> Monkeying Around -or- Pulling My Leg
>  by Dirty Bit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1


Pinkie See, Pinkie Do


On a summer afternoon in Ponyville, everypony in town dealt with their daily routines from business to leisure. But a certain pony had other plans for today. Local party-planner extraordinaire Pinkie Pie was seen approaching a house with a skip in her step. When she reached the front porch, she rapped on the door with a hoof and beamed at the closed door as she waited patiently for it to open.

The door opened to reveal a mint-colored unicorn with a lyre for a cutie mark. She grinned upon seeing Pinkie "Hey, Pinkie! Glad you could make it!" She peered her head out of her doorframe and looked around carefully with squinted eyes before looking back at her guest with a smile "Wanna come inside so we can talk?"

Pinkie nodded "Sure thing, Lyra! That's why you wanted to see me, right?" With that, the party pony was welcomed inside Lyra's home as she hopped her way in, as per her supposed norm.

Once inside, The two mares made their way into the kitchen, where they sat on their own chairs at the table. Pinkie looked around, then tilted her head at Lyra "Say, where's Bon Bon? I thought she wasn't working today!"

Lyra sighed "Oh, she's out at the spa right now with Carrot Top. I only stayed behind so I could clean the house. But also..." She turned to Pinkie with a serious look in her eyes "That's also why I wanna talk to you..." Lyra spoke in a low tone.

Pinkie blinked before she grinned "Ya want me to plan something extra special on your birthday tomorrow?"

Lyra nodded "You know it! Pinkie, you and I both know how we share a knowledge that possibly nopony in Equestria couldn't understand!"

"You mean the question we ask that makes the Silence die?" Pinkie answered innocently.

Lyra blinked before she looked annoyed "No! The OTHER knowledge!"

Pinkie remembered with a look of realization "Ooooooooh~!! The humans, right?"

Lyra smiled and nodded "Correct!" She then frowned "You see, Bon Bon's been giving me a whole lot of flak recently with how I talk about them, and on the day before my birthday no less! I know she's gonna give me an amazing gift come tomorrow, but there's also something else I want!"

Pinkie frowned "But there aren't any living humans in Equestria! I'd know if there were any!"

Lyra looked away with a hint of sadness "But you don't understand! I usually put up with this every year! I talk about something I like, my marefriend chastises me for it, she gives me her gift, and the process repeats itself! I at least want something that the humans had left behind so I won't seem so crazy to her or anypony else I talk to!"

Pinkie frowned "Awwww...." She then looked curious "What's the amazing gift Bon Bon gives you anyway? If anything, all I heard was yelling every night on your birthday!"

Lyra huffed "Focus, Pinkie! I'm asking a favor from you!" She placed her forelegs on Pinkie's shoulders "Can I trust you to find me an item or gift that could be relatable to humans and their history?"

Pinkie thought about this as she looked into Lyra's pleading eyes. This was a mare that wanted to live with herself knowing that there was plausible evidence of humans before Equestria's birth. She narrowed her eyes in determination as she gave a mock salute with her hoof "You can count on me, Lyra! I've always wanted to be an archaeologist!"

Lyra gave a heartfelt smile to the party pony "Thanks, Pinkie..." She clopped her hooves together with a giddy squeal "Knowing how you come through for anypony, I feel happy again! About as happy as the time you taught me that trick with your hoof!" She looked at her own in disappointment as she muttered "Even though it only lasts for a couple of minutes..."

Pinkie waved a hoof "Don't worry, Lyra! Leave this all to me! It won't be so hard to find evidence that humans exist! I can even start now!" She hopped from her chair and gave Lyra a small hug before she made her way out the front door "Just let Auntie Pinkie Pie handle this job and she'll get you the perfect gift by tomorrow!" She shut the door before Lyra could even say 'I'm a year older than you.'.
_____

Pinkie felt distraught after searching high and low for Lyra's gift and frowned "Sheesh, I know Ponyville like the back of my hoof, but there's nothing here that could be the right choice for a birthday present!" She looked down in thought, trying to figure out what she hasn't tried yet. As luck would have it, an idea came into the party pony's mind as she smiled to herself "If not Ponyville..." She turned to look at a distant city hanging on a mountain "Maybe Canterlot has something for me!! Good thing I have vacation days!!" She said as she went back to Sugarcube Corner to gather her bits.

When she opened the door, she trotted inside and went upstairs to her room. She then made for her closet, opening her door to have something green leap at her and latch onto her right ear. She giggled as she patted the blank-staring reptile on her ear "Hiya, Gummy! Ya wanna come with me on a trip?" She said as she opened another door "I'm really excited to help Lyra out today with actual proof that humans exist!" Pinkie was undoing chains sealing another door as she rambled on "There wasn't much for me to find in Ponyville, but lucky for me, I could find something good in Canterlot!" She said as she began twisting on a large padlock on another door carefully "But if I'm gonna actually find something good for Lyra that's somehow for sale! Then I'll just have to have..." She opened the door to find a wooden box with a keyhole "Money..." She said in a serious whisper. Pinkie then plucked Gummy and placed him down in front of her with a chipper smile "You know what to do, Gummy!"

As if on command, Gummy began to hack something up in his lung. With one final hack, he brought up a silver key out of his mouth. Pinkie took it in her hoof with a grin and used it on the keyhole for the wooden box. Opening it up, there were small sacks sitting inside of the box. Pinkie smiled to herself "Good thing I put up all this security!" She turned to Gummy with a frown "You can NEVER be too careful when anypony wants something so bad! Especially on Hearth's Warming Eve!" She said as she took two sacks from the box and gave them a shake "I think that'll be enough!" Pinkie said as she shut and locked the wooden box, then proceeded to lock every door she opened in her closet down to the last one.

She packed her saddlebags and smiled to herself while Gummy made his way inside one of them, peeking his head out afterwards as his eyes blinked out of sync. Pinkie held up a hoof with a look of determination "Alright, Gummy! Time to go on a hunt for Lyra's gift! Off to Canterlot!!!" She galloped valiantly out of her room and made for the train station.
_____

After paying for her ticket and expertly hiding Gummy in her saddlebags from the train conductor, Pinkie hummed to herself as she sat down and looked out the window. She poked her chin with a hoof as she thought about where to start her search 'Hmmm...What if the princesses know about humans? They've lived the longest out of us! Oooooor, what if I look at their library and see if I can't find any good books on humans? No...There's gotta be some kind of shop that has all sorts of mysterious antiques and the like...but where?'

