’t worry Applejack. Robbie is going to do something that’ll help us. So no worries.” Pinkie responded, reassuring Applejack.
“Ah-ahright. Big Mac, are you sure ya letting Rob do this?” She inquired.
Big Mac gave her a nod followed by this, “Eeyup.”
Rob smiled as he went to work. Closing his eyes, his body began to engulf in a bright light. Applejack suddenly felt energy all over her body. The process lasted for a couple of seconds. During the process, her disguise began to fade away returning her to normal. When it was done, the light went away. Pinkie and the others saw Applejack’s element appear infused to her body. Applejack looked at Pinkie and Rarity. They each have their elements within their bodies.
“Allow me to explain. I just used my powers to infuse you with your Element of Honesty. Not only that but I’ve enhanced it so that Discord’s magic can’t affect you. You’re going to need it because he won’t be pulling any punches this time.” Rob said, letting out a smile but was determined to hopefully keep on going.
“Thanks Rob. Ah’ll need all the help we can get.” Applejack then went to Big Mac and gave him a hug. “Don’t worry Big Mac. Ah’ll make my family proud. You watch me.”
“Ah’m counting on ya sis.” He put his hat over her head. “Our family is counting on ya. Ah have to go now. Ah have a job to do.”
“Take care big brother.” She hugged Big Mac once more and saw him put his clothes back on and be on his way. Seeing her friends, Applejack turns around and says, “Let’s leave this town. We got friends ta find.” Everypony let out a cheer.
Rob and Pinkie changed back to normal before they went on their way. After leaving the bar, he looked at the paper he had and found another location. Though he wonder if his friends wouldn’t mind going back.
“Guys… I don’t now if it’s okay to say it but, I think we need to head back to Ponyville. There are still some ponies we need to find.” Rob said.
“Who da we need to find? Ponyville’s been barricaded. No pony can get in or out. It’s off limits!” Applejack replied. Her friends nodded in agreement.
Rob however disagreed. “Afraid not. I took care of all the security there. It’s empty. The rebels should have it occupied by now. But regardless, there’s a reason why we need to go back.”
“You mean…” Rarity said.
“Twilight and Fluttershy right?” Pinkie followed. He gave them a nod.
“Let’s move. Every second we waste means that Discord will continue ta bring chaos to the world.” Applejack followed.
The five trotted on their way to Ponyville but since they knew it would take a while, they decided to take a train. Although the world was submerged in eternal chaos, transportation still continued to function as long as Distopia wasn’t part of that route. Rob along with the others settled down contemplating their options.
“Okay Rob, what do ya have up your sleeves? You’ve already rescued me, Pinkie and Rarity. How are we going to rescue Fluttershy and Twilight?” asked Applejack.
“At this point, Ponyville is abandoned. I knocked out all the guards since my arrival here got their attention. We’ll find Fluttershy first. I know from Shining Armor how each of you suffered after I well… departed somewhat.” He replied.
“I don’t think you need to tell us. We all suffered badly after you left. It was horrible.” Spike said. Rob comforted him with a hug.
“Don't worry. You guys ain’t to blame. I have to take responsibility for what I did. But for now, we need to hurry for Fluttershy’s cottage. That’s priority number one. After that, we head for the Library.” Rob explained.
“Hate to say it but the library is protected by a barrier that Twilight had made. Ah guess that since she’s the one who came up with it, she suffered the worst.” Applejack said.
“I know. Shining Armor told me everything on how each of you suffered. I only hope that when it’s over, we can put this behind us and be like one big family again.” Rob replied, saddened by the consequences of his actions.
Pinkie then gave him a hug in the hopes that frown can turn upside down. The others joined in as well. By then, the train reached its destination: Ponyville. When the five get out, they see that the Resistance forces have occupied the town. Rob seemed pleased of this since now the base is getting more morale due to his presence. Once they were greeted by some of the members, they continued toward Fluttershy’s cottage, which was on the outskirts of town. They arrived and saw Fluttershy getting ready to leave. It wasn’t just her but every single animal that she rescued as well. Rob and the others had no idea what was going to happen.
“Fluttershy!” Rob shouted. When she got a look, she noticed Rob alongside his friends. She had a look of utter shock seeing him again especially with how he looked.
“Rob… wh-what are you doing here?” She struggled to find the right words. The fact that her friend has come back made it a bit difficult. “How… how have you come back?”
He responds, “It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to all of you later. Right now, we’re here for you.”
“Yeah! We all are. So what’s with the bags? You leaving somewhere?” Pinkie asked. Fluttershy tried hard not to say anything to them.
“Pinkie, the bags that she’s carrying tell us that she’s leaving somewhere.” Applejack then turns to Fluttershy. “What’s going on Fluttershy?”
“Um… I’m leaving. I’m leaving Ponyville.” Fluttershy’s words left her friends in a state of shock. “I… I don’t like being here. Everypony hated me. I tried to take care of all my friends here but… it’s so hard.”
“It’s hard because we’re all to blame.” Rob said. “Each of us is to blame for how this world is right now. Unless we can set things right, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Robbie is right Fluttershy. We’re all in this together, even you. So please, we need you.” Pinkie said.
“Darling, what happened can’t be taken back. This is a problem that we all must fix. So what do you say? Will you stay?” Rarity asked. Spike nodded knowing she got her back and so did the others.
It took Fluttershy quite a while before she made her decision. Rob and his friends hoped that she would make the correct choice. Angel came by pulling on Fluttershy’s mane. It was a sign stating that they’re ready to leave. But one look from her tells the bunny they’re not.
“We’re not leaving Angel. I’m staying.” Fluttershy ordered. She turned to find her friends happy. “I’m staying… for my friends.”
Fluttershy shared hugs with all her friends. Now they had one more ally joining them in their crusade to save their world. Like the others, Rob stepped forward and placed his hoof on Fluttershy’s head. Light engulfed them both as the process lasted a few seconds. When it was over, Rob completed his goal. Fluttershy got a look at a nearby puddle and saw that she was infused with the Element of Kindness. One look gave her a bit of surprise.
“Only two left… come on guys. Let’s head for the library.” Rob said. The others nodded, following along.
“Um Rob… what was that?” asked Fluttershy.
Rob was ready to explain but Pinkie took care of that for him. “Robbie just did something super-ultra-special to ya. Look!” She showed Fluttershy her Element of Harmony.
“Your element… it’s in you.” She said, surprisingly.
“What that boy did was merged us with our elements. Plus, they’ll help against that Discord. That ah think ah’m grateful for.” Applejack replied.
“Pretty much. I still have Magic and Loyalty that need to be returned to their owners.” Rob exclaimed.
The five trekked back to Ponyville. Up ahead was the Golden Oaks Library, residence of Twilight Sparkle and Spike. After Rob’s death and the discovery of being expelled as Princess Celestia’s student, Twilight locked herself in the library. A barrier was formed preventing anyone from getting into the library. Nopony has ever seen her since and many wonder if she’s still in there. When they arrived, they see Trixie trying her hardest to tear that barrier down. She has had very little success.
“This barrier is impossible to take down. Trixie now wonders what Twilight was thinking when she did this.” Trixie said. She turned to see Rob and his friends coming closer.
“I take it you’re still trying to tear that barrier down aren’t you?” He asked. She wasn’t pleased to hear that.
“Whatever Twilight has done is making things impossible. I’ve looked through every single spell I had up Trixie’s sleeves and nothing works. Nothing!” Trixie replied, fuming angry over the barrier’s complexity.
“Let me try. Maybe I’ll crack this barrier to shreds.” Rob said. He stretched a bit, getting himself focused.
“Good luck. Trixie has tried everything in her arsenal but nothing worked.” Trixie replied, making good with her words.
With enough space, Rob closed his eyes and began tapping into his dormant powers. Pinkie and the others got a look at the show that would transpire. A golden light began emanating around Rob causing him to transform into Nova, the Blazing Centurion. Seeing the barrier in front of him, he began building up energy. Trixie and the others continued to watch. Once he gathered enough strength, he gently went closer to the barrier. Using one hoof, he touched the barrier. Sensing the right spot, he made his move. Using energy he built up, Nova smacked it. The barrier let out a circulated wave that made him reel back a bit.
“See? The barrier didn’t do a dent! Do you think that Trixie is lying?!” Trixie shouted. Rob’s friends were silent. They turned to see what transpired next.
Cracks began to form from the point where he hit the barrier. Within seconds, the barrier began to break apart and then it was shattered. Trixie looked on in shock seeing Nova destroy the barrier that covered the library, whereas her magic couldn’t lay a dent. Rob powered down back to normal. He turned to see his friends cheering and Trixie completely stupefied by what she saw.
“And that’s… how you do it.” Rob said. “Come on, let’s move!”
Rob and the others went inside the library. Shaking her head from the shock, Trixie regains her composure and follows. The door then went open with a fierce push. What the seven saw was a very unpleasant sight. It was a complete mess. Books were seen all over the room. Many were thrown around, ripped apart or even burned to cinders. The smell of the room was enough to make anypony repulse in disgust. What was also noticeable was there was no light. A broken light bulb was seen nearby. This tells the seven that Twilight had been here. The question now is what and why.
“My word, this place is horrendous!” shouted Rarity. “What did Twilight do to leave this place so horrid like this?”
“If you’re going to complain about this Rarity, you can always wait outside.” Rob replied.
Rarity then followed with, “I’m sorry. It’s that like all of us here, I worry for Twilight. I really do. The poor thing… I only hope she’s doing alright.”
“We all do Rarity. We all do. Believe me.” Responded Applejack.
“Can we save this chatter for after we find Twilight? Trixie despises being around company.” Everypony looked at Trixie with an obvious glare. “What?”
“Never mind. Let’s head upstairs.” Rob ordered.
They went upstairs getting a look at the next room. It was even more of a bigger mess than it was the previous room. But Rob and Trixie know something is off. Somepony was here. They know it.
“Trixie senses something. Somepony is here and I know it.” Trixie said. Her horn was powering up.
“I agree. I sense it too. The element says that it’s very close.” Rob responded. His eyes darted all over the room until he spots some sort of bush nearby. “There.”
Rob along with Trixie and the others went closer to the bush. Gulping, Rob gently touches it. The bush began to react from the touch and a head was seen. This made him and Trixie move back a bit. Everyone got a look at what came forth from the bush. It was a unicorn pony that looked withered. Her coat was a complete mess, overgrown to the point that her cutie mark was covered. Normal eyes couldn’t see it. Her mane and tail were frizzled and shortened. Seeing this was completely horrifying, not just for Rob but also for all his friends especially Spike.
“Is that… is that Twilight?” Spike asked. Rob looked at him and gave him a nod. “What happened to her?”
“This is just horrendous. Twilight, what has happened to you?” Rarity asked. She gave them one look and not said a thing.
“Ha! The mighty Twilight Sparkle has fallen. Look at her! Dropping down to the lowest of low. I, the Great and Powerful Trixie laughs at you!” She then began to laugh at Twilight in her usual fashion.
For a brief three minutes, Trixie gloated on and on about how better she was over Twilight. She was in fact unaware that Rob and the others weren’t laughing. Looks of anger were seen in their eyes. One look told the story and Trixie simply stopped laughing. It wasn’t the right time to be doing this.
“Fine. Trixie will refrain from bantering Twilight.” She then watched as Rob and the others got to work helping their friend.
“Twilight… my god. What happened to you?” Rob asked.
Twilight turned and got a look at him. She couldn’t say anything but her actions spoke from her. All Rob saw was a look of shock in her eyes surprised that he was back among the living and not in the great beyond.
After the unexpected shock, she replied, “You… you’re the reason. It’s because of you that you ruined everything.”
“Why was it my fault? You were the one who decided to come up with the ploy of teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson. Too bad it ended up making you and everypony look bad.” He shouted.
“Rob had a point Twilight.” Said Applejack, “We all knew what we did was wrong and look at it now!”
“That’s right. Because of our actions… and his death… Discord is free once more. Equestria has been turned upside down and it’s our fault.” Responded Rarity.
Applejack followed up, “But now we’re ready to give that Discord a hoofbucking. Rob has been finding us and we need ya now more than ever.”
“So um please… please help us.” Whispered Fluttershy.
“Yeah Twilight. The Elements of Harmony aren’t the same without ya. So can ya? Huh? Pretty please?” asked Pinkie.
Spike went closer to Twilight with tears in his eyes. He was hurt seeing her like this. “Come on Twilight. I don’t want to lose my best friend. So please…. Help us.”
Twilight got a look at all six of them. They all wanted her back despite the fact that she was the one behind the Mare Do Well mess. Though it was meant to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson, it ended up causing problems for everypony involved. With the world turned upside down due to Discord’s return, all hope was lost.
But Twilight gave them a glare and said this. “I’m sorry but I can’t. It’s my fault that all this happened. I don’t want to be a hero anymore.”
Everypony was shocked after hearing what Twilight said. Pinkie asked, “But why Twilight? Why you don’t want to help us?”
Twilight explains, “Look, I have nothing against you all but this hero business is the reason why Rob died and how everypony now hates us. Not to mention the princess expelling me. That alone hurt me so bad that I just ripped all my friendship letters I did to her.”
“Twilight…” said Applejack. “Ah didn’t know no longer being Celestia’s student hurt ya that much.”
“Guess you never knew. My guess is that Celestia must have found some other pony to take my place.” She then was ready to turn around and trot off.
Rob however, didn’t like what he saw. “Do forgive me.” In a fit of either anger or stupidity, he comes up to Twilight and gives her a strong slap to the face. Everypony, including Trixie was literally stunned seeing that.
“I’m sorry but it’s time you wake up and realize what’s really going on.” Twilight shifted her head and ignored Rob. “Listen to me Twilight. What’s done is done. Nothing can be done about it. Remember the time you tried to warn your past self about a tragedy that never happened?”
“I remember. What are you implying with this?” Twilight questioned.
“The past can’t be changed. Even if you think it is so, it’s the absolute truth. We can’t change the past but we can work for a better future. I need all the help I can get to set things right.” He turned to see his friends looking at him. Trixie just simply watched. “You know you’ll have to live with all this but at least help us. Only then will Celestia see that you deserve another chance at being her student.”
“And how do I do that? Tell me.” Twilight replied.
“By coming with us. You and Dashie are the only two left and I must return what belongs to you.” Rob looked at Twilight hoping to see if she’ll consider. “So, will you help us?”
“As much as I want to… I can’t.” Twilight said, refusing Rob’s offer. This got the others a bit disappointed. But Rob wasn’t giving up.
“Then I guess I’m left with no choice Twilight Sparkle.” He places both hooves around her head. “I think you are in need of a refresher.”
Rob closed his eyes as he lets the Element of Magic do his job. Twilight began to see many things passing through at blinding speed. From when she was born, discovering her talents, heading to Ponyville, meeting all her friends, finding the Elements, learning various lessons, defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord, seeing her brother get married, seeing Rob make the ultimate sacrifice. When it was over, Rob put his hooves down. Twilight looked around and realized the situation.
“What… what’s going on here?” She asked. She turned to see her friends being all teary-eyed. “Guys? What are you?”
In a split second, Rob saw Twilight and her friends share a warm tearful embrace. Trixie simply looked on almost as if she wanted to throw up. All Rob could do was smile since he helped Twilight get to her senses. She then went to Rob and gave him a hug. It was her way of saying thank you. Rob repays the favor by infusing her with the Element of Magic. Once everything was done, Rarity took care of things by giving Twilight a much-needed makeover. Once it was finished, Twilight looked exactly as she was. She got to see the others already infused with their Elements but Rob’s face went from a smile to seriousness.
“What’s the matter Rob? Something bugging you?” Twilight asked.
“Only one left… Rainbow Dash.” He replied. “I know for certain that we won’t be going to her.”
“What do ya mean?” questioned Applejack. “What is it about Rainbow Dash?”
“She’s going to us.” But then, he senses something. His face changes to worry. “She’s here.”
Everypony looked on wondering what Rob meant. He already raced outside to see forcing the other seven to follow. When they reached outside, they see Rainbow Dash up above. She was a pegasus pony but her coat was completely gray. Even her cutie mark was gray as well. Her eyes were yellow and bright like the sun but the pupils were of blood red. It represented the result of being corrupted by Discord, except that she was corrupted to the core. All of them saw Rainbow Dash up above but the question remains… why is she here?
“Rainbow Dash…” Rob said, looking on in shock. “My god…”
“Well, didn’t think I’d find you all here.” Dash replied. “Guess he was right all along.”
“Dashie, is that you?” Pinkie asked.
“Sorry but the friend that you knew is long gone.” She responded, her tone cold and lifeless. “I’m now enforcer to the Chaotic Lord.”
“Rainbow Dash, stop this. This isn’t like you at all. Whatever happened to being loyal to your friends?” Twilight pondered.
“Loyal… To a bunch of jerks like you guys? As if!” She replied. “It’s thanks to you that I know what really means to be loyal.”
“Rob, we’ll handle Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said. “We’ll see if we can restore her back to normal.”
“Are you sure? Are you going to need help for this?” Rob asked. But the others look at him knowing they can handle it. “Alright, I’ll let you handle this. But if things get crazy, I’m stepping in. I still have a job to do.”
“We all know ya have a job to do Rob and we appreciate it. Now let us do ours.” Replied Applejack. Rob gave them a nod.
“Not letting your hero do the work for ya? This is going to be a lot of fun.” Rainbow Dash smiled with an evil glee.
Rob and Spike went back a bit getting a look at the battle that would transpire. Trixie watched as well. They see Rainbow Dash race toward them and a battle ensued between the Mane Six. Twilight and the others used their strengths hoping to keep her at bay. But it was of no avail. She was on the offensive striking the others at every possible chance. The five were getting tossed around like ragdolls all at Rainbow Dash’s amusement. It was a battle that was doomed from the start.
“Come on, is that it!? You girls are pathetic!” She shouted, smacking Twilight in the face. “You were right Twilight. Guess your little lesson you wanted to teach me did work after all.”
“Please… stop this Rainbow Dash. This isn’t you.” Twilight pleaded.
“No. This is what I wanted.” She slammed Twilight to the ground. “I now realize what it really means to be loyal. I always thought that it had to do with trusting more toward your friends.”
“Ya always were loyal Dash. Always.” Applejack spoke, getting up and trying to plead to her. “Ah never forget the times you were there for us.”
“But you really don’t know do you?” Rainbow Dash goes closer to Applejack and delivers a blow to the side. Applejack reeled in pain. “I now understand what loyalty is. It isn’t with my so-called friends… it’s with myself!”
She then saw Fluttershy trying to get up so she races to her and slams her down. All the while, Twilight and the others tried their best to convince Rainbow Dash that what she’s doing isn’t the right way. Rainbow wasn’t interested so she beat them down. Rob kept watching and didn’t like it one bit. Spike noticed him becoming angry.
“Rob, are you… are you alright?” Spike asked. He didn't say anything.
“When you all pulled that Mare Do Well act a few months back, you did teach me a lesson. I learned that your friends can one minute be nice and the next can hurt you in the worst possible way.” She shouted, smacking Rarity with another jab.
“We did not do this… to hurt you Rainbow Dash… we wanted to help you. That’s all.” Rarity replied, struggling to speak.
“Help me? I didn’t need you to tell me how I be a hero. I didn’t need anyone. It felt so good when Rob humiliated all of you. You all got what was coming, especially you Pinkie Pie.” She shouted, getting a good view of Pinkie who got up after getting smacked about. After she struck Rarity’s face to the ground, she walked closer to Pinkie.
“Dashie… stop. Please Dashie, I beg of you. This isn’t like you at all. Robbie did humiliate us but he tried so hard to set things right.” Pinkie said, insistent on telling her friend to stop.
“But when he came to all of you, what did you do? Tell me Pinkie, what?” Dash asked. She then shouted all while delivering blow after blow to Pinkie. “You ignored him! You shunned him out! You even hurt him! Is that what a friend does to others? Huh? Tell me!”
She then decided to grab Pinkie by the neck. Her smile was still there but now was replaced with rage, savagery, disloyalty and a craving for pain. Pinkie tried her hardest to let go but Rainbow’s grip was very strong. She was gasping for air, trying to breathe but it was replaced with grunts. Dashie beat on her violently, hurting her “friend”. Seeing all his friends getting beaten up was putting a serious toll on Rob physically and mentally. The last straw came as he sees Dash beating on Pinkie, the one he loved. He made a promise that he would protect her no matter what from anything that would bring harm to Pinkie or anypony.
“That’s enough…” he whispered. His voice began to build up, getting Spike’s attention.
“Is everything okay Rob?” Spike questioned.
“I said that’s enough.” He said. Rainbow Dash didn’t listen and she kept at it beating Pinkie. “That’s enough… that’s ENOUGH!”
His shout awakened the rage inside him. Within a second, he went Nova and dashed straight toward Dash. A punch was thrown and the force of the hit sent her flying to a broken-down house. Her grip on Pinkie was released almost immediately but was injured severely due to the blows. Pinkie got a look and saw Rob who has immediately went into Nova Prime. He touched her gently and using his power was able to heal her. His sight turned to Rainbow Dash who was reeling from the blow Nova gave her.
“You leave my fillyfriend alone. They are not the ones that caused the world to fall apart. It was I! I’m the one that you want!” Nova shouted.
“So now you take the blame for what they did to you and Equestria? What a laugh!” Rainbow Dash countered. All he gave her was a simple gesture. It was more than enough to get her riled up and ready for battle.
Rainbow Dash delivered the first blow, smacking Nova fiercely. Despite that, he countered with one of his own. The two exchanged blows for a few seconds before it led into a major brawl. But Nova contemplated on what he should do.