Before she could think any further, the train conductor called out to the passengers in the cart Pinkie was in "Now approaching Canterlot Train Station! Be sure to gather your belongings and exit your cart in a proper fashion!"

Pinkie giggled at the train conductor "You silly! I'm not wearing any clothes!"

The train conductor shook his head in annoyance as he trotted to the next cart to let the rest of the passengers know. Pinkie already felt the train slow to a stop and she grinned eagerly as she got up from her seat and trotted out of the cart with her luggage.

Stepping out of the cart, Pinkie looked around to see the majestic structures that made up of Canterlot and wondered where to begin her search as she trotted further into the city.

As she went, Gummy peered his head out of one of the bags and looked around blankly, his eyes blinking unevenly. Pinkie hummed to herself with a frown "Everything in Canterlot seems to be either too shiny, too pretty, or too fancy to have anything human-related! Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?"

Gummy looked around until his blank stare fell on a path that gradually lost Canterlot's pristine image and led towards. He hopped out of his bag and began to waddle towards it, away from his owner.

Pinkie noticed him twenty paces away with a gasp and chased after him "Gummy, get back here! We have to stick together! You know how big Canterlot is!"

She managed to reach Gummy and place him back into her saddlebag, then looked at the route he was waddling towards "Hmmm...I've never been down THIS side of Canterlot before..." She turned to Gummy with an inquisitive stare "Was this why you scampered out of my saddlebag?" Pinkie only received an uneven blink in response, and smiled at her pet "Good enough for me! It's always good to be open-minded on an adventure!" With Gummy in tow, Pinkie trotted down the ominous path ahead of her.
_____

As she progressed, Pinkie looked to see that she was lead towards a more exotic bazaar of sorts as opposed to what is commonly seen around Canterlot in a whole. There were many ponies in different garbs that purchased unique items for ranging amounts of bits. The party pony was impressed "Wow! You got a good eye, Gummy! These ponies look pretty nice! I wonder if Rarity's ever seen them before!" She shook her head "Nonono, I gotta focus!" She examined her surroundings for a good place to shop "Let's see..."

She spotted a run-of-the-mill stall selling junk "No..."

A stand that sold different forms of pottery "Uh-uh..."

A kiosk that sold taxidermied animals "Whoa! I don't think Fluttershy would like that!"

A stand selling weaponry; a pony draped head-to-toe in cloaks sold them. Pinkie could've sworn he held an accent heard in Trottingham "That's no good either!"

Pinkie pouted "Oh, this is a disaster! Either there isn't much for me to work with, or I'm still nto looking hard enough!" On cue, Gummy peered his head out of Pinkie's saddlebag and looked in a particular direction. Pinkie noticed with a blink "You found something again, Gummy?" She followed her pet alligator's gaze towards a building and approached it with curious eyes.

Reaching the door, Pinkie looked up to see a sign, reading it out loud to herself "Hmmm...Odsin Ends' Mystic Items...Ancient commodities sold at fine prices..." Pinkie hummed "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try, I guess...Maybe the humans were mystical in their time!" She opened the door and made her way inside of the building.

There were all sorts of odd and mind-boggling trinkets, some appearing to be made in Shanghay or other reaches of Equestria. Pinkie was intstantly intrigued as she browsed high and low for anything both valuable and important to her cause "Wowee wow wow! Would you look at all this stuff! I wonder if the perfect gift's just waiting for me in this very store!" A male chuckle was heard.

"Well, that depends on what you're looking for, my friend..."

Pinkie looked around "Who's there? Do you run this store?"

Another chuckle was heard, and the party pony was finally able to catch a shadowed silhouette of a pony behind a stack of wares trotting up to Pinkie to reveal itself. The shadows gave out to reveal a pale grey coated stallion in an oriental merchant's garb, complete with a hat and small glasses that rested on his muzzle. His plum-colored mane was braided to suit the style of his attire. His yellow eyes gleamed as he held a winning smile "So many questions, so little time. Clearly, you aren't here just to talk, are you?"

Pinkie smiled at the pony in front of her "Oh, goody! Are you the Odsin Ends that runs this place?"

Odsin Ends held his forehooves together and gave a curt bow, his smile refusing to leave "The same..." He looked back at Pinkie "Can I help you at all? Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Pinkie grinned "Funny you should ask that! Of course I am!" She looked around "With all this nifty stuff you have here, maybe you could help me out!"

Odsin Ends chuckled "Well, it's what I'm here for! Feel free to browse, and do take your time." He managed to sneak a grin while Pinkie was busy sightseeing 'After all, time is money, yes?'

Pinkie frowned to herself when she couldn't distinguish a proper item for herself "Say, Odsin Ends, do you have anything that could be linked to the possible existence of humans? I can't seem to find anything anywhere?"

Odsin Ends arched a curious eyebrow. This was a new request to him for all that he has in his shop "Humans, you say? Well, I may or may not have SOMETHING suitable for your needs-"

He was spooked when Pinkie instantly zipped into his face with a wide and ecstatic grin "So it's a yes, then!?" She blurted out as she stared into his pinpricked pupils.

Odsin Ends carefully distanced himself away with an awkward smile as he straightened his glasses "Well, your request could very well be that of mystical proportions! Certainly, some of my items may tickle your fancy. Each happen to have their own history; their own story to tell to those that buy them."

Pinkie hopped in place "Sounds like fun! Mind showing me what you have?"

The curio pony looked around his shop "Well, I suppose I could show you around, considering your...eager ambition...Come, come. Follow me..." He trotted around his shop, Pinkie hopping behind him as he showed him different trinkets.

He started off with a fine sky blue urn with a serpentine dragon drawn on it "Here is a lovely urn with the depiction of the fabled azure dragon Qīng Lóng! It belonged to Emperor Yu Ti back when he ruled in the Yu Dynasty!"

Pinkie craned her head back with a confused look "How does that help me at all?"

Odsin Ends flashed an awkward grin "Well...He was one of few ponies that ALSO believed in humans, if that helps..."