If I choose to fight, as I should, I could end up hurting her. Time I try a new strategy. He jumped a bit getting a good view of Dash.
“What’s wrong Nova? Running away? Just like your cowardly friends?” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“I ain’t running. I want to see if you can lay a single blow at me. Do you have what it takes?” He offered.
Taking the challenge, Rainbow Dash raced toward Nova and tried to lay a hoof on him. He simply dodges it with little to no effort. She kept on going trying to at least get a good hit. Nova’s speed was so fast that she was unable to keep up. Meanwhile, Pinkie was able to get the others together and they all got a look at the fight. It lasted for a couple of minutes and by then, Dash was exhausted. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t do it. This got her angry. Nova walked closer to her.
“What’s… with… you? You’re… too… fast.” Rainbow Dash said, out of breath and struggling to even hit him. She was weak due to her attempts and trying to stand up is a major drain to her body.
“Guess you never were that good huh?” He walked closer to her. “Now, it’s my turn.” He then delivers a hoof to her face. That one blow alone sent her flying 20 feet before landing on the ground face first. Not only that but it knocked her out for a while.
Nova grabbed Rainbow Dash’s body and flew to where Twilight and the others were. They saw him put her on the ground below. He then powered down reverting back to Rob. With just a simple nod, Twilight Sparkle went to work trying to return Rainbow Dash to normal. But something was wrong. Her magic wasn’t working and Rainbow Dash was still discorded.
“What’s going on Twilight? Why isn’t it working?” Pinkie asked. She looked at Rob and not even he has an answer.
“Discord’s magic is too powerful. She corrupted Rainbow Dash to the core. I don’t know how long I can do this.” She responded.
“Why don’t we all use our power to help Twilight? It may work.” Applejack suggested.
The others including Rob agreed and they all gathered next to Twilight. Closing their eyes, the six used the power of the seven Elements to purify Rainbow Dash and un-discord her. Color began to appear around Rainbow Dash. Her mane returned back to what it was; all seven colors of the rainbow. Her coat was of a sky blue and her cutie mark was filled with color once more. Now back to normal, Rainbow Dash saw her friends exhausted. It was daunting and draining.
“Are you guys alright?” She asked. “Uh, why are you guys looking at me?” All of them looked at Rainbow Dash with smiles.
They all got into a group hug full of smiles and tears. Even Spike joined in on it because seeing his friends fight each other was hurtful. But now that they are reunited again, the world may have a chance after all. After their little tearful reunion, Rob returns the Element of Loyalty to Rainbow Dash by means of element infusion. Everyone got a look at each other and saw that they have their respective Elements.
“Now that we’re all together again, there’s still one thing left we need to do.” Rob said.
“What do you mean?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “And what’s happened here? Why’s Ponyville so messed up?”
“I’ll explain everything when we get ourselves back to base. It’s only fair that we plan our next move. Let’s go.” Rob ordered. His friends nod at him and they were on the move.
“Hold on!” Rob and the others turn around to see Trxie, fuming mad. “Trixie wishes for an explanation now! What has happened?”
“Maybe when we head back Trixie, Rob will tell you. So come on, let’s go!” Twilight said. Still angry, Trixie followed.
Leaving Ponyville behind, Rob along with the Mane Six, Spike and Trixie head for the Resistance Base. After an hour-long trek, they arrived. They all got a look seeing things change for the better. After hearing that Rob Stallion had returned, morale has hit an all-time high. With this high morale, they were able to succeed in several missions reacquiring many territories from Discord. Victory was at sight. However, there were still some loose ends that need tying up.
“Yo! Shining Armor… we’re back!” Rob shouted. Shining Armor turned to see him again. “See? Told ya I would find everypony.”
He was ready to greet Rob for his success but then turned his sight to someone else. It was his little sister Twilight, who he hasn’t seen since the incident six months back. Rob knew it was going to be inevitable.
“Hello Twi.” Shining Armor said.
“Hi big brother.” Twilight replied. “Um, I just wanted to say I’m…”
Shining interrupted her by saying, “No. Twilight, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I should have never hurt you like that. I felt guilty because of my actions and even now, it hurts me inside.”
“I’m sorry too. I should have never done what I did all those months ago. I’m sorry for hurting everypony in Ponyville, including my BBBFF, big brother best friend forever. Can you forgive me?” Twilight asked. She looked at him wondering if he’ll do it.
He thought about what she said for a few seconds. Thinking about what Rob told him earlier and the consequences of his actions, Shining looked at her sister and gave her a hug. Twilight responded all the same embracing his warm hug. Forgiveness was formed between the two of them. But it was far from finished. Applejack spots Princess Cadence who was with three young fillies; one Earth, one Unicorn and one Pegasus.
“Excuse me but…” said Cadence. “Some ponies would like to see you.” She moved to let Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo trot forward.
“Applebloom? What are y’all doing here?” asked Applejack.
“Sweetie Belle. I thought you were with mother and father?” wondered Rarity.
“Scootaloo…” spoke Rainbow Dash. She couldn’t say anything else to her.
All three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash with mixed feelings. Each of them knew what they had done, not just toward Rob but also to everypony in Equestria. Friendships were shattered, dreams were broken and everypony was guilty of hurting each other. Something had to happen between the six and it needed a little push to make it work.
“Hey.” Rob said. The six turned to see him smiling. “Aren’t you all going to say anything? Now would be the time.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Replied Applebloom. She turned to her sister and said, “Sis, Cadence told me what happened and we all knew that what ya did was wrong.”
“Mom and dad didn’t like what you’ve done Rarity.” Spoke Sweetie Belle. “And so did I. I didn’t want to be near you.”
“I looked up to you Rainbow Dash! I idolized you! You were my role model! You were my friend!” Responded Scootaloo. “But when you turned evil and hurt everypony, you hurt me too! I could never forgive you for what you did!”
Rainbow Dash saw Scootaloo ready to burst into tears. Applejack and Rarity felt the rage from their younger siblings due to their actions. But even though the anger they had toward the three were fierce, all of them knew what really mattered.
“Applebloom…” Applejack said, “We all know what we did.”
“Sweetie Belle, I should have realized how wrong I was.” responded Rarity.
Rainbow Dash followed by saying, “I let you down Scootaloo… I really did. All I… no, all we want to say is.”
And the three then said, “We’re sorry! We’re sorry for what we’ve done!”
“Are you Cutie Mark Crusaders ready to forgive, forget and move on?” Rob asked, looking at the three young mares.
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo thought about what their elder siblings have said along with looking back at the past sins they had committed. Suddenly the anger the Cutie Mark Crusaders had toward Rarity and the others disappeared. What came next was filled with emotion and tears. All six of them hugged one another filled with hugs and forgiveness. Rob looked with a smile now that everyone has forgiven, forgotten and moved on. Turning to Shining Armor, there was one more thing he needed to do.
“Shining Armor…” Rob said, catching his attention. “Get a meeting set up. We need to prepare.”
“Uh, sure. I’ll do that.” Shining Armor replied.
Rob trotted off to base hoping to get some R&R. Everything he had done led him to reunite with his family. All of them now carry their Elements of Harmony. The Resistance was fighting back gaining one victory after another. Their morale was an all-time high and their forces now finding hope within Rob and the Mane Six. Now they were ready… ready to take back their world from the Chaotic Lord and set things right.
A few hours later…
After everypony settled down, Shining Armor arranged a meeting between Rob, the Mane 6 and the other generals. Everypony looked at one another waiting and wondering. Their thoughts carried a mixture of emotions. Shining Armor then shows up and the meeting gets underway.
“Alright everypony. I apologize if I had to make this meeting under short notice.” He said. “But I want this meeting to come to order.”
“What’s going on big brother?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Is it about Discord?”
He nodded at her and said, “It is. Thanks to Rob, he has reunited the Elements of Harmony. Now we are ready to begin our final assault on Distopia.”
“Distopia?” asked Applejack. “What kind of place is dat?”
“It’s da home of dat Chaotic Lord, Discord.” Answered Big Mac, “He made it his base ever since he broke free out of dat prison.”
“What? But that’s impossible!” shouted Rarity.
“I agree with everypony on this. How could this have happened?” Twilight asked.
“It’s because of all of you.” Shining Armor responded. Twilight and the others were perplexed hearing this. “What happened six months ago was the starting point. The friendship that all of you had broke down after Rob died. Because of this, it allowed Discord to break free from his prison and the chaos that ensued made him very powerful.”
“I was there when it happened!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “When he showed up, everything went crazy. I’ll never forget the moment when his touch corrupted me. Discorded me to the core!”
Rainbow Dash felt like she was tormented as if all the fears of betraying those around her get to her skin. Pinkie gave her a hug hoping for the sadness to disappear. The others did the same.
“And now he takes up residence in Distopia, the ruins of Canterlot.” Spoke Cadence. “Since then he watches over our world bringing chaos to anypony that dares to oppose him.”
“That’s going to change.” Replied Shining Armor. Everypony became silent. “Thanks to you Rob, our morale has hit an all-time high. We’ve gained allies I thought we never see. All of us have now united to bring hope back to Equestria.”
“It’s good to hear.” Praised Rob. “Now then, what’s your plan of attack for this little situation?”
Shining Armor replied, “Very simple.” He used his magic to bring out a map of Equestria. Opening it up, everypony got a look while he got to work planning their assault.
“Discord’s fortress is situated at Distopia. It’s heavily fortified and filled with many discorded guards. But these guards aren’t the typical ones that are seen in some places. These are higher-ranked, stronger and can put up a heck of a fight. Believe me, we lost many good stallions against them. Think of them as the elite.” Shining Armor explained.
“The Elite huh? So tell me, how are we going to deal with the Elite if all we need to do is get into his fortress? Any ideas?” Rob offered.
Shining Armor along with the other generals went into a huddle. Rob and the others look on wondering what they’re discussing. The huddle breaks up and they all look at the seven.
“After deliberation, I believe that we have only one solution to the problem.” Shining Armor said.
“What would that be?” questioned Rob.
“Our forces will go on the offensive attacking Discord’s army. While the fight goes on, you seven can go in the castle undetected. That way, you can be able to reach him without anypony finding you.” Shining Armor suggested.
Sensing the danger, Rob replied, “But you know that your squad will get their rear ends handed to them right? It’s a risky move.”
“It’s a risk we may need to take. This is war after all.” But Shining Armor had one other thing to say to Rob. “By the way, is there another reason why you wanted me to set this meeting up?”
“Yes. Trixie is curious why you would insist on doing this?” All the other generals wondered as well.
“I think I’ll let him speak for me.” Everypony pondered about what he said. “You can come out now.”
Everypony saw a floating circulated orb appear before them. What happened next would literally turn heads. It transformed into a human head wearing a helmet, similar to Rob’s. Silence was heard throughout the entire room. All the others wondered who this being was and why Rob brought him along. Rob had a stern look on his face. He knows something that the others don’t. It was going to be one meeting that no pony would ever forget.
“Everypony, this is Worldmind. He is the embodiment of the Nova Force. Basically he’s the source of my powers. Not to mention, he taught me how to control them.” Rob said. “I take it you got some news huh?”
“Yes, I do. It is imperative that this comes to your attention.” He spoke. His tone was mysterious, cryptic and well informed.
“My word… what is this?” whispered Fancy Pants. He took off his monocle and cleaned it trying to wonder if what he saw is real.
Worldmind turned to Fancy Pants and answered, “What you are seeing is real. I have helped your friend learn to control his strengths. He has proven remarkable.”
“As much as I want to know about you, I want to know… why are you here?” Shining Armor requested.
“I believe you all here have a right to know. Very well…” Worldmind began to explain the situation to everypony. “I have been observing your planet and have noticed a change in the balance between harmony and disorder.”
“Balance? What do you mean?” questioned Twilight Sparkle.
“It means that due to recent events, your planet has shifted into the negative axis. The level of turmoil and disarray has reached its peak. It isn’t affecting just your planet but its core as well.” Replied Worldmind.
“The planet’s core?” Shining Armor spoke.
“Yes. I am not certain of how this has happened but what I can say is this. Due to the corruption that has affected your planet, I’m afraid your world is in danger.” Worldmind’s words literally scared everypony in the room. Rob wasn’t scared.
But then Rainbow Dash flew toward Worldmind and asks, “Hold on. When you mean our world’s in danger, you mean something bad is going to happen?!”
Worldmind gave her a nod and replied, “Yes. Unless the core can be purged of chaos, your world will soon end. All life in this world will be extinguished… none of you will survive.”
They all were filled with worry and fear. Finding out that their world may perish left a shock to everypony involved. Even the Resistance generals were shocked after hearing this. Rob then steps forward getting to the bottom of this.
“How much time do we have before the planet decides to go out with a bang?” Rob asked.
“As of this moment… 48 hours.” Worldmind saw the fear that was in everypony’s eyes. There had to be something that can reassure them of this fate. “However, should you be able to purge the chaos that exists in your planet, then this world can be saved.”
“And how do we do that? With our Elements of Harmony?” queried Pinkie.
“I am not certain. All I know is that you need a power strong enough to purge the evil completely. I know you will be able to succeed in your mission.” He then turns to the others. “Do not be afraid. You must fight to bring order back to your world. Together, I know all of you will succeed.”
“But what about you? What are ya planning to do while this planet gets ready to go kablooie?” questioned Big Mac.
It turned to get a look at Big Mac. “Simply watch. It is all I can do. I cannot intervene. You all have the power to shape your world’s destiny. Use it responsibly.”
“So all we got is 2 days… we’ll have to work quickly if we’re to stop Discord and save the world.” Everypony nodded at Shining Armor’s words. “That is all. Meeting adjourned. It was a pleasure to meet you Worldmind.”
“The pleasure is mine. We shall meet again.” Worldmind then disappears becoming the orb it once was.
The meeting ended with a shocking revelation. Discovering that their world will soon end in mere hours has struck a chord to everypony involved. While the others head off to figure things out, Rob however trotted to his quarters trying to contend with the situation at hand.
Worldmind certainly has a sense of humor… finding out that the end of the world happens in 48 hours. Wow. He was getting ready for a good night’s rest until a certain pink pony comes in wanting a chat.
“Robbie…” said Pinkie. He turns to get a look. She carried a concerned look on her face. This got him worried.
“What’s up Pinkie? Something bugging you?” He asked. She gave him a nod.
“Yes. It’s what that floating head thing said. If we defeat Discord, we’ll save Equestria and the world right?” She replied with a question of her own.
Rob tried to give a nod but couldn’t. “It’s not that simple. The planet has become discorded. When I first arrived after my six-month hiatus, I noticed right off the bat. The only way we can save it is by heading to the planet’s core and purging it completely of chaos.”
“But that’s insane!” Pinkie shouted. “No pony has ever done it! You, me and everypony know that it can’t be done.”
“It’s the only way. I have the power to do it.” He then looks at her and said, “Why do you think I can go Harmony Nova Prime if I need to.”
Carrying a look of anger, Pinkie replies, “But that ended up hurting you badly didn’t it?” Rob gave her a nod. “It ended up taking you away from us… away from me.”
Before Rob could say anything else, Pinkie heads close to him with a stare that can’t be ignored. Anyone who looked at her like that was going to be in for major trouble. Too bad a blue stallion was going to feel the full force of it.
“Robbie, I love you so much. You mean everything to me and when you went bye-bye, I cried for days. If anything… and I mean ANYTHING were to happen to you, let me make this clear.” Rob simply gulped hearing Pinkie. Her tone changed as if it were heading into her dark persona. “I will never… smile… again… forever!”
Her shout terrified him. Pinkie was always known for a variety of things whether it is her chipper attitude or her parties. But if anything, there was a part of her that was filled with anger, betrayal and loneliness. Rob remembered the time Pinkie went down the path. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
“You better Pinkie Promise me okay?” She asked. Her tone was still the same. “Okay!?” Anger began to build up. Rob had to do something.
“Okay, okay… I promise. I, Rob Stallion do hereby Pinkie Promise to you that I will come out of this alive. I already died once. I don’t need to die again.” He replied.
“Say it like you mean it Robbie. Do the Pinkie Promise.” She said. If it meant to make sure that she would be happy, Rob would do anything for her… even this.
“Cross my heart… hope to fly… stick a cupcake in my eye.” He did the Pinkie Promise exactly as she always does it. He hoped that it would make her feel a little better. “How about I add one more thing into the mix.”
“Yeah. Like what?” She wondered.
“This.” He plants a soft kiss on Pinkie’s lips. The sensation was enough to trigger something within her.
In just a few seconds, Pinkie immediately locked lips with him. Her front hooves encircled his neck. She didn’t want to let go of this. Neither did Rob. His hooves were around her chest as their passion accelerated. They broke their kiss and stared at one another intensely. None of them said a word to each other. Only their actions spoke for them. They locked lips again only this time it led to things getting mushy. Heavy breathing was heard in this room. What happens then? What will occur between these two lovers? Only a certain blue stallion and pink mare knows.
The next day… outside Distopia
Hours had passed since the meeting. The world continued to fill itself with torment and chaos. Made worse by the revelation that it was on the verge of complete destruction. Time was against everypony no matter where they were. Shining Armor looked at Distopia from a distance seeing the horrid that it became. Distopia was Discord’s base of operations. After he broke free of his prison, he stormed through Canterlot corrupting anypony that got in his way. When the Princesses tried to stop him, they failed and were turned to stone. He then used his magic to shape Canterlot into his image and then began spreading chaos all over Equestria. Letting off a sigh, he went to where everypony was waiting. The only one missing was Cadence who has went to the abandoned school to take care of the young foals.
“Alright, is everypony ready?” He asked. Everypony around Shining Armor gave a nod. “I’ve already discussed this yesterday so here’s a rundown.”
One of the resistance soldiers provided a map for Shining Armor. In the map, it contained a detailed view of Distopia. Notes were scribbled on it representing certain key points. Whether they were points for advantage or not remains uncertain. Everypony got a view of the map while Shining Armor explained the situation.
“Our attack will be split into two phases. First, we will begin our offensive on the front lines. This would attract the attention of Discord’s army and they’ll come by the droves.” Shining Armor said.
“You must be out of your mind! Trixie feels this plan is suicide! Do you have any idea how strong the chaotic lord’s minions are?!” Trixie retorted.
“Ah agree with Trixie on this one. Ah don’t think we have the manpower to do this.” Big Mac said, confronting Shining Armor on this decision.
“We do. Thanks to Rob and his friends, our morale has hit higher than ever before. Personally, I never thought this would happen before so in my opinion, I’m personally surprised.” He replied.
“Almost as surprised as the fact that Rob and the others aren’t here. Where are they?” Fancy Pants asked, looking on in the situation at hand.
But someone replied, “They’re waiting for you guys to get on with the plan.” Everypony looked to see Spike.
“Spike. I thought you were with Twi. What are you doing here?” Shining Armor asked.
“Twilight told me that you might need some help with this. Think of me as your faithful assistant in battle.” Spike replied. His face had a look of confidence.
Guess Twi taught ya a lot didn’t ya Spike? He thought, with a smile on his face. Giving a nod, Spike was ready to help out.
Shining Armor turned to all his troops and shouted, “Alright, let’s do this! Time we claim what is ours! For the glory of Equestria!”
Everypony cheered after Shining Armor let out his orders. They immediately were on the move ready to head for Distopia. Following them were the generals leading the attack. War was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. Discorded Canterlot Guards see the rebels heading full throttle toward them. They were ready to fight back hoping to protect the castle and prevent anypony from getting access. A battle ensued between the two sides giving seven ponies a chance to sneak in.
“Now’s our cue. Let’s do this.” Twilight said. Rob and the others nod, getting to it.
Before they did however, the seven united for a universal brohoof. They know that the end of the world is near. Discord was waiting for them. Shining Armor and the Resistance are fighting as hard as they can. Everypony was counting on the seven Elements of Harmony to bring a miracle.
“Alright. You guys know that this will be our biggest challenge yet. I just want to say… that whether we succeed or not, it was an honor to have you guys as a part of my family.” Said Rob, being all melancholy.
“Robbie, don’t be down.” Replied Pinkie. “We can do this. We all can.”
Fluttershy nodded while Applejack said, “Indeed. Big Mac is fighting out there and we got a job to do.”
“Most definitely.” Replied Rarity. “Time we do what we all do best.”
“Discord is getting the plotkicking of a lifetime. He’s going to pay!” spoke Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah. My brother is with them. Everypony is out there and expecting us to do what we do best.” Assured Twilight.
“Indeed it is. We are the Seven Elements of Harmony: Magic, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter and Will. Individually, we possess the power to do great things but when we work together... we can make miracles happen. Now let’s make this one the biggest miracle ever.” Rob responded. “Alright, one, two, three…”
All seven shouted, “For Equestria!”
With that cheer, the seven stormed for Discord’s fortress. The clock was ticking. Every second counted for everypony involved. One side was fighting to free Equestria from a chaotic draconesque. The other hoped to ensure that all would submit under a madman’s rule. In the midst of it all were seven ponies carrying the power needed to save a world on the verge of annihilation. All the pieces are in place… the fight to save Equestria… has finally begun.
The cheer that Rob Stallion and the Mane Six made becomes the start of a fight to save their world. It isn’t just them that they decide to fight. Shining Armor alongside his resistance army is joining the fight as well. Six months ago, Discord was freed from his stone prison due to the extreme disharmony that had occurred. He makes his move, blanketing the world into chaos but it was much worse this time. No one was safe from his fury, not even Rainbow Dash. She tried her best against him and failed. Discord had plans of his own to ensure that he would never make the same mistake twice. She was stripped of her color replacing it with a corrupt haze. As his enforcer, Rainbow Dash brought fear into everyone’s eyes. The two princesses try their best to convince Twilight and the others to fight back, but they want no part of it. Seeing that their only hope is gone, they took matters into their own hands. Discord defeats them despite the two putting up a fight. As a sign of victory, he turns the two into stone.