Pinkie hummed before she shook her head "Uh-Uh!" The curio pony frowned at her answer.

The party pony was then directed towards a small statue of a bipedal cat figure bearing its claws. Odsin Ends smiled and directed a hoof "Here is a statue of a creature depicted from Neighponese folklore. It is called a Nekomata, and they're known for their magic without horns! Certainly an item of your standards in terms of humans, hm?" He asked with an expectant smile.

Pinkie hummed before she shook her head again "Nope! She might look the part, but she's no human!" Odsin Ends gave a light huff with a frown. Pinkie poked a hoof "Maybe I'm not being specific enough! Humans are moooooore...Monkey-like in appearance, if that helps!"

Odsin Ends instantly perked up with a hopeful grin "Monkey-like, you say! Well, it is your lucky day, little girl! I have just the thing for you to take home and show your friends!!" He trotted off at a vigorous pace.

Pinkie gasped and beamed at his response "Really!? You do!? Showmeshowmeshowmeshowme!" She rambled as she hopped after the curio pony at the same vigorous pace.

It wasn't long before Pinkie noticed an item being held by Odsin Ends, who held a triumphant smile. It was a puppet that resembled a cartoonish monkey with a wild red mane and a brown beard sporting three large curls. It wore a gold headband along with a green shirt with a yellow trim and a small beaded necklace; a red sash and cape; both of its paws had gold bracers, and in its right paw, it held a staff with two hanging bells at the end; instead of being naked from the waist down, the puppet wore beige slacks and green shin wraps.

Despite its features, Pinkie tilted her head with a smile "That looks pretty monkey-like! What is it?"

Odsin presented the puppet to Pinkie "This little artifact happens to be one-of-a-kind! It is modeled after the mysterious individual known as the Monkey King..." He added his last sentence with a near grave tone.

Pinkie clopped her hooves together "Yay, a monkey king! That could work!" She then frowned "But wait...How is it related to humans?"

Odsin Ends trotted to his sales counter with Pinkie following him "Well, I came across this very puppet early in my adult years while I traveled the ends of Equestria, finding items to help better my shop. All it had done was collect dust with what I've sold, but I've managed to keep it clean, knowing that it is bound to find an owner...All my items must be prim and proper for any curious and befitting eyes!" He carefully set the puppet on the counter "I'm glad that one such as yourself would have your eyes on this puppet!"

Pinkie tilted her head and blinked as she examined the puppet "That still doesn't answer my question, though! Also, what's so mystical about this?"

Odsin Ends held a serious gaze at Pinkie "Little is known about the tale of the Monkey King...I've heard from some ponies that he was one for extreme mischief, causing all sorts of chaos before even Discord existed! There was also the fact that I had come across this puppet in a volcano."

Pinkie gasped, intrigued by the curio pony's story "It's lavaproof!?"

Odsin Ends chuckled as he looked away "Well, the funny story there is that the volcano I found this puppet in was actually full of cherry gelatin! A tad old when I examined it though...I was surprised the puppet even survived in it!"

Pinkie drooled at the image: A volcano full of cherry gelatin. That was another idea in her mind for when she decides to make an extra special meal. She shook herself before she blinked "And how it's related to humans?"

Odsin Ends looked at the puppet "Well, to answer your question, it seems to be THAT old, given that only few ponies know of the Monkey King's story...This puppet could possibly be dated back to the age of humans themselves" 'If they ever existed anyways...' He gave a slight wince "And believe it or not, but I could feel a faint aura inside of this item; as if a soul was lying dorment inside of it waiting for another host..." He spoke ominously as he stared at the puppet.

Pinkie stared at the puppet in blank awe after hearing Odsin End's story "Neato..." She uttered. As she looked into the puppet's eyes, she felt a sense of connection. It almost pulled her away from the fact that this was a gift for Lyra's birthday.

Odsin Ends held up a hoof with a frown "Now, I know that my words may sound unwelcoming and even pushing you away from wanting this item, but I'll be reasonable! I'll sell this to you for 10-"

"I must have it!" Pinkie blurted unexpectedly.

Odsin Ends instantly retracted his sentence with a bright grin "For 30 bits!"

Pinkie fished out one of her satchels and tossed it onto the counter, the bits pouring out in a beautiful golden cascade. Odsin Ends was indeed pleased with the sight as he turned back to Pinkie with a satisfied grin "Would you like that giftwrapped?"

Pinkie held up the puppet and examined it before placing her hoof in it with a smile "Hello, Mr. Monkey King!" The party pony then demonstrated excellent ventriloquism by keeping her mouth shut and moving the puppet's mouth, a high-pitched voice coming out of it "Hallo, Pinkie~!" She giggled afterwards "I love it! Thanks for the Monkey King puppet, Odsey!" Pinkie galloped off with her present for Lyra.

Odsin Ends only shook his head with an amused chuckle "A very manic mare if I've ever seen one..." He said as he went back to keeping inventory check on his many wares.
_____

After her train ride back to Ponyville, Pinkie made a beeline back to her house, all the way back into her room where she sat with her newly purchased item with Gummy at her side. She stared at the puppet with a grin "I can't believe it! I finally found the perfect gift for Lyra tomorrow! Maybe now, Bon Bon can be more nice to her AND learn about humans!" She then frowned "Oh wait...she probably doesn't know about the Monkey King!" Pinkie tossed her head back to face the ceiling and groaned in frustration "I should've thought this over!"

She froze in her position before looking back at the puppet "Unleeeeess~..." Pinkie peered closely at the cartoonish puppet "Maybe with what Odsin Ends told me, there could be somepony inside of the puppet who can tell me all about humans! But how can I know who's inside?" She moved the puppet and examined it in different positions "Is there some kind of switch to it? Do I have to perform a seance? Or is there other magic involved? How do I do it!?" Pinkie turned its back and wondered if there was a switch under the puppet's cape, but when she lifted it up and looked inside the compartment under its shirt, she found something else "Huh? An inscription! What does it say?" She squinted her eyes and tried to make out the words, even reading them to herself as she went.

"To free me of glitches and put you in stitches,
This merry ape begs: Pull my leg."