“This place is too small,” He said, carrying a devilish smile, “Time I bring out the chaos to a vast scale!”
Using his powerful magic, he transformed the land of Equestria into a place devoid of life and harmony. His actions in changing the planet would bring major consequences. It became a world filled with fear, chaos and destruction. The ruins of Canterlot became Distopia, home to the lord of chaos himself and his Discorded army. Ponyville became abandoned. No one lives there since his army had driven the populace out. Cloudsdale was no more after an intense battle between the chaos lord’s forces and a squad of freedom fighters. Not all hope was lost. Several ponies that opposed Discord’s rule banded together and fought back. The war between both sides was fierce. Victories, defeats and casualties affected both sides lasting more than six months. But that all changed when a blue stallion returned from beyond the grave. He knew something wasn’t right with his world but regardless he needed to find answers. After some difficulty, he began his journey to reunite with his family who has gone their separate ways.
The first he met was Pinkie Pie, the love of his life. Before he could even get to reach her, he had to deal with some issues in Manehattan including Prince Blueblood who had become the supposed mayor. After a scuffle and a very long drop, Manehattan was free. Rob was able to find Pinkie but finds her to be a shadow of what she once was. It really hurts him but he did what he could. Their reunion was sweet after she found out who he really was. He then infuses her with the Element of Laughter adding a magic that can protect her from Discord’s magic. Once he helped her out of the mental ward, the two traveled all over Equestria to find the others. One by one, they were able to find their friends despite some difficulties. Rob went to work infusing each of them with their respective Elements of Harmony. By the time they found Twilight, only one remained… Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash was Discord’s enforcer having been discorded to the core. When the six encounter her, things took a turn for the worse. It was a losing battle due to Dash fully on the offensive tossing them around like ragdolls. Rob stepped in and using his powers, he was able to tire Dash out long enough so he can knock her out. Rob and his friends use their combined powers to purge the discord out of Dash. They succeeded and all seven reunite. Heading back to the resistance, the Mane 6 made amends with their families. Later on the seven spoke with the Resistance generals regarding their plan in retaking Distopia. But they discover a horrifying revelation; their home was on the verge of destruction. They find out from Worldmind that Discord’s damage to Equestria also affected the planet’s core. To make matters worse, they only have 48 hours before their world is destroyed. With the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, Rob Stallion, the Mane Six as well as the Resistance prepare their final offensive against Discord and his army.
Now with only 40 hours left, the fight to save their world has begun. Shining Armor alongside his army starts his fight against Discord’s corrupted forces. Meanwhile, Rob Stallion alongside the Mane 6 have infiltrated Discord’s castle at Distopia. What they’ll find inside is anything but pleasant. Black is seen all around the castle walls. The windows has Discord’s portrait all over and they look at whoever’s inside. It gives off a very scary atmosphere.
“This place… really is scary,” says Fluttershy, trying to find a nearby place to hide.
“Discord’s face is everywhere. It’s like he’s watching what we’re doing,” responds Applejack.
“Here’s the thing,” Rob explains, “They’re just windows. All it’s good for is simply deception and manipulation. Just don’t worry about it. Let’s just keep moving.”
“Good idea,” praises Twilight.
The seven continue venturing deeper. Rob’s eyes were moving about as if he knows something’s up. Applejack looks at him showing a sign of worry.
“Something bugging ya Robbie?” She asks him.
He nods and replies, “Yes. We have to keep out guard up. Discord can strike anytime and anywhere.”
“If Discord does show up then we give him a beatdown!” shouts Rainbow Dash, “We can beat this guy one two three!”
Twilight notices her friend being a bit more confident than usual. But even with that, she knows that things are going to be quite different for all of them.
“Is something the matter Twilight?” asks Rarity, “You haven’t said anything since we entered this dark and dank place.”
“It’s nothing Rarity. It’s about yesterday and what that Worldmind told us,” Twilight worries.
“And about that,” Rainbow Dash interrupts, “Who in their mind says that our home is going to explode in two days? That’s crazy!”
“As crazy as that sounds, we all know that it’s going to be inevitable unless Discord is taken down,” Rob explains.
“But Discord has grown too powerful!” Rainbow interrupts again, “You saw how he corrupted me? What makes you think this time we’ll beat him?”
Rainbow Dash’s words cause everyone to be silent. Rob breaks this by saying, “Because I know we can beat him.”
The others turn to him looking in shock. Twilight responds, “Okay then Rob, let me ask you. How do you know this? You weren’t there when he first appeared.”
“I know,” He assures her but then, “I still think we can beat him. Besides we have something that he doesn’t and that’s friendship.”
“Friendship won’t be enough to beat Discord this time,” Twilight Sparkle responds.
“So what do we do Twilight? How do we beat that meanie Discord?” Pinkie asks her.
“I… I really don’t know,” She answers.
Before Rob can respond, all seven hear a laugh followed with a voice that’s all-too familiar, “Well well… look who decides to arrive in my castle. It’s good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Discord!” she shouts. It’s enough to get the others fired up as well.
“Come on out chaos lord, I know you’re here!” Rob shouts.
“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he replies, getting a look of things, “I’ve never seen you before. Have we met?”
“We haven’t though when we do, I hope to give you a beatdown!” Rob shouts right back.
“A beatdown you say?” Discord chuckles before continuing, “You certainly have a big mouth to go with that strength.”
“I can’t say the same for you, coward,” Rob taunts, hoping for Discord to show.
“Robbie, what are you doing?” Pinkie whispers.
“What else? A little psych out warfare with this guy,” Rob murmurs.
“Do I hear something in that little chatterbox of yours?” Discord speaks aloud, getting into Rob’s skin.
“Keep that mouth of yours shut!” shouts Applejack. Her friends look in shock.
“Seem to be jumping the gun? No matter. I take it you all are here to defeat me with your Elements of Harmony aren’t you?” He asks them.
“Isn’t that a no-brainer dirtbag?” taunts Rob, “Why not just come down here so we can kick your butt?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Do you really want us to go straight to the action now? I just want to play with all of you for a while,” Discord replies, trying to get on their good side.
“We’re not in the mood for your games Discord,” complains Twilight.
“Oh don’t worry, it won’t take long. After all, they were kind enough to play my game,” Discord says and the lights suddenly flash revealing two statues.
The two statues share similarity with the twin princess of Equestrian Royalty, Celestia and Luna. Rob gets a good look at their faces and they contain looks of fear. Seeing this horrifies him. Twilight and the others also get a look. Like Rob, their response to this is also the same.
“Is that…?” Twilight speaks.
Discord explains, “Oh yes, them. You know, I feel rather bad that you all weren’t there to meet me. These two however, oh, how I enjoyed playing with them.”
“What did ya do ta them Discord,” demands Applejack.
“What I did?” He taunts, “Oh they lost my little game and I had to give them their reward… being forever trapped in stone!” Discord starts laughing insanely like a maniac.
“You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to the princesses Discord!” Rob shouts in anger.
But Discord whose face appear before the seven surprises them. He replies, “And just how are you going to do that? Hmmm? Tell me? Do you realize now that thanks to your actions, I’ve become omnipotent? My power is unmatched! All of you will fall just like your princesses have.”
“We’ll see about that, trust us, we will beat you,” Rob assures Discord. The others stand by him.
“Oh please, you and your heroic words, do you have anything better to do than to just talk tough?” Discord asks, “Quite frankly, all of you ponies are the same in every way.”
“Can we just get to the game already? My girlfriend’s getting a bit too hyperactive bathing herself in the chocolate rain fountain,” He replies, the others turn to see Pinkie swimming in the nearby fountain.
Discord is surprised seeing her in there, swimming and acting like she usually does. Pinkie looks at them having surprised looks but haven’t said a word.
“What?” She asks everyone. Rob lets out a sigh.
“Pinkie, get out of that pool. We got chaos butt ta whoop!” orders Applejack. Pinkie gets out and meets up with the others.
“Oh but I digress, you want to take on big bad Discord? Well you’re going to have to play my game first.” Discord snaps his fingers revealing seven large doors in front of them.
“Is this another one of your tricks Discord?” asks Twilight.
“I assure you Twilight, its no trick,” he explains, “Each of these seven doors correspond to your Elements of Harmony. Only one of you ponies is allowed to go inside a different door.”
“What’s behind the door? Some kind of new car or something?” taunts Rob, thinking that it’s some kind of game show.
“Robbie, not now,” Pinkie replies, shoving him a bit.
“You know for someone who’s not from Equestria, you really… really don’t know when to shut up,” Discord follows up, “Anyway, inside each door is a trial. The trial will reflect upon your experiences and to win, you must conquer it without using your Elements of Harmony.”
“Well that ain’t bad. We can go through this one two three. Easy,” Applejack says.
But Discord responds, “Here’s the catch though. Try anything that breaks the rules and you forfeit. In other words, you lose if you try anything funny.”
“This is going to make the trials a lot harder for us,” exclaims Rarity. Fluttershy nods in agreement.
“But aren’t you all known to solve your itty bitty problems with friendship and camaraderie?” Discord asks them.
“We can do this and we’ll show Discord the real power of teamwork,” Rob assures Fluttershy.
“If that’s the case then I only wish you the best of luck. Don’t betray my expectations,” Discord replies, disappearing instantly.
The seven ponies get a look at the doors in front of them. Like Discord already explained, each door corresponds to one of their Elements. The seven look at one another not saying a word. Twilight knows Shining Armor and his resistance army is giving it their all. The others also worry for their families too. Rob sees the worry and that causes him to have that feeling too. Letting off a sigh, the only thing that he needs to go is forward.
“We’ll have plenty of time for this once it’s over. We need to go through this trial and win,” He states.
“Alright, let’s do it,” Twilight replies. Everyone nods at her words.
Each of them went to their respective doors. Mixed emotions were flying all over the place. No one knows what’s going to happen. After taking a deep breath, they all enter in their respective doors. The challenge has just begun. Inside, each of them has their eyes and ears open. They don’t know what’s going to happen. Discord planned the game and they need to abide by his rules. Applejack races through trying to find the way out. She looks around but finds nothing. But then she sees something, a bright light. Thinking that it’s the way out, Applejack races toward it.
“Ha! This here’s almost too easy. I’m going to conquer through this trial no problem,” She says confidently.
“Easy you say? Well if I did that then there’d be no reason to have this. Your trial is about to begin, Applejack. Let’s see if your honesty can stand up to this,” Discord’s voice is heard surprising her.
“Ah’m ready for whatever ya throw at me,” She responds.
“Very well then,” Discord says. He then uses his magic to brighten the area around her.
Applejack shields her eyes from the light. When it faded, she looks and spots something up ahead. She walks forward to take a look noticing her friends nearby.
“Hey guys, I thought this trial was too easy,” Applejack says, touching one of them. Except that her hoof goes right through Rarity.
“Huh? My hoof went right through them. What is this?” She asks.
“I’m surprised you would know. Do you not remember this?” Discord then asks her, “Isn’t this where all of you decided to end your friendship?”
“Yeah, I do remember,” She replies. She then listens in on what they were talking about.
“I take it you all got my message didn’t you?” Rarity asks them. The others nod silently, “I believe that this brought out the worst in us.”
“I agree Rarity. Twilight being expelled, Robbie gone and Dashie leaving us… everything that happened was our fault. All our fault!” Pinkie responds, crying over what happened.
Fluttershy nods and whispers, “We all hurt everypony… and they all hate us because of it.”
“That’s why I believe it’s better darlings if we… we end our friendship. It was our disharmony toward each other that we lost two good friends. Rainbow Dash…” All of them look at the gravestone that was covered with flowers, balloons, etc. to honor how great Rob was, “And him that has brought about this tragedy.”
“Uh huh. A shame that Applejack isn’t here with us,” responds Fluttershy, “Um… I heard that she left Ponyville after her family disgraced her.”
“Wait a dang minute, that’s not how things turned out! Ah was there when it happened,” She shouts, finding out the fib.
“Ah was there when we all said our goodbyes. Ah remember when we had that hug and went our separate ways. Ah know the lie that’s here and Ah ain’t in this, This here’s a fake and you won’t be able ta deceive me!” She shouts, pushing her way through the illusion.
The illusion faded away and then, she spots a door. She smiles knowing that she has passed her test. Pushing through, Applejack opens the door revealing it to be a staircase. She enters the next room but when that happens, the door behind her closes and fades away.
“Whew, guess that was a test after all,” She says, sighing in relief.
“You may have succeeded in your trial but the others will prove to be quite difficult,” Discord chuckles.
“We’ll see about that,” Applejack responds.
She looks and sees six other doors in front of her, a sign that the others haven’t completed their trials. Applejack waits and prays. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was trekking through the inside of her trial. Everything is dark but her Pinkie Senses are sharp and ready.
“Gee, it’s really dark in here,” Pinkie says, “I hope that Discord doesn’t try any meanie stuff.” But then her senses kick in via tail-twitch.
“Meanie stuff you say? Well, I know just the trial for you my dear Pinkie,” He replies.
“Discord!” Pinkie shouts.
“Oh you do remember, how sweet. I hope you’re not angry over what I did to you last time Pinkie,” Discord says, reminding Pinkie of their first encounter.
Pinkie says nothing. He then continues saying, “I’m sorry. I only wanted to have a little fun with you. There’s nothing wrong with that. I just want to make it up to you so I got you a little present.”
“A present?” Pinkie wonders, “What present?”
“Oh it’s nothing really. Just something I conjured up for you. Hope there’s no hard feelings between us right?” Discord answers, snapping his fingers and engulfing the area in a bright light.
Pinkie shields her eyes as the area transformed into an open field. She becomes confused by this unexpected occurrence. Regardless of this, she has no choice but to press on. She looks around hoping to find anyone around. That’s when she spots someone.
“Oh, there’s somepony! I gotta go see if they can help,” She bounces her way hoping to see if they can help. To her surprise, it turns out to be Rob Stallion.
“Robbie, oh it’s so good to see you,” She says, giving Rob a hug but then she gets pushed away by him.
“Get away from me. I don’t want to be near you,” He replies, his tone becomes cold.
“Are you okay? It’s me, Pinkie, your special somepony,” She tries again.
“You? Special somepony? That’s a lie. You’re not my special somepony. You’re just some annoying pest that doesn’t know when to shut up!” He shouts.
“Why?” She pleads, “Why are you doing this? I thought you loved me. I thought you liked me being all happy and silly,” She looks at him wondering if it’s a joke.
“Me loving you? Please, I’d rather be in love with someone who isn’t as hyperactive and crazy as you. You’re a constant annoyance that gets me on my nerves and plus, pink really doesn’t suit you. Trust me on that,” He complains, pushing Pinkie more into a depressive state.
“Robbie…” She whispers, starting to cry.
“Go on, cry. I don’t want a crybaby in my life. I have bigger plans to attend to,” He responds, heading closer to her with an evil smirk.
Pinkie starts getting into a slump. Her hair begins to lose its puffiness and her colors start to go into a darker shade. Rob comes closer getting a good look. His actions are enough to put her into her depressive Pinkamena state. Pinkie gets a good look but notices something off. She sees Rob’s eyes as a tint green instead of the normal blue. Something was not right and Pinkie immediately knows this.
“Wait a minute, you’re not Robbie!” She shouts, catching his attention.
“Excuse me,” Rob wonders, “What the heck are you talking about?”
“The real Robbie would never hurt me, ever! He would always tell me how much he loves me. He’s always there for me like every best friend would. He’s loving, friendly, helpful and not a meanie like you,” Pinkie responds, figuring out the truth.
“Meanie you say? It’s no wonder you ponies are so attached to your stupid emotions,” He hisses causing his green eyes to completely show.
He transforms causing his body to darken. Holes were seen in his hooves along with his tail. His eyes turn completely green and he has insect wings. Its head reveals a sharp horn and vampire fangs come out of its mouth. It screeches loudly scaring Pinkie. She remains calm despite the scare.
“You ponies really sicken me with your love and your friendship. Rip that away and you’re nothing but weak fodder for us!” The changeling shouts, hissing with an evil glee.
“Oh yeah!” She then takes out her signature party cannon, “Why not have a taste of this you icky changeling!”
“A party cannon?” It asks her, “Do you think something that fires out party favors will work on me? Hah! You’re a fool! Time I feast on your love!”
The changeling races toward Pinkie. She fires her party cannon letting out a shot filled with confetti, balloons and anything that’s suitable for a party. It hits the changeling hard sending it flying to the ground in defeat. But then the area starts transforming. Pinkie looks to see the field vanishing and the Changeling she attacked is an illusion.
“So that icky was a magic trick?” She asks herself.
“It’s amazing how your love for him really help you pass your trial. How romantic,” Discord replies, getting Pinkie Pie fired up.
“You don’t talk bad about my Robbie you meanie!” She shouts at him.
“Guess you didn’t like my present? I’m sorry I disappointed you but you did pass your trial. You may see your ‘Robbie’ very soon,” He snaps his fingers revealing a door.
Pinkie heads for the door despite being angry. She opens to find Applejack who also got out. In a split second, she becomes her happy normal self. Pinkie turns to Applejack and gives her a hug. She’s happy that Pinkie passed but the others haven’t yet.
“Ah sure hope the others do okay,” Applejack says, causing Pinkie to nod in agreement.
Deep inside the chambers, Rarity presses on hoping to find her exit. She uses her magic to form a light around her. But that isn’t enough to make things easier. Like Discord said, they can’t use their Elements of Harmony for if they do, they’re disqualified. At least that won’t stop Rarity from using her magic to light the way.
“This is so draining. It’s doing problems to my legs. I swear I may need to lie down after all of this,” She complains.
“Oh dear, don’t you get tired of complaining every little thing? I swear, you need yourself some psychiatric help.” Discord wonders.
“Discord!” Rarity shouts, “I can’t say the same for you. How rude!”
“Rude you say? Well I think what you’ll find may force you to reconsider,” He replies, snapping his fingers.
Rarity has no idea what Discord did. She then shrugs it off and continues on. After traveling for a bit, she notices something up ahead. She goes to check and finds it’s a gem. But then she sees another nearby followed by many more leading to an opening.
“Oh my. Look at these gems, they look so small,” Rarity says, getting a look, “They do look small. Maybe I’ll get some for Spikey-wikey.”
She continues following the path of gems collecting them along the way. Rarity then reaches some kind of cave where almost immediately she goes nuts. The inside of the cave is filled to the brim with gems. Gems of all colors, sizes and shapes are seen all over the cave. To any average treasure hunter, they would be in shock finding a huge payload. In Rarity’s case, this was like a gold mine.
“So many gems. Oh my… oh my oh my, this is truly marvelous!” She shouts, ecstatic over the sight of all the gems.
“Indeed it is marvelous Rarity,” says a solemn voice, “All of this is yours Rarity. Imagine the possibilities.”
“Yes, I’m already going insane! This is too incredible! Oh my goodness,” She speaks, going into excitement yet again.
“All of these can help you fulfill your wildest dreams. You can use them to make your dresses look spectacular. If you’re lucky, you can begin your own clothing line.” It explains, providing Rarity a taste of her future.
“So you mean I can do all of this with all of these gems?” She asks it, hyperventilating from the excitement, “I feel like I want to faint.”
She goes in to grab what she can until something spots her from afar. It turns out to be a heart shaped Fire Ruby. Rarity uses her magic to take it and gets a view of it from all angles. But as she looks, she sees something inside the gem. It was Spike, a young dragon who to this day still harbors feelings toward her. Not only that but her family is there too. They consist of her parents along with her young sister, Sweetie Belle. All of them share looks of sadness, feeling disappointed. The question is why.
“Is something wrong?” It asks Rarity, “You seem sad. Are you not happy with what you’ve discovered?”
“It’s not that I’m happy but it’s that… what would my family think? My sister? Spike? Would they be happy that I would succeed in my dreams?” Rarity replies.
She thinks about it long and hard. On one hand, Rarity would have the money needed to not only have enough to design her dresses but start a business. She would be known far and wide as the mistress that is suited for success. On the other hand, she would end up disappointing her family. Even Spike would be sad too. She sheds a tear still looking at the fire ruby before turning to the gem cave.
“No, they wouldn’t be happy. My Spikey-wikey wouldn’t want this from me,” She says, wiping away the tears. She looks around shaking her head knowing this isn’t what she wants.
She throws away the Fire Ruby and continues, “I could choose all of this and even this wouldn’t find me happiness. Yes, stuff like bits and gems… they can be replaced easily. But family and loved ones can never, ever be replaced. To me, they are a treasure that is more than anything this world ever has!”
“So you choose your family over this?” The voice asks, “Be warned. Once you make this decision, there is no turning back.”
“It’s a decision I choose to make. I know my dreams may happen someday but I can only do it with the family that has supported me. If it means throwing away these riches, then so be it,” Rarity says, walking toward the exit.
As she walks, the cave begins to shake violently. All the gems she encounters get buried under rock never to be seen again. By the time she exits, the cave completely collapsed. Rarity turns to find it completely gone, part of an illusion etched out by Discord’s magic.
“Giving up riches for family? That is true generosity,” Discord says, startling Rarity.
“You wouldn’t understand it Discord if it hit you in the face!” Rarity replies, shouting back.
“I’m almost touched… but you passed your trial and so, you may continue onward,” He then snaps his fingers and another door appears in front of Rarity.
“I certainly hope this is not another one of his tricks,” Rarity mutters. She uses her magic to open the door revealing an exit.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie spot Rarity exiting and the three then share a group hug. In her mind, there’s also one other thing that counts as a treasure: her friends. The three turn and see Rarity’s door vanish immediately leaving only four left.
“I certainly hope the others will be okay,” Rarity prays.
“Don’t worry silly. I know everypony can do it. We will beat that meanie Discord and save Equestria,” Pinkie assures her.
“That’s right! We are the Elements of Harmony!” shouts Applejack, “We ain’t going to let some chaos stop us this time!”
“On the contrary, I’d say the rest are going to be in for quite a ride,” Discord interrupts, laughing with glee.
“You’re not going to stop us this time Discord! We’re making sure your butt gets kicked this time!” Applejack shouts back.
“You really talk big for somepony who’s so honest with herself. You were only lucky because I allowed you to defeat me. Well not this time! This time you will never defeat me,” explains Discord.
He laughs again making good on his words. Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity know that they can defeat him like before. All they need now is the others to do so. Deep within her dark room, Fluttershy is looking for her exit. She’s met with very little to no success. Made no different by the fact that there’s no end in sight. None.
“Oh my… this place is so dark. I can’t even see,” She says, worrying.
But she then spots a bunny. Spotting Fluttershy, it runs away. Fluttershy follows leading into a maze. She looks around noticing the change.
“Is this… is this the palace labyrinth?” Fluttershy asks herself.
She then sees some butterflies nearby but after careful examination, they were the same butterflies that talked to her last time. Fluttershy becomes cautious. She remembers what happened the previous time but takes the chance nonetheless.
“Hello butterflies. We meet again,” Fluttershy greets them.
“Fluttershy, looks like you’ve been left behind by your so-called friends, huh?” They reply, repeating what they tell her before.
“My friends have not left me behind. I know they’ll do the hardest to find me,” She insists.
“Well, it must be so upsetting to know how weak and helpless they think you are.” They say.
“Um… I’m not weak or helpless. That was kind of mean to say,” She replies, feeling insulted by this remark.
“Yes… Well, surely it burns you up… I mean, that they’re always pointing out your flaws, right?” It asks her.
“Not really. In fact… I think I’m awfully to have friends who want me to be the best I can be,” She replies, “And um, I think you are mean for saying something like that to me.”
The butterflies Fluttershy talks to turns into Discord, almost immediately. He looks angry, ready to attack. But he has other plans.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” He shouts, placing his finger on Fluttershy’s head.
His touch causes Fluttershy to change in color. Her usual color of yellow and pink starts to gray. Discord walks off thinking he succeeded saying that she should be cruel instead of kind. But something happens as the gray suddenly disappears, turning her to normal. He turns around and is shocked seeing this.
“What? It didn’t work?” He asks himself, “Let me try this again.”
Discord tries again using his magic but it backfires sending his magic back at him. The result hurts his finger. Fluttershy looks at Discord with anger. She didn’t like what he’s doing.
“Why isn’t it working?!” He complains, “I thought for sure that I would make you cruel with my magic!”
“You tried that the first time and it made us all hate each other. It won’t work a second time!” She says, getting Discord angry.
Discord yells in anger seeing his plan failed. So much so that he vanishes without saying anything else. Fluttershy sees the maze disappear fading back to black. The chaos lord however, isn’t happy with this.
“Huh? What’s going on?” She asks herself.
“You are in fact the hardest to deal with. I don’t know why but you are,” He interrupts, complaining, “I could make it tougher if I wanted to but turning you against your friends was all too easy. You really are too nice for your own good.”
“Discord! You know that your tricks won’t work this time,” She replies, pointing out what happened earlier.
“Even so… you know what, forget it. I could blab on about this forever but you really seemed to have made me angry. You passed your test. That’s all I’m going to say,” He rants, snapping his fingers and revealing the door to the exit.
Fluttershy opens it seeing her friends waiting. Pinkie didn’t hesitate in giving her a hug. Rarity and Applejack are pleased that she passed her trial as well.
“Ah can’t believe ya passed yer trial. What happened?” Applejack asks.
“Um, I don’t know. I was in that royal labyrinth talking to some butterflies and then Discord tried to change me,” She explains.
“Oh, oh, did something happen Fluttershy? Huh? Huh?” Pinkie interrupts.
Fluttershy continues, “I did feel a change but I turned to normal. I don’t know what happened.”
Applejack notices her element infused within her and replies, “Maybe it’s cause of what Robbie did for us.”
The others look and nod in agreement. Since his return, Rob did everything in his power to reunite with the only family he’s ever had. Not only that but to ensure Discord didn’t try anything again, he used a tactic to infuse each of them with their Elements of Harmony. So far, it has been successful but no one knows how long it’ll last. While the four look on the remaining three doors, Rainbow Dash flies around trying to find her exit. But like the others, she knows that her trial is coming.
“Darn it,” Rainbow Dash complains, “Where is it? This is getting harder than I thought it would be.”
She keeps looking around but finds no success. This wasn’t going well for her.
“What’s the matter Rainbow Dash? You seem to be on edge,” Discord says, messing up her focus.
“You! Trying to get on my good side? Sorry but it won’t work with me!” She shouts.
“I see that your loyalties lie with your friends. But let’s see how they’re put to the test against this,” He replies, snapping his fingers.
Light fills the area almost immediately forcing Rainbow Dash to shield her eyes. When it finishes, she looks around to see she’s in Ponyville again. Ponies were walking about, talking and acting normal. Rainbow Dash is still cautious. But then she spots three familiar ponies. The three wear outfits suited for extreme stunts and acrobatics. One of them, a pegasus named Spitfire notices Dash heading towards her.
“I can’t believe it! The Wonderbolts are here!” Rainbow Dash says, excited as a schoolgirl.
“We’ve been looking for ya Rainbow Dash. You finally did it,” Spitfire replies.
In shock, she says, “Huh? What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. After careful examination, we are now making you an honorary full-time member of the Wonderbolts,” Spitfire explains.
Rainbow Dash literally explodes in excitement. Her lifelong dream was to be part of the Wonderbolts, an elite aerial acrobatic group. Soarin, a male pegasus hands her a uniform. She becomes ecstatic. Her dreams are finally coming true today, or so she thinks. Her ears then hear the sound of someone crying. Rainbow Dash spots Scootaloo, a young pegasus filly crying. Another pony named Diamond Tiara shouts at Scootaloo.
“You’ll never be as good as Rainbow Dash! You call yourself a pegasus? You’re a loser and I hope that you never be as good as Rainbow Dash!” Diamond Tiara shouts, bringing more pain to Scoots.
“Is something wrong Rainbow Dash? Aren’t you going to get your uniform?” Spitfire asks her.
But seeing Scootaloo crying after being teased by Diamond Tiara makes Rainbow Dash rethink her choices.
Turning to the Wonderbolts, she says, “As a matter of fact, cram it! I can’t! I need to be where it really matters most!”
The Wonderbolts look in confusion why she turned the offer down. Rainbow Dash meanwhile heads to where Scootaloo is and comforts her. For good measure, she tells Diamond Tiara off in her usual fashion: smacking Diamond Tiara around. Scootaloo sees Rainbow Dash and stops crying.
“But Rainbow Dash, why didn’t you join the Wonderbolts? That was your life-long dream,” She asks her.
“It still is but I can only achieve that dream if my friends are with me. I won’t leave them behind for anything! That’s a promise,” Rainbow Dash replies, hugging Scootaloo and making good on her words.
Although happiness has occurred, it was fated not to last. The area completely changes in the blink of an eye. She looks around and finds that it was all a trick by Discord. It’s enough to make her angry almost immediately. Discord didn’t seem to care if it did.
“Bravo Rainbow Dash, bravo! Giving up your dreams just to be with your friends? Oh that is so brilliant!” Discord says, laughing like it’s a joke.
“Buck off Discord!” She shouts back, “You don’t know anything about loyalty to your friends! I bet you never even had any friends! You’d drive ‘em all away with your chaos!”
“Oh hush up! Just be grateful that you completed your trial without difficulty!” He responds, causing a door to appear in front of Rainbow Dash.
Just you wait Discord. We’re going to make sure you butt gets kicked badly! You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to our home. She opens the door and in her sights are her friends.
“Oh Dashie, you’re here!” shouts Pinkie, excited, “I knew you pass your test just like we all did.”
“I know,” She replies, “But now Twilight and Rob are all that’s left. I sure hope these two can make it because Discord’s going to get it.”
“Don’t worry about a thing Rainbow Dash. We all will make Discord pay, just you wait,” assures Applejack.
“I only hope that things are going well for Shining Armor and the others,” Rarity says, worrying.
The five find a nearby window getting a look at the fighting down below. So far, it’s an even game with neither side giving in. The resistance (even with Shining Armor leading them) are giving it their all but Discord’s corrupted army prove to be quite a challenge. It’s more or less a stalemate.
“The naughty fighting is getting ugly,” Pinkie says, looking worried.
“Ah know. Mah brother is down there fighting with the resistance. We have ta do something,” suggests Applejack.
“We are doing something,” replies Fluttershy, “We’re going to stop Discord.”
“Yeah! That meanie’s going down!” Pinkie shouts with excitement.
The others nod as they look at the remaining two doors. All of them wait and hoping for Rob and Twilight to complete their trials so they can head to Discord. In the darkness, Twilight Sparkle is on the move looking for anything she can find. As the most optimistic of the Mane six, she’s a pony that relies on her smarts than anything else. She only hopes that it can help her complete her trial unaware that her friends have completed theirs.
“I’ve been walking through this place for too long. Where’s the exit?” She asks herself, looking around.
She then spots something at a distance, “Ah, here it is,” Twilight races for it.
But as she runs, the light she sees begins going farther away. Twilight wonders if something’s up so she goes even faster. Like before, the same thing happens. This presents a problem for Twilight but then this happens.
“Poor little Twilight. Still reeling from all that has happened I see?” Discord interrupts, breaking her focus.
“Discord! What do you want?” She asks him.
“Oh nothing. I know everything by the way. I know how you came up with this little plan on teaching your friend humility. Look how that turned out,” He explains, even going as far as laughing over her failure.
“You don’t have to remind me,” She replies, feeling a sense of dejection.
“I wonder if you’re prepared for your trial Twilight. I only hope you get to thank me when it’s over,” Discord snaps his fingers and like the others, the area changes.
The light disappears and Twilight is now at a throne room. She looks around to see if it’s all an illusion. But it ends up being put on hold due to someone’s arrival. Twilight gets a look and it’s Princess Celestia. Unfortunately, she’s not in a very good mood. As she arrives, she notices that she isn’t alone. The princess looks to see Twilight who’s nervous.
“I thought I told you that you are not welcome here,” Celestia says, sternly.
“Huh? I don’t understand?” Twilight asks.
“Don’t toy with me Twilight,” She shouts, “You know full well you are banished from entering Canterlot! Have you not forgotten what I told all of you?”
Twilight remembers and replies, “I know that. I remember you expelling me and I know all of this is my fault.”
“Then why are you here?” Celestia asks again.
Twilight says nothing at her former mentor. It only makes Princess Celestia angrier than before. She notices her horn charging up for some kind of spell. After charging, Celestia fires a magic spell. Twilight evades with little effort.
“What are you doing?!” yells Twilight, “Are you out of your mind?”
“You are not welcome in my castle nor Canterlot. If you will not leave quietly then I will force you out!” Celestia responds using her magic to attack her ex-student.
Twilight continues dodging Celestia’s magic attacks. She doesn’t fight back yet knows that if she does, she can be in for some trouble. Celestia knows this and takes advantage of it by unleashing a fierce offense. Twilight continues dodging but gets hit by a stray blast on her back leg. It hinders her movement but she continues to dodge.
“It’s no use Twilight! Your actions to what you and your friends have done to Rob are inexcusable!” Celestia shouts, firing another blast from her horn.
Twilight deflects Celestia and replies, “We had no idea that Rob’s death came from our actions but we can’t deny that what we did was wrong.”
“So are you admitting that your failure led to the death of your friend?” The princess wonders, asking Twilight once more.
“No,” She answers, angering Celestia, “I know that what we did to Rob, Rainbow Dash and everypony can’t be changed. The past remains the past.”
“What are you saying?” Celestia wonders.
“But what I plan on doing, no, what my friends will do is work toward a better future. Even if everypony hates us, it won’t stop me from doing what I can. My friends would agree to the same thing,” She continues on, answering in her mind, what’s the right thing to do.
Celestia then says, “So even if all Equestria were to not want anything to do with you, you would still continue to learn the values of friendship?”
Twilight gives her a nod, replying, “Yes.”
“You’re a fool. A fool back when I first met you and a fool now, even when I expelled you as my student,” She states, powering up her horn for another attack.
“If I didn’t know any better, the Princess Celestia I know would never say these things. Not to me, or anypony! You’re not even real!” Twilight replies, powering up her horn.
“Then if I was the princess you loved and studied under, would I do this?” She shouts. Her eyes glow white powering up her magic.
After that, she unleashes the blast at full power toward Twilight. Twilight stands her ground and like Celestia, also powers up her magic. She fires her attack colliding with Celestia’s. Their blasts collide leading to a fierce tug-of-war between the two. Twilight gives everything she has against her. Celestia does the same, not letting up. One has to give and the one who does will end up losing the fight. Twilight continues giving her all but Celestia’s magic is too powerful. In the end, Celestia’s attack breaks through her former student’s magic striking Twilight hard. It sends Twilight flying thirty feet into a wall. The impact ends up putting her through serious pain.
Celestia walks closer to the injured Twilight and says, “You only learned everything you knew, not everything I knew. If things were different, you would have had what it takes to be a princess.”
Twilight says nothing to Celestia due to being in pain from her magic attack. In Celestia’s mind, it’s an act of weakness. Twilight continues looking at the princess. She wonders what Celestia will do next.
“But your actions has ended up dooming not just you and your friends but your world as well,” Celestia continues, “Forgive me but I have no choice. It’s over Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia powers up for one more attack. But before she can deliver the final blow, something happens. Twilight’s element of harmony, the Element of Magic begins to glow brightly. Its light stops Celestia in her tracks. She looks wondering what’s going on. Twilight sees the area brighten completely ridding away the illusion. The princess fades away and everything returns back to black.
“I don’t know what just happened. For some reason, you used your Element of Harmony to rid my little illusion. In other words, you cheated!” Discord shouts.
“But it wasn’t my fault. I thought it was over until my element glowed and then it unleashed something. I don’t know what but still, it’s just,” Twilight explains but she can’t.
“Normally I would disqualify you for breaking the rules but… I’m making an exception. Your little speech nearly brought a tear to my eye. I’m almost touched,” He replies.
“Is there a point to this?” She asks him.
“I make good on my words Twilight. Be grateful I’m bending the rules for you because if I wasn’t, you would suffer the same fate as your loving princesses,” Discord then uses some magic to reveal a large door in front of Twilight.
Although Twilight did cheat, she succeeds in her trial. But although she heads for the exit, only one pony remains. Rob Stallion looks about as he ventures through the same abyss that the others went. But he knows he’s expecting something from Discord that much is certain. For some reason he isn’t as nervous as the others. He’s more or less calm and collected.
“So, you’re all that’s left. I didn’t think I would have to handle you,” says Discord.
“Handle me? Please. I doubt you will. Why don’t you come down here and face me like a real man instead of hiding in your chair like every evil villain does?” Rob replies, making Discord angry.
“Do you really open your mouth whenever someone says something?” He asks Rob.
Rob answers, “Pretty much. What’s your point?”
“Because dear Celestia, you don’t know when to keep quiet!” Discord yells.
“So can we get to my trial already? The sooner I can get it done, the sooner my friends and I go up there, kick your butt and save the world,” Rob questions back.
“Oh you will have your trial alright but first, I want to know more about you,” Discord responds, even showing himself.
Now the big bad boss finally shows. This should be fun. Rob looks at Discord who moves about.
“Strange. I never even met you and yet, you seem to be quite different,” He observes, “I thought I would expect somepony big and tough. Guess I was proven wrong.”
“Don’t let looks deceive you Discord. I can put up quite a fight,” Rob replies.
“I can tell by your mouth you can but I notice something else,” says Discord.
Rob wonders, “What is it? Tell me.”
“It’s a no brainer Stallion. You really are stubborn as an ox,” teases Discord, “I noticed that you somehow died recently and your death ended up destroying the very friendship Twilight and your friends had. And it’s all because of a simple lesson in humility. Oh it’s so joyous.”
“I know it all too well. My friends hated because of their actions. Their friendship shattered and then you came back turning my world upside down!” Rob shouts.
“Temper temper, Rob Stallion. You don’t want to blow a blood vessel do you? All I did was turn the world into my own image. Now it’s beautiful… beautiful and full of chaos!” His tone became celebratory and filled with glee.
“And you make everyone suffer. You didn’t foresee that did you?” Rob asks him.
“Oh but I did,” He answers.
“That’s a lie,” Rob counters, “You never even met me. In fact, the first time you came about, I wasn’t even there. I went on a little walk-about to understand my new home. By the time you came back, you were already in stone and my friends kicked your butt.”
Discord turns to him and counters back, “I only let them beat me because I gave them the chance to do that. This time, I won’t let that happen.”
“Yeah right. Why do you think I took my own time finding them all? It wasn’t easy especially with your ‘enforcer’. She was the easiest because she came to us,” says Rob.
“Not my point. Your actions single-handedly destroyed the very world you ‘swore’ to protect. So basically, it’s not Twilight and her friends that are responsible. It’s you,” He replies, accusing Rob for the tragedy that had occurred.
Rob is shocked after hearing this. In his mind, he knows he played a part in all of this. He became Nova to show that being a hero isn’t meant to make other people look like jerks. To him, being a hero is all about helping others even though he knows that there’s a price to pay at some point. A price was paid and it’s Rob’s own life. It began a spiral that tore not only his friendship but also his own world.
“Do you understand now? You’re the one who should take responsibility for what happened, not your friends,” Discord says, “They only wanted to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson but your actions ruined everything.”
“You lie.” Rob replies, “I did what I had to do. They don’t know what it really means to be a hero.”
“But do you?” Discord questions, “You don’t even know what it means to be a hero. You don’t at all!”
“At least I always did what I felt in my heart was right,” He answers.
Rob continues to hear more of Discord’s explaining. All of it starts to make him feel doubtful. He knows what a hero means but could he be wrong? In his mind, he couldn’t. His body begins to change entering into a discorded state. Discord stops and enjoys what he sees. But when it was about to cover Rob completely, his Element of Harmony begins glowing.
“Huh? What?” He wonders, looking at his element.
The light coming from his element brightens the entire room. Discord shields his eyes but things get way too bright and the flash blinds him. Rob shields his eyes as well, but to no avail. Rob’s colors return to normal as a result of the flash. His mind also becomes clear, free from any doubt. He looks at Discord, still blinded by the flash.
He then says, “You think that filling my head with doubt is going to help you win right? No wonder you’re a fool.”
After regaining his sight, Discord replies, “But you know what you’ve done. Your death signaled my return and I will see to it that it stays that way.”
“Not this time. I saw through your lies Discord,” He counters, “I may be the one responsible for causing all of this but I’m setting things right. I already have with my friends and I’m making sure I do the same for the world.”
Getting fed up by Rob’s banter, he scoffs, “Oh brother, again with this? When will you learn that I’m all-powerful? Your Elements of Harmony won’t work against me this time and you all are to blame!”
He queries, “Is that so?” To prove his point, Rob jumps at Discord delivering a kick to the face.
The blow sends Discord flying through the door behind him. Applejack and the others become surprised by Rob’s unexpected actions. At the same time, Twilight steps out of her door. She gets stunned seeing Rob attacking Discord in this manner.
“You see Discord, your little trial was all an excuse to put doubt in all of us. Do you really think we’re that stupid?” He asks him.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Twilight follows, “It’s over Discord. We’ve beaten your trials and now, you’re next.”
The others join alongside Rob and Twilight ready to take Discord down. But the chaotic manipulator has other plans.
“I’m grateful that you all (save for one) succeeded but I have no time for you all,” He then disappears giving the seven a chilling warning, “If you wish to save your precious Equestria, come to the top. Let’s see if your elements can stand up to true chaos.”
He begins to laugh maniacally sending chills down everyone’s spines. Rob shows no fear. He wishes to get a piece of him and doesn’t waste a second. After Discord’s little laughfest, the seven turn to each other sharing their hug of friendship. Pinkie unfortunately checks on Rob to see if he’s real.
“What’s up with you?” He asks her, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you the real Robbie? Not some freaky icky yucky changeling?” Pinkie wonders.
Rob shakes his head and responds, “I’m the real deal. If I was a Changeling, would I do something like this?”
He then plants a kiss onto Pinkie’s lips. Clearly, it’s all that’s needed to tell Pinkie that Rob is real. The others simply giggle at the sight of them kissing although things get mushy rather quickly.
“Uh, ah hate to be a bother you two,” Applejack asks, “But can y’all save the mushy stuff for after we defeat Discord?”
The two lovebirds look at their friends nervously, not saying a word. They simply chuckle and nod at them. But now isn’t the time for any lovey-dovey stuff. They need to reach Discord.
“These stairs should lead us to him. Come on!” He orders, “We don’t have much time.”
“How much time do we have?” Twilight asks.
“37 hours though if the fighting continues, it won’t be pleasant,” Rob answers.
The seven race as fast as they can to the top. Time isn’t on their side. Every second they waste leads their world one step closer to destruction. While the seven treks to the top, Shining Armor and his resistance are fighting with everything they have. The battle against Discord’s corrupted army is in their favor. Shining Armor’s tactics helps reduce not just the enemy’s numbers but also their morale.