Pinkie hummed to herself in thought. Could this be the particular 'switch' she was looking for in order to talk to the possible spirit in the puppet? She decided to hold the puppet in front of her to glance at its face once more before she smiled "I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad! Maybe if there is a spirit, it could be friendly!!" Setting the puppet down on a chair, Pinkie took one of its legs in her teeth as she gave a light pull, hearing a click afterwards.

What she did not expect was the puppet's eyes briefly flashing red before a mischievous laugh echoed in her room. Pinkie looked at the puppet in surprise "Huh? What's happening?" Trails of shining pink smoke emerged from the puppet and instantly surrounded it along with Pinkie, who screamed before her voice was instantly silenced in the swirling vortex.

Afterwards, the pink smoke cleared to reveal another individual that looked strikingly similar to the puppet, only it was crouched before it rose at six feet tall and was shown to have better detail in its appearance. A staff slammed on the hard wood floor as the same laugh from before was heard. The new figure turned to reveal that it was none other than the Monkey King himself, grinning his sharp teeth mischievously as his green eyes glimmered with joy "I'm free again! And after so long, too! I still have the taste of bad gelatin in my mouth! Yuck!" He gagged as he stuck his tongue out and wiped it with one of his paws. He then looked around Pinkie's bedroom and scratched his head with a raised eyebrow "Huh...Must've taken the wrong turn in Albequerque..." He muttered before he shrugged with a manic grin similar to Pinkie's "Oh well! I'm back, and it's time I have some fun! If I somehow manage to run into those Chans and/or that old geezer who put me in wood again, that'll be a different story..." He added in a dark tone with a grin to match.

The Monkey King laughed as he turned to the chair with a small salute "Thanks a bunch for the help, toots, but I gotta get moving! No point in staying here when there's a piling plethora of pranks to pull! Smell ya later!" He used his staff and zapped open Pinkie's door before he chose to cartwheel out of it while chattering with laughter.

What he had left behind was not Pinkie, but a small pink pony marionette similar to her, laying lifeless on the chair while Gummy stared at all that had happened, blinking his eyes unevenly as he stared at the new puppet.


End of Chapter 1

> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2


Going Bananas


Mr. and Mrs. Cake were busy with their work, though were still confused on what Pinkie had brought back from her trip to Canterlot. While they prepared more treats to put behind their display counter, the sound of male laughter was heard as something hopped down the stairs jovially. The Monkey King turned to the married couple, showing them a toothy grin "Hello, sir and madam! I'm pretty sure you're having a sweet time at the moment, so I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone!" He cartwheeled towards the door, opening it up and waltzing outside after shutting it.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake stared with indescribable shock at what had just transpired in their home/ workplace. They snapped out of it when the door opened again to reveal the Monkey King peering his head through it "Oh, almost forgot!" He pulled out a random pie and tossed it straight at Mr. Cake's face; the filling that splattered revealed to be banana creme. The Monkey King heaved a sigh, then gave a nonchalant wave "Just wanted to get that out of my system! Ta ta!" He zipped back out and slammed the door.

While the tin on Mr. Cake's face slid down before hitting the ground with a small clang, the married couple wanted to scream. What stopped them was remembering that not only were the twins were busy napping, their unsuspected visitor descended from the stairs. They instantly ceased their work and broke into the gallop up the stairs and into Pinkie's room. What they found caused them to look as if they saw the very face of Tartarus itself...
_____

The Monkey King hopped around and noticed the colorful change in scenery that paled in comparison to what he was used to. Pastel-colored ponies as far as the eye can see! After a brief scan in his surroundings, the Monkey King did a rapid spin before he was found wearing a pink blouse, and his wild mane curled into pigtails. He folded his hands together as he batted his fake eyelashes with an ecstatic grin "Oh, Mommy! Daddy! This is just what I've always wanted!!" He spoke in a high-pitched girly voice. He proceeded to skip into town while singing an offkey tune, not even bothering to notice the collective glances of Ponyville's residence; many were shocked, but others were just straight dumbfounded to see a monkey skipping around town in a dress.

After he skipped into town long enough, he ditched his outfit by ripping it off and tossing away, conjuring his staff as he spun it around and spoke normally "Okay, warm-up bit over! Where to start~..." He stroked his large beard as he looked around, then noticed a hospital in the distance. The Monkey King grinned as he hopped onto a nearby building and parkoured his way over to the hospital, leaping from roof-to-roof. Once again, he ignored the many degrees of shock he was inflicting on ponies.

Inside of the hospital, Dr. Stable and his duo of nurses were busy dealing with a cyan-coated earth pony with a frazzled grey mane barking like a dog while sitting on a patient slab. The doctor groaned as he rubbed his head "This is infuriating! We've tried everything in our knowledge of medical science but it's as if this mare is incurable!! What makes her tick!?" The mare was panting as her tail wagged feverishly.

One of the nurses frowned "Do you think we should knock her out with a sedative and contact the medical branch in Canterlot?"

The doctor groaned "That won't be necessary. We're aware that the doctors in Canterlot charge top dollar for their medical operations, and I doubt even THEY would find a breakthrough that would hope to even rehabilitate this nut!"

"Well, Doc, her name IS Screw Loose. Maybe she was just born this way..." The other nurse pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone.

Dr. Stable glared at the nurse who made her claim "Poppycock! Do you honestly think that Ponyville can even handle a mare like this one here!?" He directed his hoof at Screw Loose, who licked the doctor's cheek and fueled his irritation further.

The first nurse held up a hoof "Well, there's a number of wacky mares I'd include on my list that are already frolicking around Ponyville, and they seem just fine! Besides, maybe we gotta place her in the right environment if there's nothing else for us to turn to..."

The doctor looked back at his patient "But this is nothing more than an advanced psychological disease! One that is unheard of even by the most brilliant medical minds! But what could it be?"

"I'll tell you what it is..." A throated voice called out.

The trio of medical professionals turned to see a strange bipedal individual stroll into the medical chamber using a cane to help him walk. He was wearing a grey jacket with a blue shirt under it, and beige slacks. His red hair was small and unkempt, but his beard was enormous. He approached them with a serious frown "Never thought I'd actually say this..." The stranger looked over at the panting mare "But it's Lupus!"

The doctor widened his eyes "But that's impossible! It's never Lupus!! And who are you anyway!? How did you get in here?"