“Sir, half of the enemy forces have been captured and in the process of being undiscorded,” Blitz Inferno says, “If things continue as they are, the fighting should end in minutes.”
“Very good,” Shining Armor replies, but then he notices something up ahead.
Many of the troops are yelling out something referred to as “the Elite” approaching. Blitz looks at his superior who’s horrified hearing these words. He can never forget his experience against the Elite.
“Is everything okay sir?” Blitz asks him, getting his attention.
“Tell our troops to withdraw,” Shining Armor orders.
Blitz looks in shock and asks, “What? Are you serious?”
In rage, Shining Armor turns to Blitz and shouts, “I said tell them to withdraw! That’s an order!”
“Y-yes sir, I’ll do that,” Blitz stutters, going off to gather the troops.
Spike then goes to Shining Armor and asks, “Is everything alright? You seem scared.”
“I am Spike,” He explains, “I’ll never forget it when I first encountered the Discorded Elite. They were a ruthless trio. One look should tell you it Spike, all aggression, no compassion, just simple brutality. I still have the scars of when I first fought them. They’re not physical. More or less they’re emotional.”
Spike adds onto this, “Princess Cadence told me about this once. How you nearly risked your life to save her from the Elite during a botched operation.”
“I know. We lost a lot of good people too. And to me, it was my personal failure,” He confesses, “A failure I have no choice but to live with.”
“What are you going to do now?” Spike asks again.
“I can’t run away. I have to go forward. I’m taking the fight to them,” He replies, “I’m rectifying my order. We’re going to fight on! We have to just like Twiley and her friends! They’re fighting too! Everypony is!”
Shining Armor uses some magic to get himself his trusty sword. He then turns to Spike and says, “If you want to join the fight, come on.”
“You know me. I have something worth fighting for Shining Armor and it’s for everyone. Let’s do it!” Spike replies, getting geared up and ready.
Getting on top of Shining Armor’s back, the two ride off to meet with the rest of the resistance. They pierce through the Discorded army like it was nothing. Many resistance fighters join alongside Spike and Shining Armor. But then their eyes turn to the sky above as three small dots rapidly approach.
“Look! Up there!” shouted one of the soldiers, “It’s them!”
“Alright guys, listen up,” Shining Armor shouts, getting every soldier’s attention, “This here is going to be our toughest battle ever! Whether we come through this alive or not is all up to you! Are you all with me?!”
All of the troops around Shining Armor cheer on in approval. They even go as far as letting out a loud war cry. Morale has already hit into the extreme. With one more cry, the Resistance gears up for battle. The three dots start getting bigger until blasts of lightning start striking the ground. It didn’t hit any of them, but it’s more or less to show fear. In just seconds, they appeared looking over the high morale Resistance. Many names were given to them but only one summed them up: The Elite. The Discorded Elite are a trio of pegasus ponies. All of them have outfits similar to an elite aerial acrobatic team called the Wonderbolts.
But a noticeable difference were the colors of their outfits. Instead of blue and yellow, they were black and crimson representing the symbolism of their master. Their goggles sport a dark red color covering their eyes. Shining Armor and his resistance see the Elite in front of them. The same goes on the other side. Both sides gear up for battle. It only takes one to break the tension between them.
“CHARGE!!!” A shout causes the battle to begin almost immediately.
Shining Armor and his team march forward toward the Elite. The three elite drop down and engage the Resistance. Although there’s strength in numbers on the Resistance’s side, all that matters is skill. Many stories tell on how the three single handedly defeated all opposition in many skirmishes. Next to Rainbow Dash, who once served as an Enforcer, they serve as Discord’s strongest warriors. Now the resistance’s strength will be put to the test. Even Shining Armor knows that they may not come back alive. It didn’t matter. If today is the last day of their lives, then they’re going to go out in style.
Meanwhile after a few minutes of running up flights of stairs, Rob and the Mane Six reach the top. All that stands in their way is a set of large double doors. Rob looks at his friends first. He sees that they’re ready. Like Shining Armor and his forces, they have something worth fighting for. Instead of kindly opening the door like any normal pony, Rob kicks it down. His actions spook Discord a bit but it is a sign of a battle that will soon begin.
“Discord! Let’s finish this!” Rob shouts.
“Well, you’ve arrived. Guess you just want to get it over wish don’t you?” He asks the seven jokingly.
“Of course we do. Let’s do this everypony!” shouts Applejack.
“Right,” Twilight agrees.
“This should be very interesting,” Discord mutters to himself, getting some popcorn and chocolate milk.
He watches the seven ponies prep themselves up for their offense. Using the Elements of Harmony, they unleashed a blast that looks similar to a rainbow. It hit Discord but the question is, did it work? The impact from the blast disappears. They look to find out. But their faces change to worry. Discord was sitting there, unphased by their combined attack.
“It didn’t work?” worries Twilight.
“I thought for sure our attack would at least do some harm to that guy,” replies Rob, “Guess what Shining Armor said is true. He is all powerful now.”
“Uh, guys,” yelps Pinkie, “Look!” The others turn at Discord.
Discord asks them, “That’s it? That’s all there is? I thought for sure we would have a good tussle. Guess you’re not as tough as I remember.”
He then lifts up his hand gathering a blast of chaotic magic. With a devilish smile, he tells, “But let’s see how tough you are after you feel a blast of this!”
With a flick of his hand, Discord lets out a dark wave. The seven try again but it’s of no use. His attack pierces through theirs sending them reeling onto the floor. Rob and the others look and see the draconian smiling evilly. It’s their worst fears realized.
“Can’t you see? Even with your Elements of Harmony, you are nothing before me. Face it! You’ve lost and now chaos will last forevermore.” Discord says, chuckling evilly.
Rob and the others are reeling from Discord’s attack. The sounds of fighting and screaming rang in their ears. Rob takes a look in the distance and sees some rebels retreating. Discord’s army led by the Elite is advancing ready to fight back. Shining Armor however, refuses to give up and goes at it again.
“I can tell your friends aren’t doing any better. My power makes my troops nigh invincible. So why don’t you surrender? You all never had a chance against me and it’s all your fault. Your disharmony toward each other is how I returned. Only this time, more powerful than ever!” He laughs coldly, being amused of knowing the truth.
But one disagrees and in an icy tone, he says, “Stronger than ever? Really? Please.”
“What did you say?” Discord asks him, carrying the same tone.
“You think that because of what we did it made you powerful as all heck? Sorry, but even if I never came back, my friends would still kick your draconian butt. You aren’t that threatening you coward,” He continues on, taunting Discord.
Hearing this made Discord a little antsy. “Coward? Seriously?” He gloats, “Is that really the best you can come up with?”
“Not really, I can always do better. Either way, I always heard that you were big, mighty and powerful. My friends told me many things about you. One example is what you’ve done to them.” Rob says.
Discord stays silent as Rob continues talking, “You manipulated their strengths against them. You tried to break their friendship only for all of that to backfire. To make it worse, look how that got you, beaten and turned to stone,” He then asks, “I guess it wasn’t good for your reputation wasn’t it?”
“I was only beaten because I thought they would show off their Elements (which they did),” says Discord. His voice starts to carry a drop of anger.
Discord asks him, “Are you saying that I let them win?” Rob answers with a simple nod.
“Ridiculous! I would never let them win. They couldn’t even go through maze,” He rants, becoming angrier.
“The only reason why they couldn’t because if you intervened, they’d figure it out. They beat you because they had friendship by their side and even without me, they can do it again,” But that’s when it hit him like ten tons of apples.
“Funny. Who’d have thought you’d be afraid of them? Who would guess that you’d be scared of the Mane 6. Scared of their elements. Scared of their strengths. Scared… of friendship,” He speaks. Rob walks closer to where Discord is sitting.
“So you think I’m scared of friendship? Scared of them!? Unlikely!” He shouts, using his dark power to cause Twilight and her friends to float in the air by their elements, “You see!? Do you think I’m scared?!”
Rob takes a look and isn’t impressed, “On the contrary, you still are. Your claw tells me so.”
He then jumps onto Discord’s claw and punches him squarely in the face. The blow causes him to release his grip on the others. They land on the floor, relieved to be free. They watch as Rob continues walking toward Discord.
“You see what I mean? You’re weak. You call yourself an emperor of Chaos? I’ve taken on much worse. You think that by turning Rainbow Dash into your enforcer you would prevent us from kicking your sorry butt? For an evil villain, you really disappoint me. Even that freaky skrull Chrysalis could conceive a much better plan. You? Sorry but…” He suddenly begins to chuckle slowly until it builds up to him laughing madly at Discord. “You’re a complete joke! You think you’re some sort of super villain, but you’re just a scared draconian who can’t handle something as simple as friendship! Some dark lord you turn out to be!”
His laughter intensifies taking a toll on Discord. The mocking words he hear and the feeling of being humiliated is causing his mind to go delirious. He could’ve swore he heard Twilight and the others laugh at him as well. This causes him to be driven over the edge. He snorts a little. He clenches his fist in anger.
“Uh Robbie…” Pinkie says trying to get Rob’s attention, but he keeps laughing. She tries to get his attention a few more times but it isn’t working.
It’s then that she and her friends see Discord charging towards him. Her stomach twists in fear as she lets out a scream, “ROBBIE!”
“Huh? What?” Rob turns around and a split second later, he avoids Discord’s attack, “Guess you were under pressure, weren’t ya?”
“Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!” Discord barks, “By the time I’m done with all of you, I’ll be the one laughing!”
“We’ll see,” Rob taunts back, “Time to dance!”
He gets the first move by giving Discord a spin kick to the face. Rob goes now for a charging tackle followed by a right hook. Both moves connect but Discord counters hitting Rob. It doesn’t stop Rob from continuing the fight. He goes at it again delivering haymakers left and right. After a while, he finishes up with a headbutt bonking Discord in the head.
“So what’s up Discord? Feel like laughing now?” taunts Rob.
Discord shouts violently, “Silence!” Now it’s his turn to attack.
The emperor of Chaos races straight for Rob attacking him with his fists. Rob is able to evade some of his strikes but one hits him in the jaw. It’s the opening he needs. Grabbing him by the neck, Discord slams him to the floor. With an evil smile, he brutally smacks Rob with his fist. After a few hits, he throws Rob like a rag doll. Rob lands hard onto the floor. Although he’s hurt, he continues to be persistent.
“Nice. This is where things get fun,” says Rob with a smile.
“Fun?!” Discord rasps. “Do you think of this as some sort of game?!”
“Pretty much,” Rob stretches a bit before gearing up, “Now then, let me show you what I’m capable of.”
Discord watches Rob summon the Elements of Harmony in front of him. Rob shuts his eyes. Everyone sees the seven relics transform into pieces of armor. Honesty and Loyalty form the shoulder pieces. Laughter and Will are the arm parts. Generosity and Kindness create the leg sections. Magic turns upside down creating the chest. The armor enters on Rob’s body engulfing him in a golden aura. Discord seems curious but also cautious over Rob’s hidden strengths.
“I haven’t used this in a while. Maybe it’ll be enough to give you a little thrashing huh?” Rob says, casually stretching before battle.
“What are you wearing? Looks like you turned the Elements of Harmony into some kind of dress? Are you trying to win my respect with your causal insolence!?” asks Discord. His tone is still fierce and full of anger.
“Guess you never knew about the Harmony Armor,” Rob responds, “No wonder you and I never met. You would have already known of what this is capable of. Time for a little demonstration.”
With a devious smile, Rob dashes straight at Discord and delivers a punch to the face. He goes for another but Discord blocks it. He counters with his own punch smacking Rob in the face. The blue stallion takes the hit rather well but is still unimpressed. Discord gets angry seeing Rob’s expression so he goes for another punch.
Rob blocks it and says, “Like I said before. You’re weak and I sense the fear still inside you. What’s wrong? Are you afraid of my power? Afraid of what I can do? Come on.”
Discord throws another punch but now it’s Rob who blocks his attack. He keeps having that same smile looking at the draconian as if he has an obsession. It becomes a tug-of war between them. Discord uses all he has hoping to drive his fist into Rob’s mouth. Rob continues to play with him hoping to put him at a disadvantage. But he doesn’t expect Discord using his own head to do damage to him. It breaks Rob’s grip on his hand and he uses it to sock him in the face.
“I won’t let someone as insignificant as you push me around! Do you even know who I am!?” yells Discord, still fuming in anger.
“Oh I do know,” says Rob, “You’re nothing but a giant paperweight comprised of different animal parts. I wonder, when you came around, did you happen to get into a costume store? If you did then I just can’t take you seriously. Even if Rarity put you in something really nice, you still don’t impress me.”
Rainbow Dash starts to giggle at Rob’s choice of words. After a bit, it enters to full on laughter. The others look at her with angry stares. She keeps on laughing and now it makes Discord fuming mad.
“This… isn’t… funny!” Discord screams. In his blind rage, he conjures up a blast of dark magic from his hand.
“Even when you yell, you’re still a joke!” Rob replies, insulting Discord for good measure.
“You think that’s funny? Well let’s see you laugh at this!” Discord then flicks his arm creating a chaotic energy wave.
Rob turns to his friends and gloat, “Watch this.”
He touches the jewel of generosity on his right knee, activating one of the armor’s powers. A large diamond appears in front of him carrying a reflective surface. Discord’s wave strikes the reflective mirror, absorbing its power. Rob smiles at the sight of this but it only fuels his opponent’s anger.
“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most chaotic of all? That would be me!” He shouts, unleashing another chaotic wave.
The mirror absorbs the blast but something goes wrong. It begins cracking on some sides. Rob sees Discord fire another attack hitting the mirror shattering it. The resulting feedback sends the absorbed blast to Rob, dealing damage. Discord chuckles as Rob hits the floor from the impact. But it isn’t stopping him. He gets up and goes on the offense again. This time around, he uses the Loyal Dash to hit at mach speed. Discord easily repels all his attacks and responds with a simple punch. Due to being at high speed, he gets sent all over the place landing yet again on the floor.
Discord assures Rob, “You make this too easy. Do you think your little armor can stand up to me? I doubt it.”
“And I still say you’re weak. You’re just lucky because the extreme disharmony makes you an omnipotent god,” He replies.
“That is so true,” agrees Discord, “Will you ever learn little stallion? You may as well surrender because you and your friends will never defeat me. Ever.”
Rob looks around considering his options. Okay, the Harmony Armor isn’t working against him. Even if I were to use every attack, he’ll simply dodge and counter it.
“Tell me, is something bothering you boy? Why not tell us. It can make things so much easier,” requests Discord, who notices Rob thinking.
Rob becomes angry and frustrated. Darn it, this creep’s catching on to what I’m doing. Harmony Armor won’t work and going Nova may not be the best. Who knows what would happen if he were to get a hold of that power?
That’s when Rainbow Dash has a suggestion. She says, “Rob! Use them both at the same time!”
Rob turns and replies, “But if I did that, then the risk is just too great. I just can’t!”
“What are you saying to him Rainbow Dash?” asks Twilight.
“I’m telling him to go Prime. Harmony Nova Prime!!” She shouts, spooking Rob at the very thought of it.
That form killed me. I vow to myself I would never use it again… but I’m left now with little choice. Rob’s face changes from worry to confidence.
“You know, the more I hear you talk, the more it bores me. I should have had you all beaten the minute you stepped in my quarters,” Discord complains.
“And you remind me of Rarity when she complains. I can handle her just fine. You, not so much,” Rob insults.
“This is one of the reason why you never… ever… SHUT UP!” Discord yells, fed up by Rob’s constant insults.
“Whoa, temper. Calm down. You want to get back to the fighting well, wait a bit. I just thought I’d show you something.” Rob suggests.
Discord calms down (hopefully) and responds, “Yes? Like what?”
“I figure you need a better understanding of what I’m capable of. So I figured it’s high time that you get a lesson on that, starting with the basics,” Rob explains.
He then turns to his friends and says, “And I think you six should learn too.”
“Do we really have time for this? Because ever since you had the audacity to insult me and say that I’m weak, I just simply want to beat you down and strip the friendship out of you,” Discord hisses, getting angry at the aspect of what Rob says.
“Maybe if you take a deep breath and relax, we’ll get to that,” Rob suggests.
Discord calms down. This makes Rob pleased so he continues, “Trust me. You all are going to love this. What you see now here is me in my normal state.”
He shuts his eyes causing his Element of Harmony to appear. He then says, “This here is my Element of Harmony: The Element of Will. Derived by the desire to overcome anything, even destiny.”
Suddenly, the other Elements of Harmony appear in front of Rob. They instantly change into the Harmony Armor. Discord continues to watch.
“And when all seven elements of harmony are gathered, they form the power to create miracles. This here is the Harmony Armor,” Rob explains, “But you knew that first hand didn’t you?”
Discord nods and responds, “Oh I do know. How I enjoyed beating you down even with your little toys.”
“I already knew that firsthand. But let me ask you, can someone like me have the power to do this?” Rob asks him.
The seven Elements of Harmony disappear. In its place, Rob takes on a strange golden helmet. He puts it on covering his body in an all too familiar outfit. The Mane six sees that he’s already going Nova. Discord looks in confusion seeing him in this form.
“I’m surprised you’ve never seen this before. This here is my Nova gear but you can refer this as Centurion Nova Prime,” He says, showing off this form.
“This is becoming the worst three minutes I’ve ever wasted in my existence,” Discord complains, again, “Your tutorial is boring me. You basically change outfits. So what? Is it going to scare me? No! What it will make me do is give me more of a reason to destroy you and your friends. At this point, you’ve bored me with your insults, your fighting and now this!”
Its then that Rob stops joking around. With a serious tone, he tells him, “You just really want me to kick your butt do you?”
Discord simply nods at him. Rob responds to that with just a sigh but knows the risks.
“Alright. Before I do that, there is one more thing I want to show all of you. By the time it’s over you will be amazed at what you’ll see,” Rob says, having that same smile.
Rob closes his eyes. He starts to float high in mid-air. One by one, the Elements of Harmony appear. They encircle him but due to the huge amount of energy, all seven turned into circular orbs of colored light. Twilight and the others see the orbs move much faster. They reach the point where electricity begins to spark out from each Element. Suddenly, the elements stop moving and then go inside Rob causing an unbelievable transformation. So much so that everything engulfs in a bright light. All they hear is a loud ear-shattering roar. Even Shining Armor’s resistance army can hear it.
Shining Armor looks up to see. That roar… is Rob actually going through with this?
His sight turns to one of the Elite attacking him. He blocks and counters. Their fight continues on. Discord’s Elite troops are putting up a heck of a brawl. But another fight is about to start again. Back at the top of Distopia Castle, everyone looks in shock over Rob’s transformation. Twilight and her friends are amazed at this. No words can describe it. Discord however, has a look of horror. Although Rob stated earlier that Discord was afraid of friendship, he’s now afraid of something worse, much worse.
“The look in your eyes… I see it. It’s fear,” says a deep and angered voice.
Discord still looks in horror as his opponent stands there, hovering over the ground. The others get to see and even this surprises them. They see Rob’s true power. It’s a power that took his life six months ago but he needs it now more than ever. This power is Prime… Harmonia Nova Prime. If the Nova Force and the Harmony Armor were to combine, this is the result. He currently wears the Nova Prime gear with some notable differences.
One difference is that he isn’t wearing the helmet. In its place is a starburst on his head that has eight points. He also is wearing the Harmony Armor. The harmony gems are colored differently taking a red hue instead of normal. It’s due to the Nova Force interacting with the Elements. Another noticeable feature is Rob’s hair. His hair is expanded reaching down to his legs. They’re spiky and exhibit some powerful static. His eyes are no longer filled with yellow light. They are normal; a sign that both of his strengths are in check and as one.
“Sorry this took me a lot longer than I thought it would be. But I haven’t had the opportunity to use this. What better time than now,” He says.
“What… what are you?” Discord asks him, still fearful over his opponent’s changed state.
“I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth,” He answers, carrying a tone that is dark, cryptic and devoid of emotion.
“Truth? All you are is just a little pony wearing some kind of fancy get-up. You’re not even truth at all!” Discord rants.
“Is that right?” Letting off a powerful roar, his aura manifests and his tone changes, “I am ally to good! Nightmare to you! This here is my ultimate power. My last hope in fighting for everlasting harmony! I am Prime… Harmonia Nova Prime!”
“Harmonia? Nova Prime?” mutters Discord, trying to compose himself.
“That’s right. You want to see me at my best?” He asks Discord, smiling immediately, “You got it. Now, let’s begin this little game shall we?”
Rob vanishes instantly. Discord looks around hoping to find him. His fear has kicked into overdrive. He has never been this afraid of his opponent. Normally, it would be Discord who brings fear to those who oppose him. But now the roles have been reversed. Now it’s Rob who’s delivering the fear to him whether it is by words or actions. Rob attacks, striking Discord on the back of his head. Reeling from the attack, Discord counters but misses.
“Where are you?” He shouts loudly.
“I’m right here,” Rob replies appearing behind Discord, “What’s the matter? Nervous? Afraid? Questioning why I carry this power? Querying why you shake in worry?”
“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” Discord yells, attacking again, “I will not be stopped by an incessant overpowered brat!”
His attack is on deaf ears. Rob disappears, pushing Discord to the breaking point. Twilight and the others look in worry over their enemy’s continued anger.
“I’ve never seen Discord so angry before,” says Twilight.
“You can blame Robbie for that. That pony certainly pushed his buttons long enough. He’s going to get us all killed,” Applejack rants.
“Would you want Discord to beat us down like before? It’s either that or we let Rob do the fighting for us? We owe him at least that much!” Rainbow Dash responds.
“But what he’s doing is going to really bring ruin for all Equestria!” Twilight shouts back.
“Yeah? So what? We can always rebuild things when we’re done,” Rainbow Dash argues.
Twilight responds, “That’s not the point. Rob pushed Discord to the brink and we’re going to end up paying the price for his actions!”
Fluttershy and Pinkie say nothing. The two look at Discord who in blind anger, tries to attack Rob. As Harmonia Nova Prime, Rob evades his attacks like they’re nothing. One attack lands Rob but blocks it with so much as a simple gesture. The two go into a straight stare down. From the eyes of Twilight and the others, it’s clear as day. To Discord, Rob is nothing but an impudent brat who has pushed his buttons far too long. All he wants to do is strip the friendship out of him. In Rob’s mind however, Discord is the very epitome of chaos itself. His friends may have beaten him once but now they can’t due to his omnipotence. Only someone who can rival that power is able to and that is Rob.
“Do you have any idea how angry I am right now?” Discord asks him, “How I want to rip you down piece by piece!”
“I do,” He answers, “Too bad you’re still weak… and afraid of not just friendship, but me. Funny ain’t it? Funny that you’re scared of me.”
“I am not afraid!” yells Discord, becoming angry yet again.
“Your claw tells me otherwise. You lie,” Rob replies.
“Then prove it boy! Prove that I am afraid!” He hisses.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Rob warns.
Rob does that by breaking his hand. Discord yells in immense pain. For added good measure, Rob delivers a kick to the face sending him to the floor. In pain from Rob’s assault, Discord whimpers his way out.
“Since when did a draconian decides to be a coward?” asks Rob, “I thought you wanted to be the one laughing after this is over. Who’s laughing now, weakling?”
Discord turns to Rob with a cold angry stare. Rob simply stands there not showing any emotion whatsoever. Twilight and the others keep watch. They don’t like what’s going on.
“So you want to go again? I can enjoy beating you down all over again… if you can free yourself from your childish garbage,” Rob suggests.
Discord then insists, “Are you saying that I’m holding back? Ridiculous. I am not holding back against you at all!”
Rob simply shrugs and responds. “You lie! You are holding back. You’re just afraid that what you’ll do can end up destroying this place,” He then adds insult to injury by saying, “No wonder Discordia’s spawns are pathetic.”
Discord notices Rob’s tone and asks him, “What did you say?”
He repeats, “I said, no wonder Discordia’s spawns are pathetic. You want me to put a loudspeaker next to your ear so I can yell at you? Because from here, I can say it as much as I want just fine.”
Rob says the same words “weak and pathetic” over and over. It fuels Discord to rapidly become angry. His claw (now healed) turns into a fist. He snorts in rage. He begins walking closer hearing more of Rob’s continued banter. Pinkie tries to warn Rob but it’s of no use. He still continues mocking him and how the spawn of an evil monster is wretched. But as Rob turns around, he stops speaking. He sees Discord ready to explode on him. What happens next is all expected.
Discord grabs Rob by the neck and drags him to a wall. Fed up by Rob’s insults, fed up by Rob’s disrespect and fed up due to his strength, Discord’s inner mind has split into two. He’s snapped. He’s gone feral. Rob gets a good look at him. Discord’s eyes have darkened into a corrupted crimson. His emotions run wild. Anger is all on his mind and now he’s ready to unleash it all on everyone who mocked him.
“You dare disrespect the goddess of chaos and strife?! You impudent little gnat!” Discord screeches.
“That’s because she is pathetic. Just like you,” Rob struggles replying. Discord’s grip tightens on his neck.
“I’ve had enough of this! I’ve had enough toying with you ponies! I’ve had enough dealing with your little talks of love and friendship. They make me sick!” He spats, “Now the games end here! I will enjoy stripping your wretched hide piece by piece! And once I’m done with you, your friends will be next and no one will save them this time. Not even their pathetic Elements of Harmony!”
Rob struggles as much as he can to break free but to no avail. Discord’s grip on his neck is too tight. Even at his strongest state, it won’t be able to help him out of this rut. Discord gets himself ready to deliver an attack of his own. At a range this close, he is sure to give Rob a lesson in pain.
“So now the game is finally over. Any last words before I rip the friendship out of you?” Discord requests.
Rob thinks for a split second and answers, “As a matter of fact, I do.”
He gives Discord his answer by spitting in his face. Twilight and the others look in horror seeing Rob do this. It’s the ultimate insult to anyone who dares to anger someone else. In this case, Discord becomes enraged.
“You know, that’s very disrespectful of you right here. Spitting on my face, that’s cruel,” He takes a napkin out of nowhere and wipes the spit off, “More cruel than wanting to submerge a world into chaos because everyone hates you.”
“Wanted an answer so bad? You got it,” Rob replies, still struggling.
“Seems you’re still as reckless as ever. I tried to be reasonable with you but your puny brain thinks otherwise. Time to go blue dweeb,” Discord rages, gearing his paw up for a thrashing.
But Rob has other plans. Using his legs, he whacks Discord in the face. His grip on Rob is released. Now free, he goes on the attack dishing out multiple punches and kicks. Discord fights back with his own attacks while blocking some of Rob’s attacks. This turns into a major brawl. Eventually they both split and then went at it again. Both Rob and Discord each deliver a punch to each other. Instead, they hit their fists causing a shockwave that shatters every single window in the throne room.
“Had enough yet?” Rob asks him.
“Far from it. I shall enjoy breaking you down,” Discord responds.
“This is a fight I’ve been waiting for,” Rob says. He then yells loudly letting out more power.
Discord does the same and the two were then engulfed in auras. Rob races resuming the fight but Discord predicts his attack. He blocks two strikes and then follows it up by using his tail to smack Rob halfway across the room. Rob lands on the floor but is so fueled into the fight that he doesn’t hear Pinkie asking if he’s okay. He dashes for another attack but like before, Discord blocks and counters. However, Rob grabs his tail and then swings him around for a bit. After a while, he throws Discord sending him to a free fall. Rob follows with a high-speed dash. Discord regains his footing but is too late.
“You’re going down my friend. Way down!” He shouts, grabbing Discord and slamming him to the ground.
The resistance is caught by surprise seeing Discord crash. Shining Armor gets a look at the situation. He sees Discord knocked onto the floor hard with Rob up above ready to attack. Rob gathers an orb of pure energy and fires straight to the ground. Shining Armor and his forces move away from the blast radius. He wonders if Discord will go down in this manner. But the draconian isn’t going out so easily. Seeing the orb heading at him, he gets up and uses his tail to send it right back at him.
“Your serve Stallion,” says Discord.
Rob responds by smacking the orb back at him. He then dashes to follow up with another attack. Discord repels the orb and then blocks his assault. The fight continues on the ground with both of them giving it everything they have. However, Rob becomes more brutal with his attacks. He eventually kicks Discord and then smacks him twice. Discord blocks the second attack and then throws Rob onto a tree. The hit tears the tree down and gives Rob ample pain. It doesn’t stop him though.
“You’re getting better Discord. Guess my way into angering you really does pay off,” Rob compliments.
“Oh I should thank you alright because now I have more of a reason to submerge you and this world into chaos! Chaos is magical! Chaos is everlasting! Chaos is forever!” Discord responds, laughing maniacally.
Again with the chaos garbage Discord? This guy needs something new to say, I swear. Rob gears up again for another attack.
He races toward him but Discord says, “Going for the offense eh? You are too blind.”
Discord prepares to block but didn’t anticipate Rob to disappear. Discord looks around. He waits for when Rob will show up. That’s when he can be ready for a counteroffensive. Rob does show up and strikes him from behind. He then fires two blasts of energy sending Discord careening onto the walls of his fortress. In a fit of rage, Discord responds by unleashing a barrage of chaotic energy blasts. Rob dodges them with little effort and then at point blank range, fires a blast of gravimetric energy. The blast not only gets Discord but Rob as well due to the recoil. He lands on the floor while Discord is still stuck on the wall from the impact. The Mane 6 meanwhile gets a look at the carnage. It’s a sight for sore eyes.
“These two are really giving it their all,” says Twilight who notices something off.
“Robbie…” Pinkie whispers, worried for her love.
“If this keeps up, these two can end up tearing this place apart. We won’t be safe here,” worries Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow Dash is right. Somepony is going to get seriously hurt if the fight keeps up,” Twilight explains.
“What da we do?” asks Applejack.
“All we can do… wait,” Twilight answers, “Discord is too powerful and even if we attacked, he’ll toss us aside.”
“But Twilight, don’t we have something that can beat that meanie,” Pinkie wonders.
“I agree with Pinkie, Twilight,” insists Rarity, “Rob and Discord’s fighting is only going to put trouble for all of us. There should be something that can help finish this.”
“Think of something Twilight,” says Fluttershy.
Twilight replies, “I’ll try.”
While Twilight tries to figure out a plan, the battle between Rob and Discord heats up. Both of them are breathing heavily, even in their strongest states. Despite the fighting that still goes on with Shining Armor and his squad, it was fierce. They go at it for another round but their attacks collide smacking each other in the face. The impact from the attack forces the two to reel back. Discord goes for another strike. Rob responds by giving him the boot. His instincts were kicking in at full throttle. He starts exhibiting the same emotions as Discord has right now: focusing more on violent instincts than reasoning. In his mind, he doesn’t care who gets in his way. What’s in front of him is his opponent that must be taken down.
“You notice that I’m being different aren’t you?” Rob asks Discord.
He nods and replies, “I noticed alright. I also noticed that you’re more focused on battle rather than talk. That’s a first.”
“Not really. This is what happens when I go all out like this,” Rob explains, “When I’m in this state, it’s hard to listen to reason.”
“Reason? You never ever listen to reason so that should be moot,” insists Discord.
“That’s not the case,” He then explains, “Everypony should know that when I’m in this form, it’s hard for me to listen to reason. Reasoning means nothing to me. Stuff like friendship and love is garbage. I just lose control and if I wanted to, I would annihilate the entire planet just so I can wipe you out.”
Discord becomes shocked at the premise of Rob’s words. In his mind, Rob’s crazy but due to being in this feral state, he can care less. The two fight yet again and Discord gets smacked by Rob’s ferocious kick. He gets sent flying into the castle. The impact scares Twilight and the others who are still planning something. They see Rob race straight for Discord. He unleashes a full force barrage of energy blasts. All of them hit their mark but for good measure, he brings out the Gravimetric Blaster dishing more damage.
“Rob, we may have found a way to defeat Discord but we need your help,” Twilight suggests.
He turns to look at Twilight and the others delivering a very cold stare. Everyone is spooked by Rob’s change of tone, even Pinkie. She’s afraid of what he’ll do to her or her friends.
“Robbie…” says Pinkie, “Are you there?”
Rob says nothing. This heightens Pinkie’s fear. She tries calling out to him again but to no avail. But then she notices him smiling. He then winks at the seven before turning to his opponent as he roars loudly. Rob smiles seeing Discord isn’t done yet. However he can’t waste too much time fighting.
“So, you finished yelling? Let’s do this. I think I’ve wasted enough time toying with you,” Rob says.
Discord lets out a roar engulfing into a dark aura. Rob does the same but he’s in a golden aura. The two go at it for another dash. However Rob instead delivers an uppercut. He grabs him by the neck and launches him high into the air. The blow has Discord smacking ceiling after ceiling. It does give Rob some room to reach all the way up. When he does, he gives him a smack sending him straight down.
“Feel my power!” Rob shouts, “Gravimetric Blaster!”
Rob fires a full power gravimetric blast. With aim precise as his, he’s guaranteed not to miss. The blast hits dealing damage but he takes it up a notch going at full power. However, Twilight notices that Discord is pushing against the force of Rob’s full power blast.
“This isn’t good,” She worries, “Girls, we got to do something and fast! If Discord repels that attack back at Rob, he’s in trouble.”
“But what do we do? We don’t have anything that can hurt him,” Pinkie replies, worried.
“Oh we do. We just need the perfect item for the job. Pinkie, we need your Party Cannon,” Twilight suggests.
“My party cannon? Why?” Pinkie asks her friend.
“Just trust me,” insists Twilight.
Pinkie nods and hands Twilight her Party Cannon. With no time to waste, the six get to work. Rob continues pushing everything he has into the Gravimetric Blaster. Discord keeps pushing through the blast despite suffering injuries. Rob notices this and he amplifies his power. This pushes Discord back but he shows some persistence.
“You prove to be stronger than I expected. I’m impressed boy,” Discord praises.
“I can say the same for you. You’ve been able to withstand everything I’ve thrown at you. A shame this fight has to end,” Rob replies, feeling disappointed.
Before Discord says another word, Twilight and her friends prep up Pinkie’s party cannon. Taking their shot, Pinkie fires sending out a large party bomb at Discord. Unaware of the oncoming obstacle, Discord gets smacked by the party bomb. It explodes completely ruining his focus. It gives Rob the time needed to boost his attack pushing Discord down even more.
“Time to finish this. By the power of the Nova Force!” Rob shouts, “Super Nova!”
Rob gathers energy turning it into a large golden orb. He then dashes at high speed slamming headlong into Discord. The impact severely damages him. Rob pushes as much as he can. He wants to end the fight despite his friends’ untimely “assistance”. He looks at Discord with a cold stare. Discord does the same. No words were said between the two. Only their actions speak for them. Eventually after a while, Rob makes good on his words unleashing the Super Nova at full power.
“Guys, now!” Rob shouts. He allows the Elements of Harmony to separate from him.
Twilight and the others put on their brooches. Rob does the same. The seven sees Discord ready to attack once more. With no time to waste, they use the power of their Elements. Energy begins to unleash from all seven brooches. Discord knows what happens next. He builds up energy for an attack of his own. After a bit, the two sides unleash their power at each other. It immediately becomes a power struggle with Discord pushing everything he has against the seven.
“Don’t think I’m letting you win this easily. I won’t go down without a fight,” states Discord.
“Too bad this fight is already over. Let’s kick it up to full power guys,” orders Rob.
Rob and his friends continue to stand their ground. The gems begin glowing wildly responding to their desire to win. Discord notices his attack pushing back. He begins to get afraid. He sees the blast coming closer. All he could do was scream.
“No. No… NO!” He yells in fear. Rob and his friends’ attack strike Discord.
His body begins to solidify changing into marble. Before long, he returned back to the prison that trapped him before. The energy from their attack disappears. Twilight and the others get a look. They see Discord has returned back to his stone prison, where he belongs. Rob checks but finds something off.
Funny. We beat Discord but… why does he look like this? He wonders.
“Maybe because I knew you’d defeat me. What else can I say?” Discord responds, deep within Rob’s mind.
Discord! But we defeated you! Rob states.
“Defeated me yes, but can I at least give you some praise? You really put me through the ringer. Didn’t think that your insults brought the best in me.” He explains.
Is that so? Guess I did hit you good. You are still the same as Twilight always tells me… a master of chaos. Rob responds.
“Ain’t that who I am? Chaos is truly a wonderful thing,” says Discord, “I never thought I’d say this but it’s good to have you back among the living… Rob Stallion. You better hope that when I do return, I wish for a rematch. Understand?”
Rob smiles solemnly seeing the stone Discord statue. He senses that there may be some good in him. Before he can turn to his friends, a loud tremor shakes the castle. Everyone wonders what’s going on. The tremors start increasing rapidly affecting not just Distopia but all over the planet.
Rob then looks at his left arm and says, “Worldmind, Status Report!”
An image of Worldmind appears in front of the seven. He replies, “The planet’s destruction has accelerated.”
“Accelerated?” wonders Rainbow Dash, “What do you mean?”
“Quite simple. Your friend’s fight against Discord has sped up the remaining time your planet has,” It explains, not showing any emotion to the seven.
“So how long do we have until the planet goes ka-powie?” Pinkie asks it.
Worldmind tries saying something but can’t. Rob knows it’s hiding the truth from them.
“Tell us already!” shouts Rob, “How much time we have left?”
Giving in, Worldmind answers, “Your planet has only 30 minutes to survive.”
“What?!” yells Twilight, “30 minutes? You mean our world is going to go out like this in 30 minutes?”
“Precisely,” It answers, “None of you will survive the oncoming destruction.”
But Rob disagrees, “I won’t let it happen. There is a way we can save the planet.”
“No Robbie,” dissuades Pinkie, “You can’t! You don’t mean to-”
“I do!” He interrupts, “I’m going to the planet’s core and expunge out the chaos that’s corrupting it.”
“Are you out of your mind Robbie,” protests Applejack, “Are ya gonna risk your life ta do something so careless?”
“I agree with Applejack. This is too much for you to handle,” approves Rarity, “There has to be another way.”
“There is no other way Rarity. Like I said, when I’m in this state, reasoning is meaningless. Even if you beg and plead, you won’t change my mind. I have to do this,” assures Rob.
“You’re a fool,” insults Worldmind. Everyone is shocked hearing this.
“A fool you say? Tell me. What are the chances of survival if I do this?” asks Rob.
“Um…” says Fluttershy, “Please don’t do this Rob. I ask you please.”
“Your actions are just as foolish as your predecessor,” offends Worldmind, “If you choose to make this risk, there is a 98% chance that you will not survive. You’re throwing away your life just to save theirs… again.”
“So what? You should have left me to die,” He responds.
“Do you wish to break the promise you made?” Worldmind questions.
After a few seconds of thinking, Rob nods and answers, “I won’t die. I promise.”
Rob gathers the Elements of Harmony forming the Harmony Armor once more. Once the armor’s on, he starts heading for the planet’s core. All his friends and even Worldmind were appalled by Rob’s decision.
“What is Robbie thinking?” Pinkie says, angrily, “Why does he have to go and do this?!”
“Pinkie, I know you’re mad but,” Twilight explains.
“But what?!” She interrupts, “Saying that he’s the one who has to save everypony is crazy!”
“Ah know Pinkie. Robbie is crazy and what he’s doing is gonna get him killed… again!” Applejack agrees.
“Robbie promised me that if ANYTHING were to happen to him, I would never…. Ever… smile again!” Pinkie replies, stating the ultimatum.
“That’s… a bit harsh Pinkie Pie,” says Rarity, “Don’t you think that’s a bit too extreme?”
“Not as extreme as how our friendship ended up after he died,” replies Rainbow Dash, realizing her folly.
In fact, all of them realize the truth. Fluttershy says, “I know. I feel like it’s my fault.”
“It’s all our fault Fluttershy,” admits Applejack, “Even Rob and Rainbow Dash have to take some of the blame.” The others nod in agreement.
“Yes,” agrees Worldmind, overhearing their conversation, “All seven of you are to blame for what happened.”
“But why Rob has to go off and do this?” asks Twilight, “He’s going to end up making the same mistake the first time.”
“He is reckless. He does not care if his life wishes to be taken. He only wants what is best not just for you but also for everyone in your world,” explains Worldmind.
“That’s just an excuse for him to be going off and being a hero,” replies Applejack.
“You should know that he carries a burden. One that is eating away inside of him,” It says, “If you’ve seen it behind the façade, his heart is in tears. Crying out because of all the trouble that he’s caused.”
The six wonder if it’s true. Worldmind decides to explain it in a lot more detail. It shows the six a recording of Rob during his training. In the recording, Rob states that it has been six months since he came back to life. He has completed his training and is on his own way home. However he worries if his friends still harbor hate toward him. He made some mistakes. He tried his hardest to set things right but it was to no avail. Maybe he felt the same pain they did when they were humiliated… karma. He only wanted to teach them a lesson in humility. But it led to infighting that shattered their friendship. It ends with him hoping that his friends keep their promise. He tells his friends that he’s sorry for everything. He also apologizes to Pinkie for breaking her heart and if things were different, he’d be proposing to her right now. The recording ends. All six look at each other ready to cry.
“I understand the pain you all are in right now. Rob only wanted what’s best for all of you but now he’s risking his life to save your world,” Worldmind says, “I don’t know if it is negligence or valor but whatever the reason, I can not let him do something like this. He has much to live for.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Rainbow Dash asks.
“As a matter of fact, there is,” Worldmind replies, glowing brightly.
It then fires energy beams striking each of them. They didn’t feel anything strange at first. But then Twilight notices some of them floating. Before look, Twilight starts floating as well. All of them start flying but Worldmind keeps them in line.
“What did ya do ta us?” asks Applejack.
“I have given you the power of flight. However, it only lasts for a short time,” It explains.
“Listen up. We need to get to where Rob’s going and fast!” orders Twilight.
“Yeah! We have a planet ta save,” replies Applejack.
“We have families that look up to us,” follows Rarity.
“We all have big dreams to accomplish,” Rainbow Dash asserts.
“And… um… we… want to bring harmony back,” Fluttershy sputters.
“We want to have the biggest parties in all of Equestria,” Pinkie praises.
“So let’s do it! Let’s save the world and show everypony why we’re the Elements of Harmony!” Twilight says.
Worldmind smiles seeing them united. It disappears and the six head into the hole that Rob created. Meanwhile, Rob reaches the planet’s core. The area is a horrid sight. Darkness is everywhere, lightning roars letting out crash after crash and an echo of fear hears through the abyss. Instead of courage, Rob’s face has a look of fear. Its as if something or someone was waiting for him.
“Holy Celestia… Discord must really did a number here,” He whispers, “I don’t have much time. I got to take it to the max.”
Rob senses something out of place but he pays no mind. He gears himself up to unleash his Super Nova, regardless of the risks. Before he does however, he hears voices heading closer. He ignores it, thinking that it was the lightning. But then they get louder. It starts to ruin his focus. Anger kicks in and now he’s fed up. He turns around to check only for his face to widen in shock.