The stranger pointed a finger at the mare "Of course it is! Here, take a look!" He pointed his cane at the mare and it zapped a magic beam from its end. The beam hit the mare, and after a brief flash, she was found wearing a wolf's costume "There! You see it now? Lupus!!" The mare barked twice before it broke into a convincing howl.

The trio of medical professionals stared at their patient in disbelief before turning to the newcomer in fright. The doctor pointed a shaking hoof "Wh-Who are you?"

The being did a rapid spin before looking like a monkey wearing a bat-themed costume, leering its pupilless eyes at the group as he spoke in a deep and raspy tone "I'm your worst nightmare..." He then unmasked himself with a chipper grin, talking normally "Also known as the Monkey King! How's it going?"

The ponies screamed as they galloped out of the room. The Monkey King was found in his regular clothes as he watched them leave in confusion, before folding his arms in a pout "Great! My first official act of comedy in a long time and no one's laughing!!" He shifted his eyes at Screw Loose panting and huffed "Should've made you a hyena..." He then shrugged with a smile "Oh well, better find some fun elsewhere!!" The Monkey King cartwheeled out of the hospital while laughing.
_____

Lyra trotted out the door onto her porch and looked around with a frown "I hope Pinkie manages to get the job done by tomorrow..." She said to herself in a sullen tone "I really want everypony to know the existence of-" Her jaw dropped when she noticed what appeared to be a monkey wearing a red helmet, white t-shirt, and jeans riding on a skateboard.

The Monkey King grinned as he effortlessly rode on the dirt path "Yeah! Totally radical, dude!" He shouted in a mock beach bum tone. He did a heelflip as he rode towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Lyra blinked before she galloped after the Monkey King with ambitious fervor "Hey!! Wait for me!! Come back!!"

The Monkey King looked behind to see he was being followed and smiled dreamily to himself "Ah, my public! Well, if she wants a show, may as well give one to her!!" He began doing a series of skateboarding tricks. He started with basic tricks before he began doing entirely bizarre tricks such dancing wildly on his board as he jumped in the air and acting like the board was a guitar.

Lyra grinned as she galloped 'So graceful! So majestic!' Her grin widened as he stared at the Monkey King's paws 'So HANDY!' She called out while she was full of energy "Excuse me, mister! Can you please stop so I can talk to you?"

The Monkey King did so as he skidded to a halt and changed back into his regular clothes; his skateboard turning into his staff. Lyra finally reached him and beamed at his appearance "Finally! After so long, I have proof humans exist!" She laid a hoof on his paw to feel its texture.

The Monkey King jerked his paw away and snapped irritably "Watch the fur, lady! I'm royalty!"

Lyra hopped up and down jubilantly "That's even better! Can you please tell me all that you know about the humans!?"

The Monkey King arched an eyebrow "Humans?" He scratched his head "You mean those kind of people that stand on two legs like this?" He pointed at his set of legs with his staff, to which Lyra nodded her head "And have a pair of hands like these?" He flashes his paws at Lyra's face, and she stared at them with widened pupils of ecstasy as she nodded "And they tend to wear plenty of clothes and work at different jobs, like this?"

He did a rapid spin before he wore a blue business suit and framed glasses, talking into a strange device as he looked smug and sophisticated"Yes, hello, Cheryll? I'd like for you to cancel my appointment with the committee today! I'm going to have a big lunch!" He spoke in a mock posh tone.

Lyra nodded frantically with her barely-contained grin "Yes yes YES! That's exactly like them!"

The Monkey King went back into his normal clothes before he shrugged "Yeah, I've seen 'em! But I don't know where any are at when all I see are crayola-coated ponies! You've been a good sport today, so how about a souvenir?" He pulled out a random yellow baseball cap with a picture of him grinning on it and placed it on Lyra's head "Always good to have a fan! See ya!"

Before he could leave, Lyra stopped him "Wait! Please take me with you! I want to know EVERYTHING about humans so I can share our knowledge with the rest of Equestria!"

The Monkey King stared at Lyra before he pondered her offer in mock thought. he then grinned at Lyra "Well, I've never had my own mount before!" He hopped up before he landed on the mint unicorn's back "Why don't you show me what's good about this place and MAYBE I'll tell you what I know?"

Lyra grinned despite the Monkey King being on her back "Deal!!"

The Monkey King giggled "Then in THAT case..." He pointed his staff towards Sweet Apple Acres with mischievous ambition in his eyes "High ho, Silver!! Away~!!"

Lyra frowned "My name is Lyra..."

The Monkey King scowled "I know what I said! Giddy up!" He lightly kicked his legs against Lyra's midsection.

Lyra decided to go along with the Monkey King's joke, knowing that she was about to bond with a connection to humans. She reared onto her hind legs and gave a whinny as she began to gallop towards Sweet Apple Acres. As she galloped, she looked up at the Monkey King "You know, for somepony that knows about humans, you sure are light!"

The Monkey King smirked "Why thank you! I work out!" He flexed his left arm as it produced a small lump on his bicep.
_____

Back in town, a lavender unicorn mare made her way towards Sugarcube Corner while noticing some murmurs amongst the pony folk. She looked around "I wonder what everypony's talking about...Maybe Pinkie can tell me while I get some food!"

When she reached the candy-themed establishment, she opened the door and looked around to see the store looking empty "Hello? Pinkie? Mr. and Mrs. Cake? It's me, Twilight!" She called out as she looked around.

Twilight's ears flickered when she heard the faint sound of two crying ponies and winced "Uh oh...I probably woke up the twins..." She trotted up the stairs and went to go look in the babies' room, only to hear the crying come from Pinkie's room "Huh?" She went up to Pinkie's door and knocked three times "Hello? Is anypony there?"

The lavender bookworm opened the door to see Mr. and Mrs. Cake crying in the center of Pinkie's room. She approached them with a sad look in her eyes "Mr. and Mrs. Cake? What's wrong? Is Pinkie gone somewhere far away?"

Mrs. Cake turned to look at Twilight with her tear-stained eyes as she sniffled "It's much worse..." She presented a pink pony puppet in her forelegs "Look!"

Twilight blinked "Is that...a puppet of Pinkie? But why are you crying?"

Mr. Cake managed to swallow his sadness and explained the situation to Twilight, from how Pinkie went shopping to Canterlot to how they noticed a large monkey wearing clothes come from down the stairs and throwing a pie at Mr. Cake before going into town. Twilight stared at the puppet "But that doesn't make any sense...Unless..." Her eyes widened "Could it be possible that this puppet is actually Pinkie, and that monkey is the one responsible for doing this to her!?"

Mr. Cake looked at the Pinkie-turned-puppet and frowned "If that's the case, then somepony has to find him and figure out a way to reverse this problem!"

Twilight looked determined "Don't worry, you two! I'll find my friends and figure out a way to bring Pinkie back!! Hopefully, we'll have this problem resolved by sundown!" She galloped out of Sugarcube Corner in search of her friends, leaving the Cakes to mourn over their hyperactive friend's current state.
_____

Lyra and the Monkey King finally made it to Sweet Apple Acres and looked upon the vast orchard of apple trees it offered. The mint unicorn looked up at the Monkey King with an eager smile "So can you tell me how humans lived their lives back then? Could they be the one's responsible for how us ponies live in Equestria?"

The Monkey King dismounted off of Lyra and waved a paw in a shooing motion "I'll answer ya, gimme a minute!" He looked at the many trees "Hmm, apples...Apples ARE good fruit...But you know what's a better fruit?" He pointed his staff and zapped one of the trees with magic. Some of the apples on the trees shook before they morphed into bananas "You guessed it! Bananas!"

Lyra gasped in awe "So you know magic like unicorns do!? That's incredible!"

He grinned as he readied his staff for another zap "This actually reminds me of an old song I know!" The Monkey King began zapping trees and conjuring bananas he sang to himself "I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas!" He zapped other trees in different poses, often showing off "I love to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays!" The Monkey King performed a handstand as he held the staff with his feet and zapped a distant tree "I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and be-nee-nees!"

Lyra was impressed that the Monkey King knew magic, and was even fascinated to hear a song that was possibly famous among the humans as she sat on her haunches and clopped her forehooves rhythmically with a content smile as he continued "I love to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and bo-no-nos!"

"What in tarntation!?"

Both Lyra and the Monkey King perked up and looked behind them to see an orange mare wearing a stetson hat looking dumbstruck that some of the trees held bananas along with apples. She glared at the one responsible "Who do ya think y'all are t' mess with my family's crops!?"

Lyra gave a nervous smile "Umm, hello, Applejack! I was just watching my friend work his magic!" She turned to the Monkey King "What was your name again, sir?"

The Monkey King turned to face Lyra and Applejack as he stood tall and proud before he struck an arrogant pose "I happen to be known as the Monkey King! The king of comedy! The lord of laughter! The grand poobah of ha-ha!!"

Applejack scowled "Think yerself a comedian, do ya?" She stomped a hoof in the dirt "Well Ah ain't laughin'!! Change 'im back b'fore Ah buck ya somethin fierce!!"

The Monkey King stared before frowned in disdain "Not funny, huh!? And you're looking for a challenge?" He pulled out a random brown poncho and threw it over him, letting it descend onto him as he was found with a stetson of his own and a fake cigar in his mouth. He spread out his legs and arms in a defensive stance as he stared down Applejack "Go ahead..." He squinted his eyes as he spoke in a deep and raspy tone "Make my day..."

The two stared each other down as they waited to make their move. Lyra shifted her glances between Applejack and the Monkey King and stood between them "C'mon, everypony! Can't we talk this out? This was just a misunderstanding!"

Applejack steamed from her nostrils as she glared at the Monkey King "Kindly step aside, Lyra! This critter's lookin' fer trouble an' Ah'm gonna give it to 'im!"

The Monkey King was silent, before he blurted out "Draw!!" As quick as a flash, he pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper from under his poncho and scribbled on the paper before he revealed it was a crude drawing of Applejack "Ta-da~!! Try and beat that! This is REAL art!" He grinned triumphantly, but it vanished when he saw Applejack galloping towards him. The Monkey King dropped his drawing and jumped over the farmpony, only for her to crush the drawing in her path. The Monkey King scowled after he landed "You uncultured swine! That drawing took a lot of effort!!"

Applejack skidded to a halt and turned to face the Monkey King "Worry about yerself, partner!" She galloped towards him again.

The Monkey King was surprisingly found in his regular clothes as Applejack charged again, and he gave a bored sighed before he pulled out and peeled a banana, swallowing it whole "I think it'd be a lot better if I just gave you the slip!" He tossed the banana peel in front of Applejack the moment she drew closer, and she was unfortunate to slip on it as she slid across the ground. The Monkey King lazily moved out of the way with a smile for Applejack to slam face-first into a tree.

Lyra gasped "Oh no! Applejack's hurt!"

The Monkey King rolled his eyes "Psssh! Relax! She's fine!" he zipped next to her and pulled out another pencil and paper, scribbling it before he turned a dazed Applejack to face Lyra. He placed the paper over her muzzle, which showed a crude drawing of a grin "See?? All peachy keen!" He grinned as he slung an arm over Applejack's shoulder.

Lyra frowned "But what if she-"

The mint unicorn was surprised when the Monkey King zipped next to her with the same grin "Look, she's just the victim of a simple gag! She'll live! Now what say you show me a good hot spot so we can cut loose!"

Lyra tilted her head with a smile "How about the local club?"

The Monkey King chattered cheerfully "Excellent! I always love a good club!" he said as his staff shapeshifted into a spiked club. He then hopped onto Lyra's back and pointed his club forward "Onward, noble steed!"

Lyra rolled her eyes as she then galloped off. As long as she was about to be granted knowledge from ages past, she was okay with hanging out with the Monkey King.
_____

Twilight figured that since she was dealing with a supposed monkey, she knew exactly where to go first. She galloped to a cottage near the outskirts of Ponyville and reached the front door, knocking on it as she waited for an answer.

The door opened to reveal a yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane. She looked timid at first before she recognized her visitor "Oh, hello, Twilight! Is there something I can help you with?"

Twilight frowned "Actually, yes! Fluttershy, there's a wild monkey roaming around that somehow turned Pinkie Pie into a small wooden puppet! We have to find the others so we can figure out how to stop him!"