“Rob!” All six ponies shout. He becomes surprised seeing them here.
“Twilight? What are you all doing here? I told you all that I would handle this!” He complains.
“We can’t see you go out like you did last time. Besides, didn’t you make a promise to somepony?” Twilight asks her.
Rob tries not to reason with this. He answers, “I don’t have time for this. Give me one good reason why you all are here? Are you here to stop me from risking my life? Tell me.”
They didn’t need to. Pinkie comes closer to Rob. In either anger or stupor, she slaps him. His eyes widen after he felt that. He turns to look at her who is starting to form tears.
“Pinkie… why?” He whispers, asking her.
“You’re breaking my promise… you promised you wouldn’t do this!” shouts Pinkie, scaring him, “Why? Why do you have to go and hurt me like this?”
She becomes too overwhelmed by her emotions and starts crying in his arms. Rob gives her a hug hoping to calm her down. His eyes then shift to Twilight and her friends. They feel not just Pinkie’s pain but also Rob’s burden. It becomes silence despite the tension occurring in the planet’s core. But that silence is broken due to a scream.
“What was that?” asks Fluttershy.
The seven get a look around wondering who or what it was. Rob senses it yet the others do not. He sees the darkness around them begin to take form. A body starts to take form. Hooves start appearing on the body followed by large wings. They then see the head with a mane and tail that’s long, dark and evil. Its eyes reveal itself in a red rage. Her horn then shows with a size longer than the rest. It lets out a roar signaling its presence. The true form of chaos reveals itself at last, Discordia, goddess of chaos and strife. Due to the corruption, she is much larger than normal. She looks at the seven that stand in her way unleashing a roar.
“What? What is that?” asks Twilight. Fluttershy hides behind her due to the immense evil.
“The true form of chaos itself that wishes to submerge Equestria in eternal chaos… Discordia,” Rob replies, “Everyone, this is chaos personified.”
“Chaos? This thing? This monster?!” shouts Rarity. Discordia roars, scaring her.
“Not today you vile fiend. Harmonia stopped you before and now today, her children will do the same!” Rob counters back.
“Attention, planetary detonation in 3 minutes. Hurry.” Worldmind speaks through the intercom.
“Well, I guess there is only one option left,” Rob states, turning to his friends, “Guys, we’re going to have to kick it into overdrive.”
“Overdrive?” wonders Rainbow Dash, “What do you mean?”
Rob explains, “To purge our world of the chaos that is tearing it apart, we need to use our elements at maximum power. We only have one shot at this.”
“One shot?” says Applejack.
“If we fail at this… we’re history. You, me, everypony is history,” states Rob, “Time we make or break history. Let’s do it.”
The others say nothing. They know the risks. Only one thing matters now: saving the world. Turning toward the monster Discordia, the seven activate their Elements of Harmony. Like Rob stated earlier, they need to unleash it at maximum power.
Planetary detonation is imminent. 1 minute till detonation.
Discordia sees them using every ounce of strength they put into their Elements. Scoffing at the thought, she attacks unleashing a fury of chaotic power. The seven are unphased by the attack. She sees that the power formed an orb of harmonic energy. Inside the orb are Rob and his friends imbuing with the power of Harmony. Discordia roars once more stating that her revenge will be sought.
“Not this time. Eons ago, you were defeated but not destroyed. This time,” Rob looks at Discordia. His eyes start glowing white revealing his cutie mark, “You will go away… forever!”
The others open their eyes as well revealing their marks. All seven yell out as Discordia begins to be pushed back from the overwhelming energy. She is unable to react in time and then, it happens. Everything flashes in a bright white light. It wasn’t just Discordia that gets engulfed by it. It’s everything whether it is Shining Armor’s resistance army running to survive, Cadence praying alongside the foals hoping that it ends or all of life ready to experience the end of the world. The planet immerses itself within harmony’s light. Sounds of yelling are heard through the cosmos. Discordia’s essence was expelled out of the planet by the light. A few minutes afterwards, the light that covered the planet fades away. Instead of gray, the skies within the planet returned back to a light blue.
Inside the castle on Earth, the orb carrying Rob and the mane six land gently on the ground below. All of them were exhausted. Their Elements of Harmony also took a toll. The colors on their jewels (save for one) have turned to a dull gray. It’s due to their power no longer residing. The one that hasn’t however starts to crack. Eventually it shatters splitting into two halves and landing on the ground below. What does this mean? Is it due to Rob no longer carrying his strengths? Or did his death and rebirth played a role in all of this? Whatever the reason, the truth will reveal itself… when the seven wake from their slumber.
The sounds of celebration are heard all over the ruins of Distopia. Troops were running about, happy that it’s finally over. It isn’t just Distopia that’s showing signs of celebration. All over Equestria, reports come in that ponies all over are celebrating. The skies are blue once more, life slowly returns to the planet and many far and wide are cheering in victory that Discord has been defeated. Hearing the armies cheer and celebrate causes Rob to awaken. He shakes his head before looking around. He sees the others nearby, exhausted due to their efforts in purging their world of chaos.
“How long were we out?” He asks himself.
Someone nearby replies, “You’ve been asleep for quite some time. Hours, in fact.”
Rob turns around to see Princesses Celestia and Luna, restored once more. He’s shocked to see them again but his feelings change immediately to concern.
Celestia catches onto this and says, “Is something wrong? You seem troubled.”
“Yeah, there is. Are you angry over what all of us have done?” Rob replies, nodding before speaking.
“I have thought about this. Although your friends have done wrong, I can’t count your out of it. You also must take responsibility for what happened,” explains Celestia.
“I know. We made some really bad choices,” Rob replies.
“But after seeing how the seven of you defeated Discord and saved Equestria, I feel that there is hope for you, especially them,” She says, looking toward the Mane six who are still resting.
“Sister and I are proud of you Rob. Proud that you all saved Equestria and defeated Discord,” Luna praises.
Rob blushes for a bit and responds, “Thanks. I mean that, but I feel that words aren’t enough here.”
Before he says anything, Twilight and the others awaken. They see Rob already awake but also notice the Princesses nearby. Worried of what they’ll do, the six veer away a bit. Twilight becomes afraid due to having suffered the humiliation of being expelled as Celestia’s student. This is what worries Rob greatly.
“Twilight Sparkle,” says Celestia, “I know that you are upset but I did what I had to do.”
“Yes,” Twilight replies, “I know Princess. I… no, we want to say sorry for what we’ve done. Not just to Rainbow Dash, not just to Rob but also everyone.”
“I admit my folly on it too. I only did the Nova stunt to teach you six a lesson in humility,” Rob confesses, “But I had no idea my actions ended up hurting all of you.”
The others agree as well. Even Rainbow Dash confesses to her faults in all of this. It’s what Princess Celestia has known all along. All seven have contributed to Equestria’s descent into chaos along with their shattered friendship. Each of them suffered in different ways. Rob Stallion with his death, Twilight expelled by Celestia herself, her friends banished from entering Canterlot and their friendship coming to an end. But six months passed. Rob returned from beyond the grave, reunited his family and together, they defeated Discord and saved Equestria.
“I am proud that all of you are admitting your faults, Twilight and Rob especially,” approves Celestia, “You all have learned an important lesson not only on humility but also on how actions lead to consequences.”
“Yeah,” Rob agrees.
“Looks like this is our friendship report for ya right princess?” asks Applejack.
“Not exactly,” She replies, “You all still have to write a friendship report telling me what you’ve learned from all of this. Do I make myself clear?”
Everyone looks at the Princess and say, “Yes Princess Celestia.”
“Very good. Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia says, looking at Twilight.
“Um… yes,” Twilight asks, acting nervously.
“I have listened to your apology and I feel that I… should apologize for my actions. I felt that expelling you has been the worst decision I’ve ever made. It has eaten away at me because I hurt you in the worst way possible,” She explains, trying to be composed.
Twilight says nothing and nods at her. She still has the memory fresh in her mind.
“I don’t know if you want to do this but Twilight… I want you to become my student again,” Celestia offers.
Twilight looks at her and replies, “Really?”
Celestia nods and clarifies, “I feel that you have learned a great deal. This shows that you have continued to learn the true value of friendship even when the whole world is against you.”
“I know,” She agrees, “It’s what you always taught me Princess. I never forget all your lessons.”
She smiles seeing Twilight’s positivity. It’s enough to make her shed a tear. The others stand by her friend as Celestia makes her announcement clear.
“Then it’s official. Twilight Sparkle, I hereby welcome you to be my student once more. Your expulsion is now null and void. As for your friends, the ban I’ve placed upon them has been lifted,” Celestia announces.
Rob sees Twilight and her friends happy once again. All the pain and suffering they went through is now a distant memory. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem happy. Something has been gnawing inside him but he doesn’t want to tell his friends. Luna notices Rob walk away but doesn’t say anything. She turns to see Twilight and the others happy that things are back the way should be. But then all of them see the Elements of Harmony, now stripped of their color and power.
“We really gave it our all didn’t we?” Twilight asks her friends.
“Uh huh. Their color’s gone,” Applejack replies.
“It’s no big deal everypony. The elements will be back to normal right?” Rarity inquiries, but she sees everyone silent.
“Rarity, not to offend but it’s not that simple,” Celestia explains, “You all used the Elements of Harmony to purge the chaos from Equestria. As a result, they no longer have their shine.”
“So how long until the Elements of Harmony are back to normal,” Rainbow Dash asks.
Celestia takes a deep breath before answering, “About a couple hundred years.”
Everyone was speechless after hearing the princess. Before anyone says anything else, Pinkie notices something’s off. Someone is missing.
“Um guys? Where’s Robbie?” Pinkie asks. Everyone looks around to find out that he’s gone.
But the sound of someone heading off catches all of them off guard. They look to see Rob (who has gone Nova) flying into the sky. Seeing him leave has the six worried. The princesses look in concern but Celestia notices something next to the other Elements. She gets a look to see that Rob’s Element of Harmony shattered into two halves.
“I see,” Celestia whispers, “That’s why.”
“Something wrong Princess?” Twilight asks her.
Celestia explains, “I want all of you to look at this.”
The Mane 6 gets a look to see Rob’s Element of Harmony split into two. No one knows how it came about. All they know is that Rob has the answers but he flew off for parts unknown. Pinkie becomes distraught by this and runs off to find him.
“Pinkie,” pleads Twilight, “Where are you going?”
Princess Luna replies, “Let her go Twilight.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Twilight asks.
Twilight sees the two princesses not saying anything else. Her friends are the same, being silent. All of this causes her to shake her head and figure out what’s going on.
Celestia looks at her and says, “Do not worry about it Twilight. For now, we should focus on rebuilding Equestria.”
“Don’t worry about a thing Twilight. Let’s meet up with ya brother and celebrate,” Applejack suggests.
“You’re right,” Twilight says, agreeing, “We’re heading off Princess. It’s time for all of us to celebrate.”
The five then bid their farewells to the princesses before heading on their way. Outside the castle, every pony continues celebrating. Shining Armor simply sits on the ground and watches. He’s happy that all of this is finally over. But then he notices something coming this way. It’s Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Smiling, he heads to where they are and he hugs his sister. The two are reunited again, only this time it’s on better terms.
“I’m proud of you Twliight. I really am,” says Shining Armor, “You guys did it. You all defeated Discord.”
“Yeah but we couldn’t do it without… him,” Twilight replies, feeling down.
“What’s wrong?” He replies, but notices two ponies missing, “Oh, I see.”
“Robbie flew off to who knows where and Pinkie went off to find him. Ah only hope they’ll be here for the big party,” Applejack explains.
“I wouldn’t be worried. We have plenty of time to party right?” Rainbow Dash responds. Everyone looks at her with mixed looks.
“Rainbow Dash, I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Rarity says, “But we have no time for that. We need to rebuild Equestria.”
“Rarity’s right guys. All of us here have a job to do. Let’s find everypony and get to work,” Shining Armor suggests. His sister and friends agree with nods.
Shining Armor gets to work gathering anyone he can find. Twilight and the others also assist but notice some of the generals like Big Mac and Trixie also joining in. After a while, they amass a huge group. Twilight and the others smile seeing this.
Shining Armor approaches and then says, “Alright everyone, listen up. We are victorious in our fight against Discord and his army but now, a new fight begins.”
“Big brother,” Twilight wonders, “What are you doing?”
“Don’t worry Twiley, I got this,” He reassures her, “When I mean by fight, I mean… to restore. Our job today is rather simple. Grab whatever tools you can find and get to work. Time we make Ponyville bigger and better than before. So let’s do this!”
Everyone cheers in response. Upon seeing her brother succeed, Twilight goes to him and says, “What do you want us to do? Can we help?”
“Of course,” He replies, “This is a team effort. I can’t leave you guys out of this. You guys saved the world!”
“Ah’m bringing my family to help out too,” Applejack assures.
“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Rainbow Dash shouts. She then flies off to assist with the rebuilding.
Shining Armor then follows, “Okay then. Applejack, I know you have your whole family to help so I’ll leave you with that. We also have to make sure the animals are returned to their homes… or if we can’t, we’ll build them new ones.”
“Um…” whispers Fluttershy, “I can handle that if you want.”
He hears her and replies, “Alright Fluttershy. You have good experience with animals so I know you can do it.”
Before they head off, Shining Armor notices something off. He says, “Where’s Rob and Pinkie? Aren’t they with you guys?”
Twilight looks at him nervously and responds, “They’ll join us later. I think they need to take care of something important.”
He nods and then all of them meet with the rest of the group. Their trek wasn’t long but as they arrive, everyone sees their town looking like a complete and utter mess. They see it all: Houses have fallen apart, the ground around them shaken up and trees torn down, it’s entirely a mess. Shining Armor gets to work organizing ponies into teams. They get to work repairing the town. Twilight and the others help in ridding damaged trees. Fluttershy meanwhile, handles relocating animals to hopefully their new homes. Everyone pitches in and before long all their efforts help get the town going.
But far away from it all, one stallion hopes to find some answers. Once he sees Celestia and Luna again, he knew his job was done. So he flew off to be away from his family for a while. As explained before from Worldmind, Rob carries a burden that continues to eat away inside him. He reaches Ponyville Cemetery to pay respects but they aren’t any ordinary respects. These respects are his, or in a sense, were. Rob sees the gravestone in front of him, still decorated, as it should be when he first passed on. He lets off a sigh. He didn’t like the memories of him dying only for him to come back. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Guess this place is still about even after the world tore asunder. Rob keeps himself composed.
He sheds a tear wondering if there’s anything he can do to offer it. Looking around, he finds out there is. Noticing his ponytail, he grabs something sharp and begins cutting it off. It takes him a while but he succeeds in cutting his ponytail from his hair. Rob then places his long ponytail alongside many other memorabilia. With a smile on his face, the deed is done.
“I knew I’d find you Robbie,” That is, until he hears a familiar voice.
“Why are you here?” Rob replies, “Shouldn’t you be with your friends right now?”
“No,” She insists, “Not without you. Why do you have to leave like that?!”
“Maybe because I didn’t want to be around you guys. Don’t you know that all of this was my fault?”
“It isn’t just your fault Robbie. Princess Celestia knows that all of us are to blame, even Dashie. So why do you have to go off like this? Why are you trying to hurt me? Don’t you remember the promise you made?” Pinkie keeps asking him, over and over again.
“I remember the promise. Why do you think I’m still alive huh?” Rob replies.
“Not what I meant,” Pinkie states, becoming more out of character as she explains, “Why did you leave us? Is something bothering you because if it is, you better tell me right now!”
“Why should I? I don’t get the point of all this. Do you really worry for me that much?” Rob questions, “Tell me because you guys have no idea what I’m going through right now.”
“I know. That floaty ball that sounds like some old pony told us,” Pinkie replies, describing Worldmind in her own way.
Worldmind? Figures. He thinks.
“Come on Robbie, please. I don’t want you to see me with this frown,” She requests.
Rob gets a look at that face and it makes him want to surrender almost immediately. He can’t say no to something like that. Letting off a sigh, he gives in and explains everything. This makes Pinkie smile yet she’s cautious.
“I’m just going to sum this up in three sentences. I right now carry this burden that’s eating away inside me. Even when I exposed you for what you guys did, it still was there. I thought it would be better if I never came back. So when I made the announcement on that day, I meant what I said. I’m quitting. I just want to leave so that way I don’t hurt you guys anymore.”
“Robbie…” She whispers.
“But I didn’t expect the hydra to show up. I did what I had to do but my death was something I didn’t foresee,” Rob says, realizing his folly, “Nobody did and in my stupor, I end up doing something that cost me my life.”
“You were careless. That’s what,” Some voice speaks.
“Yeah, I was,” But then he turns to Pinkie and asks her, “Did you just say that?”
Pinkie retorts, “No. It wasn’t me.”
“Strange,” Rob wonders, “Either way, when I died, I end up bringing you all so much pain.”
“Blaming yourself aren’t you? You should know that it wasn’t just you who caused all of this.” It speaks again, “All of you should accept responsibility.”
Now Rob gets annoyed and shouts, “Okay now you are really becoming bothersome. Where are you?”
“Just as careless as ever. It’s no wonder you seem so tense,” The voice argues.
“Tense? I can’t say the same for you,” Rob responds.
“What’s going on?” Pinkie wonders.
“Well, look who decides to show up. Don’t you think you should be with your friends right now?” It asks Pinkie.
“That’s what I said,” He states, “You know what? Enough is enough. I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but you’re really getting on my nerves.”
“Alright. Guess I’m left with no choice huh?” Rob and Pinkie look to find out who’s been talking.
They see a nearby bush rustle a bit. Before long, it reveals someone who’s been watching the two talk. To their shock and surprise, they discover that it’s Rob. But something about this is very off. His look is similar to what he used to be before his death. This makes Rob more curious.
“So it’s you. You’re the one who’s been telling us this,” Rob theorizes.
“Pretty much,” Old Rob says. He then has his eyes on Pinkie, “Well if it isn’t little miss party animal. Planning to attack me with your party cannon again?”
Pinkie becomes scared of Rob-2’s negative tone. This makes the present Rob a bit angry. So he decides to confront this other stallion.
“That’s enough. Who are you?” Rob asks him.
“Pretty simple. I’m you,” Rob-2 states, “Or in a sense, a part of you.”
“A part of me?” He wonders, “What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. Remember when you had to deal with the Hydra?” Rob-2 now asks him.
“I remember. Where are you getting at with this?” Rob questions.
“Let’s see,” He explains, “You went Harmonia on that thing. Sure, you beat the heck out of him but when you unleashed the Super Nova, something happened.”
Rob and Pinkie stay silent. Rob-2 continues explaining, “Yeah, when you used the Super Nova, you ended up separating a part of yourself.”
“A part of yourself,” Pinkie wonders.
“That’s right. He split us into two. I guess this explains why your Element of Harmony shattered right?” Rob-2 states.
“I noticed. Before I passed out, I saw it break apart,” He says.
“That’s why you left,” Pinkie theorizes, “You didn’t want to tell everypony that you no longer have it right?”
Rob nods at her. Rob-2 looks at the two and interrupts, “You do know there’s a way we can undo the damage.”
The two turns to Rob-2 and say, “There is?”
Nodding, he replies, “But in order for us to do that, me and him have to become whole again.”
“Whole? I don’t think that’s possible,” Rob dissuades.
“So you want to continue being all guilty for what you did to your friends? Or would you rather instead just move on and accept it? What’s done is done. The only reason you have this burden is that you brought it to yourself. Why did you even become Nova to begin with huh? Tell me,” Rob-2 spats, showing anger toward his other self.
“I became Nova for the sake of teaching Twilight and her friends a lesson on how a hero should act. They pulled that stupid Mare-Do-Well stunt all for the sake of showing Rainbow Dash how a hero should act. I didn’t like what they were doing so I thought I would show them. It went well for a while but the more I did it, the more it ate away inside me. I end up carrying all this guilt and even now, it hurts me inside. I thought that me dying would ensure that they would continue protecting the world,” Rob turns to see the grave behind Rob-2, “Guess I was wrong.”
“I disagree,” Rob-2 responds, “You seem to have made one pony keep your promise. Rainbow Dash.”
“But the others haven’t. My death destroyed their friendship and I can never forgive myself for that,” He counters, becoming filled with more guilt.
“Again with this? Can you just let it go?” Rob-2 rants.
“He can’t!” Pinkie responds, “We now know how Robbie feels. I know he hurt us but I’ve since forgiven him.”
Rob then bombasts, “Really? Then how come you threatened to hurt him? Was it part of your lame way to teach him a lesson?”
“Enough!” Rob shouts, “I get it!” He lets out a sigh after hearing his other self rant on.
“Now then, you say that there’s a way we can restore my Element of Harmony back the way it should be right?” He asks his other self.
“There is but I need both halves in order to do this,” Rob-2 explains, “Do you have them Pinkie?”
“Um, no,” Pinkie replies in disappointment.
“Don’t worry. I have them right here,” He shows Rob and Pinkie the two halves, “After your friends went off to help rebuild Ponyville, I went to the Element Chamber and took the two halves. It wasn’t a pretty sight seeing all of them without their colors.”
Rob sums this up by saying, “I guess this is what happens when you had to kick it into overdrive against an embodiment of pure chaos huh?”
“Guess you really are crazy,” Rob-2 says the obvious, “But anyway, in order for us to set things right, we must become one.”
Rob then asks, “How do we do that?”
“Just trust me. I don’t have much time,” Rob-2 replies.
Pinkie watches Rob-2 get things ready alongside his other self. He places the two Element of Harmony halves on the ground. Once he gets Rob ready, Rob-2 does the same.
“Um, what are you two doing?” wonders Pinkie.