Fluttershy gasped as she swung her door open completely with a smile "A monkey!? This is gre-" Her smile vanished when he processed Twilight's informaton "D-Did you say Pinkie became a-...a-...puppet?" She squeaked feebly.

Twilight laid a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder "I know it sounds too good to be true, but we have to hurry and stop this! We don't even know where he's at now!"

"The British are coming!! The British are coming!!"

Twilight and Fluttershy looked on the path to Ponyville and seen the Monkey King dressed in a blue coat and a black hat while riding Lyra into Ponyville with a look of mock fear.

Lyra looked up at the Monkey King with a smile "Are the British a good subspecies of humans?" She asked as a galloped into town.

Twilight and Fluttershy stared with widened eyes, and looked at each other before they made their own course into Ponyville.


End of Chapter 2

> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3


Do The Monkey!


Lyra and the Monkey King rode back into Ponyville; the Monkey King was now seen wearing a suit of jade armor complete with a helmet. When he noticed an establishment in the distance with blinking lights and a line of ponies outside, he pointed a sword in his right hand as he rode towards it "Let us make haste, minty equine, to the hall of merriment over yonder!" He shouted in a mock medieval tone.

Lyra looked up at the Monkey King and giggled "You sound like Princess Luna!"

The Monkey King lifted the visor on his helmet covering his eyes to look down at Lyra "Did you say princess?" He asked curiously.

Lyra nodded "Mhm! Equestria is ran by two princesses; Princess Celestia and her younger sister Princess Luna!"

The Monkey King was intrigued. Perhaps he would go visit them once he's had enough pranks for a day. He could pull more high-class pranks on them if he felt up to it. The pair arrived at the club, and the Monkey King dismounted while he was found in his regular clothes. He spun his stick and slung it over his shoulders as he made his way towards the entrance, ignoring the bouncer that stood in front of him with a glare behind his sunglasses "Can I help you, bub?" The bouncer spoke in a deep and intimidating tone.

The Monkey King looked down at the built stallion wearing a black shirt and quirked an eyebrow before he grinned "Step aside, good sir! I have a party to crash!" He looked over at Lyra approaching and pointed at her with a thumb "Oh, and she's with me!"

The bouncer snorted "You think I'm just gonna let a complete stranger in here?" He leered at the Monkey King behind his sunglasses.

Frowning at the pony's tone, the Monkey King tapped a finger on his chin. When he had an idea, he snapped his fingers with a grin, then spun his stick as he spoke "You know, you sound pretty heavy for a pony so small! If anything..." He pointed his stick and zapped the bouncer "You should be light as a feather!"

When the beam connected with the bouncer, his body was decorated with moving feathers that brushed against him at different angles. The bouncer was then found laughing loudly, even toppling over and curling up to try and defend himself from being tickled fiercely.

The Monkey King blew on the end of his staff as if it were a gun barrel and hopped over the bouncer to make his way inside the club "Still got it!" Lyra followed inside, still ambitious about learning from the ancient prankster. The ponies standing in line did not expect to see a giant monkey and a mint unicorn get granted free access into the local club. They went to enter themselves, but then noticed Twilight and Fluttershy gallop inside after they chased Lyra and the Monkey King into town.
_____

Inside of the club, ponies were either relaxing by the bar or busting moves on the dance floor. Vinyl Scratch was busy on the turntables monitoring the music while bobbing her head to the beat; She wore headphones so she could listen to more of the music. At the entrance, the Monkey King was found with a puffed red afro, sunglasses, and a white disco outfit "Ah, this place is totally groovy!" He said with a grin, then took off and tossed his sunglasses "Let's kick it up a notch, shall we?"

Lyra tilted her head at the Monkey King "You're gonna request a song?" She asked curiously.

The ancient prankster turned to point an accusing finger at Lyra "Hey! The Monkey King doesn't do requests! But I have an idea...Follow me!" He said as he hopped towards the turntables with Lyra galloping after him.

When they reached the turntables, Vinyl Scratch was unaware of their presence as she continued bobbing her head to the beat. The Monkey King (Now in his regular clothes somehow) stared at her blankly before he took his staff and zapped her.

After she was hit with the beam, Vinyl Scratch was now found wearing green lederhosen with a matching hat. The DJ examined herself "What the-!?" She was stupefied to be seen wearing such tacky clothes that appeared on her.

The Monkey King then lightly shoved Vinyl Scratch aside as he was found wearing lederhosen of his own as he stopped the music and grinned at the crowd "Put on your lederhosen, folks, cuz it's time to POLKA!!" He said as he zapped the turntables, turning it into a set of instruments playing by themselves; there was an accordion, a tuba, a drum, and a trumpet.

Surprisingly, the ponies on the dance floor somehow complied and began to dance to the new song. Vinyl Scratch, however, was not amused as she scowled at the imposing intruder that destroyed her precious turntables "Not cool, dude! Who do you think you are?"

Before Lyra could introduce her new friend, the Monkey King turned to Vinyl Scratch with an insulted look in his eyes "You mean you haven't heard of me?" He pointed at himself with a thumb and a prideful smile "I happen to be the same guy that gives comedy its proper meaning! I'm the one monkey to rule them all, when it comes to making a good joke, of course! I am the Monkey King!" He flashed a winning grin towards the angry DJ.

Vinyl Scratch snorted "I don't care if you're the prime minister of Trottingham! Gimme back my turntables!!"

Lyra frowned "We should do what she says, Monkey King. I mean, we've already caused enough trouble at Sweet Apple Acres..."

The Monkey King waved a dismissive paw at Lyra "Lemme just enjoy this music first! This is good stuff!" He said as he performed a silly dance to the polka, ignoring Vinyl Scratch's anger and Lyra's plea.

"Hold it!"

The Monkey King froze in a dance position when he heard the authoritive voice call out by the entrance, and looked to see an irate unicorn with a timid pegasus "You there! The monkey!" The unicorn spoke as she pointed a hoof.

Lyra nearly jumped upon seeing the two newcomers "Uh oh! It's Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy!" She turned to the Monkey King "They must've known what happened to Applejack!" She spoke fearfully.

The Monkey King (once again in his regular clothes) looked at Lyra "I think they come here to either A: Enjoy the music, or B: Look at some of this!" He said as he transformed himself into a muscular monkey, striking poses and flexing his muscles proudly.