“Long story short, me and your boyfriend have been separated and now, we need to be one. It’s the only way for our Element of Harmony to return to normal.” Rob-2 explains.
“Don’t worry Pinkie. I’ll be fine. Besides, I am keeping my promise,” Rob assures her.
“Excuse me but don’t you mean we?” Rob-2 corrects,” Anyway let’s do this.”
Rob nods and agrees, “Right.”
Rob-2 lifts up his front arm for a brohoof. Rob does the same and the two share one. But then something happens. The Element of Will begins to move slightly, responding to the two’s actions. A tornado of light starts engulfing the two. Rob becomes nervous but looking at his other tells that he shouldn’t worry. It gets brighter and suddenly, Rob begins feeling strange. His other self shuts his eyes turning into pure energy.
“What the heck?” Rob wonders.
“Like I said, I am a part of you. It’s time for the two of us… to be one again,” Rob-2 smiles as his aura suddenly enters inside Rob.
The two halves of Rob’s element start coming together. A light starts undoing some of the cracks that split it. Pinkie looks on hoping that everything goes well. She notices the light intensifying getting stronger than before. But then it gets too bright and the tornado disappears. She covers her eyes to avoid the overflowing light. But by then, the tornado has faded completely.
“Is it over?” she whispers.
Pinkie gets a look and see. She sees Rob but wonders if it’s the same one. He begins getting himself adjusted. A look on the ground notices that his Element of Harmony is now whole again. The unity was a success but the question now is if Rob is as he should be.
Pinkie finds out and says, “Robbie? Are you really you?”
He takes one look at her and doesn’t say a word. Everything becomes silent for simply a few seconds. Pinkie starts to worry but Rob pats on her shoulder gently. She gets a look at him and notices that he has a smile. Even she starts smiling.
“It’s me alright,” He looks at her with a smile and says, “Pinkie… I’m back. I’m whole again.”
Before long, Pinkie immediately hugs him tightly. Her eyes begin watering and her emotions are kicking into overdrive. Rob heads closer planting a kiss on Pinkie’s lips. A warm sensation was felt between the two of them. Pinkie encircles her arms around Rob who does the same. Their kiss ends and the two look at each other sharing fierce gazes. Both of them were ready to kiss once more but the two notice some ponies watching.
“So are you two finished yet?” says Applejack, catching the two’s eyes immediately.
“Applejack,” Rob wonders, “Never thought you were a sight for sore eyes.”
“Come on already. Everypony’s looking for ya both,” Applejack tells the two.
He nods at Pinkie and the three head to town. Rob was reunited with his friends once more but he feels that something needs to be done. But for the time being, he gets to work helping his friends restore Ponyville. Some of the buildings such as Rarity’s boutique didn’t take long but others take longer due to their design. Hours have passed and the town slowly and surely returned to the way it was. Many were still working but Rob and his friends are exhausted. He sees the princess’s chariot arrive at town to check the repairs. Everything stops almost immediately. All their eyes are on Princess Celestia and her sister.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, what brings you to Ponyville?” asks Shining Armor.
“I’m only here to check on the restoration. You all are doing rather well,” praises Celestia. Luna nods in agreement.
“Thanks for the compliment Princess but this is going to take us weeks,” Rob replies, stating the obvious.
“I don’t think you should worry,” speaks Celestia.
“Princess Celestia, I think Rob speaks the truth. Unless we get a lot of help, everypony’s going to be really hard at work,” Twilight suggests.
“Ah agree Princess. Mah family can only do what they can,” replies Applejack.
“I still have to take care of things myself. We all do,” Rarity follows.
Once she hears everyone’s thoughts on this, Celestia answers, “I understand that all of you need more assistance but you have all the time in the world to do so.”
Rob then asks, “So this means that we can take a break afterwards?” Celestia nods at them.
Everyone cheers at her response. Pinkie then adds, “Oh-oh-oh, I know what’s perfect for this day? A party!”
Pinkie in her usual manner throws a party but she pulls out all the stops. Taking place at Canterlot the next day, she invites everyone all over Equestria. Guests from Manehattan, Appleloosa, Dodge Junction, Coltifornia were coming in ready to celebrate and have fun. The party didn’t begin right away. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna gathered everyone together for something special. The doors then open and the seven start moving forward. Twilight and the others remember this but Rob doesn’t. They hear cheering all over along with words of encouragement. Celestia sees the seven heading closer. She turns to her sister and the two nod. Everything becomes silent once the music dies down.
“Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to honor these seven brave ponies. Although their infighting and disharmony nearly brought the world to destruction, their friendship helped free the world from Discord and an evil that no longer resides. You seven have done so much and for this,” Celestia then uses her magic to reveal what’s behind her.
Everyone looks in shock as a stained glass mural is shown. There are also other glass murals that show their previous exploits ranging from their victory against Nightmare Moon to Discord’s first defeat. Now a new mural appears alongside the others. It showcases a large circle resembling a planet and seven ponies inside. They’re using their Elements of Harmony to defeat not just Discord but also purging out a large menacing creature on the bottom. On the top, a being of light is seen looking like an alicorn. The sight of this mural has everyone cheering for Rob and the Mane 6. But Rob has something to say.
“As much as we appreciate this, I have something to say,” He speaks, silencing everyone, “You see, all of this began because some ponies wanted to teach their friend a lesson in humility. But it ended up nearly destroying not only their friendship but also the world. If anything, I don’t deserve this.”
“What are you saying?” Celestia wonders.
“It’s simple. All of this is my fault,” He confesses, “And I know my friends are also to blame but I feel that it would have been better if I never got involved. That’s why I’m making this decision.”
Rob takes a gulp before he speaks. Though he’s complete, the burden still lingers within him. He looks at his friends who are worried then he looks at the princesses and finally the crowd.
“I’ve decided that I’m quitting. I’m leaving Ponyville. I’m nothing but a burden to everyone here,” He announces, shocking everyone.
“Yeah. Haven’t we all moved on from this?” Twilight asks him.
“You said it yourself that you wouldn’t quit. This isn’t like you at all,” shouts Rainbow Dash.
Rob explains, “We have but everyone should know that if it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened and you guys would have had a proper resolution. My involvement only made the situation worse and I ended up having the whole town hate you. Even you yourself Rainbow Dash has to admit responsibility.”
“I know that,” She admits.
“But we all went past that. Please Robbie, don’t go,” Applejack begs.
“You shouldn’t blame yourself. We all had a part in this,” says Rarity.
“Yeah. Even when I boasted, I felt like I contributed to it,” admits Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy tries saying something but can’t.
“I am happy that all of you have accepted responsibility but what Rob does here is his own,” says Celestia.
Despite his friends’ pleas, Rob is still determined to make good on his words. But he then hears many of Equestria telling Rob these three words, “Please don’t go.” Something inside Rob was nagging him like a large string pulling him in one direction. Hearing everyone starts to make Rob rethink her decision. He never had a real family. The friends he knew over the past year made it feel like he has one, but now it expands to everyone. He didn’t want to hurt them anymore.
“So Rob,” The princess asks him, “Have you made your decision?”
He nods and says, “I have.”
“You guys mean so much to me. I really don’t know what to say,” He explains, trying not to let his emotions go.
“Just say you won’t leave,” requests Twilight. Her friends nod as well.
He doesn’t say anything else. Rob just simply lets his emotions go and hugs all six of his friends. Everyone cheers loudly seeing Rob making his choice. Princesses Celestia and Luna smile seeing them. They’re happy that Rob has decided not to leave but they notice something strange inside him. Rob hugs his friends tightly. He then looks up noticing two figures watching.
Could it be? He gets a good look and finds out that these two watching him aren’t ponies. They’re human.
One looked like some kind of super fighting robot with a very interesting design. The other wears gear similar to Rob when he’s in his Nova uniform. They smile at Rob but say nothing. Rob sees them vanish off, a sign that they now leave this world in good hands. After their embrace, the seven let out a chuckle. They’re happy that everything is back to normal.
“Your decision is something I’m pleased with. The hope you have ensures it,” says Celestia, pleased with Rob’s choice.
Baffled by her words, he replies, “Hope? What do you mean?”
“You no longer carry will inside you. It now exists alongside everypony in Equestria and they have you to thank. However, I noticed you carry something else,” She explains.
“What is it?” Rob asks once again.
“It’s simple…. Hope. You brought hope back to Equestria when our world was ensnared by Discord,” Celestia explains.
“Yeah! You basically brought light in Equestria’s darkest hour!” Rainbow Dash responds.
But Rob notices something shining. He takes out his Element of Harmony, which starts glowing with a white light. Everyone sees it regain its color and they react in amazement.
Twilight then theorizes, “Princess, I think I know what Rob’s real element represents. It’s hope.”
Celestia responds, “It is. That is the Element’s true nature.”
“Indeed. You have learned much since we last met, Rob Stallion,” praises a kind voice.
“Huh? Who said that?” Rob asks.
Everyone looks to find a tall green pony appear in front of them. He has black clean-cut hair, lime green eyes and hooves that were yellow-green. He has pegasus wings along with a sharp horn and his cutie mark was of a white gem, the very same gem that embodies the lost Element of Harmony. Rob and Celestia know him all too well but for completely different reasons. Rob always knew him as a wise yet strict pony. He learned everything from him and it’s because of this that he inherited his “mentor’s” strengths. Celestia, however is one of love and tragedy. He was taken from her before they would even wed, going down in what many would say an honorable yet meaningless death. Twilight and the others wonder what’s happening and why Rob and Celestia look the way they are.
“Arvas Wilstrom,” says Rob, “You’re right. It has been a while.”
“Indeed it has. You’ve grown so much since we last met. I am amazed at you,” He replies.
Celestia looks at Arvas but doesn’t say anything. Her emotions begin taking over remembering the moments when he was alive. He looks at her back but is sad seeing the princess shed tears. The others turn and see Celestia about to break down.
“Do not cry Celestia. I know you are hurt over my passing but you know that it can’t be changed,” speaks Arvas.
In either shock or surprise, the princess spats, “But there’s so much I wanted to tell you! We never even shared our vows!”
“A shame it is so and for that, I’m sorry,” He then turns to Rob and explains, “You notice that your element has regained it’s color yes?”
Rob nods, not saying a word. The others look at Arvas as he continues on.
“It’s because you have discovered the true meaning behind it. It goes a little something like this,” He says, before clearing his throat.
“Rob Stallion, when you united your friends one-by-one, fought against impossible odds and made the choice to put your life in place of millions of others has granted you... the Element of Hope!” Arvas shouts.
The magic from Rob’s element brightens unleashing a beam of light. Rob sees the other six Elements restored of their power and color. Twilight and the others look on in amazement. All seven Elements of Harmony are united once more.
But Rob is curious and so he asks his mentor, “I’m happy that this has restored the Elements but I must ask you this. Will this new power be like my old element being all powerful and such?”
“It won’t. Hope exists alongside the others for without it, miracles can never come to pass,” Arvas explains, but he starts to fade.
“Arvas? Are you going again?” Rob asks, worrying.
“Do not fret… all of you,” He replies, “I will be watching and seeing how you all will continue to help one another.”
“Arvas please,” pleads Celestia, “Don’t leave. I beg of you!”
“I can not. I don’t belong in this world now. My time has come and gone. Please understand, my darling Celly,” He replies.
Everyone sees Arvas disappear, returning to the afterlife from whence he came. The princess couldn’t help but cry. She didn’t want him to go away, again, but she has to face the facts. Twilight and the others comfort the Princess. Even Luna did as well feeling a shred of guilt inside. As Rob sees Arvas disappear, he can feel that his mentor told him to take care of this world. But suddenly, he remembers something.
“Oh yeah, I forgot! There is something else that I wanted to say,” Rob speaks, getting everyone’s attention.
Celestia wonders, “What is it?”
He sighs and then says, “It’s actually for her.”
Everyone looks at Pinkie who is surprised by this. Rob gulps but knows what he has to do now. This has eaten away inside ever since his “passing” a few months ago. But he feels that if he can’t do it, he’ll end up regretting it.
“Is… there something you want to tell me?” Pinkie asks him.
He nods and replies, “I do. Pinkie, ever since I met you, you have given me nothing but happiness. Everything about you is something that I can’t really explain. The words I look for probably would say well… it’d be random.”
“Of course I’m random silly. Why do you think I always love to make everypony happy?” Pinkie replies, chuckling, “Even you.”
But Rob gets to the nitty-gritty of all this, “And that’s what I like about you. Even when I hurt you and your friends, you were all I ever thought about. I felt like a thousand porcupines stabbed me all over my body. To think that I would do something as humiliate you really really made me want to puke.”
“We all know that Rob. All has been forgiven and we learned a huge lesson from it too,” reminds Twilight.
“I know that,” He complains “Why do you think when I was halfway across the universe, you were the only pony that I ever thought about? Everywhere I went, you were all I thought about! From the first day we met to the moment I broke your heart. I felt like you were nagging me inside my mind and I realized what you meant.”
“Then just say it,” She exclaims, “What do you want to tell me Robbie?”
He thinks and says to her, “It’s simple.”
Rob then takes something he has for quite some time. It was a small blue box. He opens it revealing to be a diamond ring. Everyone was in complete silence as Rob presents Pinkie this gift. But in his mind, it’s not an ordinary gift. It’s something much more.
“You mean so much to me. I should have done this the moment we shared that kiss more than a year ago. I’m such a fool but I’ll get to the words you should be hearing,” He gulps before he says, “Pinkamena Diane Pie… will you marry me? Will you be my special somepony now and forevermore?”
Rob’s emotions kick in as he starts crying. Pinkie meanwhile, is shocked by this sudden surprise. She looks at him weeping and letting his emotions take over. All of them wonder if his one chance happens or not. She heads closer to Rob who still cries and comforts him. He stops crying and notices her warm embrace.
“Pinkie…” He says.
She doesn’t say anything. He looks at her to find that even she’s crying. Wondering if it’s due to the shock, Rob wipes away her tears. The two look at one another with strong gazes.
“So, does this mean you?” Rob wonders but Pinkie shuts him up.
She nods and answers, “Yes.”
Pinkie keeps saying “yes” over and over again until she yells it and hugs Rob tightly. Rob feels her tight hug but due to the weight, he lands on the floor. His face then gets showered with kisses. Everyone in the festivity begins cheering. After getting kissed by her future wife-to-be, Rob gets ready to put the ring on Pinkie’s finger.
But then he notices something wrong and says, “I forgot! Ponies don’t have fingers!”
Pinkie responds, “It’s okay.”
She giggles noticing his mistake. But the two see Twilight use her magic to take the ring. With the help of some string, she makes it into a necklace. Since the two don’t have horns, Rob realized his mistake. He puts the necklace around Pinkie’s neck and the two share a kiss. More cheering is heard after they kiss.
“Well, guess there’s only one thing left to do,” She exclaims.
He nods and the two say, “Let’s Party!!!”
With that, the celebrations immediately begin. Though this was a victory celebration, the seven basically had fun with all their friends. Many of the guests congratulate them while others join in on the fun. Rob and Pinkie share a dance that’s getting everyone excited. His dance moves has them amazed. She blushes the instant he grabs for a little stare. With a rose in his mouth, he mesmerizes her.
“Since when did you know how to dance?” She asks him.
“I’m a natural. Besides, you really know how to make everyone smile,” Rob compliments.
She giggles and responds, “Of course I do. If my name’s not Pinkie Pie silly, I don’t know what is.”
He takes the rose out of his mouth and places it on her hair. The two kiss and continue to dance. Twilight along with Rarity and Rainbow Dash watch them dance. Even they are amazed by his skills.
“Wow. Rob really knows how to woo Pinkie,” says Twilight.
Rarity agrees and responds, “Yes, he’s so suave. I never knew he was such a gentleman.”
“Um Rarity,” She corrects, “He is a gentleman.”
“I’m not worried about that at all. I hear that Rob has one more surprise up his sleeve,” says Rainbow Dash.
“Really? Another surprise?” wonders Twilight.
“That’s what Ah’ve heard. Ah heard that Robbie here has something up his sleeve,” follows Applejack.
“I hope it’s good because having him back is better than nothing,” assures Twilight.
They continue watching Rob and Pinkie dance. Before long, he invites his friends to join in on the dance. Suddenly, the music starts changing almost immediately and everyone gets into the groove. It becomes a party that lasts all throughout the day. A few hours have passed since the party began and Celestia’s sun made way for Luna’s moon. Celestia has gathered everyone for this. Twilight and her friends join with the audience. Things quiet down as the princess steps forward to speak.
“I am happy that everyone is enjoying this celebration. However, I have received word that one of our own has something special for us,” says Celestia. She looks at Rob who nods.
Rob enters the stage, taking a deep breath before speaking. He looks at the princess first and gives a nod. Afterwards, his sight then focuses on the watching crowd. All the pieces are in place. Everyone in Equestria is in for quite a show.
“Thank you everyone. You see, I have one more surprise in store. But the words I have for this, I really can’t describe it,” says Rob.
“In order for me to do this, I need some assistance,” He turns to Twilight and her friends and requests, “I need my family for this.”
Rob makes a gesture allowing his friends to enter the stage as well. If that isn’t enough, he allows the princesses as well to join in.
“Uh Rob,” Twilight wonders, “What are you doing? Why are you bringing the Princesses into this?”
He looks at Twilight and says, “You’ll see. All of you form a circle around me.”
All his friends give him some space forming a circle. With Rob in the middle, he shows off his little surprise by taking out his Nova helmet. He puts it on transforming into Nova. Twilight tries to say something but a look from Celestia tells her not to intervene. He starts floating high in the air engulfing him in a gold circulated orb. Everyone sees him expand the orb. As it gets bigger each of them becomes imbued by Nova’s golden light.
I have a promise to keep and I must see it through to the end. Now… it begins, Nova’s orb expands just enough to encircle all of them.
“Are you certain you wish to do this?” speaks Worldmind, within Rob’s mind.
Yes, of course. I have a promise to keep… a promise that I made to him. He replies.
Worldmind then assures him, “Just know that I shall assist your world if needed. They seem to approve of my presence and of my knowledge.”
Thank you. That’s all I need to hear. Rob then opens his eyes and with his power, he dissipates the orb completely revealing Rob’s big surprise.
Twilight and the others look around to find that they’re wearing uniforms, but they aren’t ordinary uniforms. She notices Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash having gold helmets with 8-pointed starbursts. All their uniforms are black with gold shoulder pads. Three gold circles connected by two lines are shown signifying their rank as Centurion. There are also red starbursts on their hooves. Celestia contains gold royal hooves and on her front knees were red starbursts. Rarity has hers suitable for someone who’s well known in dress design with ribbons and streaks seen on her uniform. The crowd is amazed by Rob’s surprise. His friends are as well but something bothers them.
“Rob… what did you do to us?” Twilight asks him, wondering.
“Yeah,” responds Pinkie, “Why are we wearing this?”
Everyone asks the same thing, even the Princesses. Rob calms them down, having a smile on his face. He takes off his helmet seeing his friends in their new gear. Even he’s surprised seeing the Princesses in the Nova Corps gear.
“It’s simple. This is my gift… to all of you,” Rob explains, “I can’t do this hero thing by myself. When we saved Equestria, it felt like we became true heroes.”
“Rob, we are heroes,” assures Rainbow Dash, “But why all this?”
“Simple. I need your help to protect not just Equestria but also beyond Luna’s moon. So now I ask, do you have what it takes to be part of the Nova Corps?” Rob asks them.
Each of his friends thinks about Rob’s offer but it didn’t take long for them to make a decision. All of them nod at him. Rainbow Dash is more excited because of in her mind, how awesome this is to be part of something bigger.
In her excitement, she says, “How can I say no to this? Of course I want to be part of the Nova Corps! Come on guys, let’s do it!”
“If I can make uniforms like this here look fabulous, I wouldn’t mind being part of this,” assures Rarity.
“Me too,” follows Applejack.
The others agree, also wanting a part of this. Even the Princesses Celestia and Luna join in. Rob lets out a smile after seeing his friends accepting.
“Alright then I only have one thing to say,” says Rob as he walks a bit putting on his helmet, “Try and keep up… if you can.”
He runs for a bit and then goes airborne reaching the night sky. The others wonder what he meant but it takes the Princesses to get the idea.
“You heard him everyone, let’s move!” orders Celestia, already on the move alongside Luna.
Before long, the Mane six follow suit flying courtesy of the Nova Force. Everyone cheers as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and her friends fly to catch up. They do so and together all of them head for outer space. Each of them try getting used to their newfound powers. Pinkie catches up to Rob who looks at him smiling. The two share a kiss but then everyone sees the beauty that is space.
“The time has come… we’re off to new adventure. So all I have to say is this… let’s fly!” He shouts. Everyone cheers and the nine fly through the cosmos. But as they do so, Rob in his mind preps something that Twilight and her friends always do.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, I have learned not only an important lesson on friendship but also on the idea of heroism. I know that being a hero means that you should use your strengths to help others but after everything that happened over the past few months made me rethink this. I… no, we learned that heroics should never intervene with the things that matter like friendship. My actions in teaching my friends on humility and their actions in teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson nearly destroyed not only our friendship but also the world. You see, the point is exactly that we all realized our folly understanding the difference between being a hero and being a jerk. Always make sure to think before you act because if not, you can end up hurting those that care for you like your friends. I vow to teach others this lesson and making sure that something like what happened to us will never happen again. My family means so much to me and I don’t want to lose them… again.
Your faithful hero,
Robert L. Stallion
One other thing though, I came up with a name for this group. I figure it would help because all of us here are going to be doing this for quite some time. So I figured why not. I christen this the…