Vinyl Scratch called out to Twilight as she pointed a hoof at the Monkey King "Twi, this jerk totally ruined my turntables!" She looked at herself "And put me in this crappy getup..." The DJ muttered as she tried to take it off.

Twilight made her way towards the stage with Fluttershy following behind, then confronted the Monkey King "I know about what you've done to Pinkie! Who are you?"

The Monkey King groaned in annoyance "It's like I have a blank slate here!" He pointed up a learning finger "Monkey..." He directed the finger towards his smiling face "King!" He spun his staff and slammed an end to the floor "And you look like you have a problem! What can I do ya for?" He said as he tilted his head.

Twilight leered at the ancient prankster "We know what you've done to Pinkie! Change her back!!"

Lyra blinked "Pinkie? What happened to her?" She said, curious about the pony she personally sent to find proof of the existence of humans. The mint unicorn turned to the Monkey King "What did you do to Pinkie Pie?" She asked in a slightly interrogating tone.

The Monkey King ignored Lyra to look sullen "But if I change her back, that would mean having to stop my fun and deliver joy to other ponies..." He paused before he showed a face of anger to topple Twilight's "I don't plan on going back to Dollsville anytime soon, sister!!" He snapped at the lavender bookworm.

Fluttershy somehow caught on to the Monkey King's words "You mean, you were a doll once?" She asked inquisitively.

The Monkey King shrugged "More of a puppet, really, but that's not important!" He grabbed Lyra as his staff transformed into a bullwhip "Time to blow this popsicle stand and swing on outta here!" He said as he launched the whip onto the railing near the ceiling. After the whip was tied tightly to the rails, the Monkey King was found wearing a fedora and leather jacket as he swung away with Lyra while crudely singing an adventurous song.

When he reached the entrance, he tipped his fedora to the ponies "Catch you on the flipside, ladies!" He said as he giggled mischievously and ran off with Lyra.

Twilight fumed at the Monkey King escaping "C'mon, Fluttershy! We have to find the others! This Monkey King's not gonna come quietly!"

The two mares galloped out of the club, leaving behind Vinyl Scratch as she stood with the instruments still playing. She stared at them with a frown "Great..." The DJ said with a sigh.
_____

The Monkey King scoped the area around him for another place to have fun while eluding the two mares after him "Let's see...We've hit a farm and a club...where to next?" He looked at Lyra, who had her eyes narrowed at the Monkey King "What?" The ancient prankster felt his face with his free paw "Is there something on my face?"

Lyra replied "I want to know what you've done to my friend Pinkie, Monkey King!"

The Monkey King scratched his head in mock thought "Pinkie...Pinkie..." He then flashed his pinky finger "You mean this one here?" He said with a smile.

Lyra growled "I mean my friend Pinkie Pie! What have you done to her?"

The Monkey King crossed his arms as he frowned at Lyra "What's eating you? Cuz I don't see anything on you right now!" He said as he laughed at his own joke.

Lyra stomped a hoof "That's not funny, Monkey King! You're not answering my question!"

The Monkey King quirked an eyebrow "What, you mean how I got here? Eh, some pink pony decided to pull my leg and free me from centuries of boredom! Now she's just a puppet!" He rubbed his chin with a paw "Probably should've left her with some polish as a thank-you..." He then shrugged "Oh well! I can worry about that later! Why don't we look for another good spot?"

Lyra stared "You mean..." She paused before she gasped in realization "You turned Pinkie into a puppet!?"

The Monkey King ignored Lyra's shock as he looked around, then spotted a cyan pegasus snoozing on a cloud "Wow...I heard of having your head in the clouds, but this is ridiculous!"

Lyra approached the Monkey King "You have to change Pinkie back! It's not right for her to be a puppet forever!!" She demanded.

The Monkey King looked down at Lyra with a disapproving frown "Spoken like a wet blanket...Looks like you should dry off!" He said as he lifted Lyra and tied her to a nearby clothesline and examining her struggling with a smile "You just hang tight for a bit while I go enjoy myself! As for what you said about me talking humans, well, that's no longer my problem! See ya!" He said as he hopped away, giggling.

Lyra struggled, then focused her horn to undo the knots holding her up. When she landed, she sighed "I can't believe it! Pinkie's a puppet, the Monkey King's running amok, and it's all my fault!"

"Excuse me?"

Lyra looked up to see the cyan pegasus in the clouds wake up and swoop down towards her "What's this about Pinkie turning into a puppet?"

Lyra frowned "Rainbow Dash, it's awful! I only wanted Pinkie to look for something to prove the existence of humans, and now she's turned into a puppet because of him!" She pointed towards the Monkey King, who was running off.

Rainbow Dash noticed and glared "So he's the one, huh!? Sit tight, Lyra! I got this!" She sped off towards the Monkey King.

The Monkey King was moving along, humming a ditty, then stopped with a face of mock seriousness "My Simian Sense is tingling..." He uttered. The ancient prankster then quickly dodged out of the way when a prismatic blur shot past him from behind "Whoa!!" The blur faded to show an angry Rainbow Dash hovering in front of him "Would you look at that! A double rainbow..." He shed a fake tear "So intense..." He whispered as he looked at the cyan pegasus.

Rainbow Dash steamed from her nostrils "That's Rainbow Dash to you, buddy! You're gonna change my friend back right now, or else!!"

The Monkey King grinned "Or else what?"

Rainbow Dash growled and flew at the Monkey King again, only to have the ancient prankster leap over him without a hitch "Wow, you're fast! But it'll take more than that to catch Yours truly!" He pulled out and wore a large sombrero. Somehow, the Monkey King managed to make his feet move fast as he shouted "Ándele! Ándele! Arribaaa~!!" He then sped away from Rainbow Dash, prompting the cyan pegasus to chase him down.

Lyra watched them go, then heard galloping from behind to see Twilight and Fluttershy approach her "Oh, Twilight and Fluttershy! You don't have to worry too much about the Monkey King! Rainbow Dash is chasing him down right now!" She said with a reassuring smile.

Fluttershy frowned "Not that it's any of our business, Lyra, but...what were you even doing with the Monkey King?" She asked curiously.

Lyra frowned and looked down with a penitent look in her eyes "All I wanted was to prove the existence of humans, and he didn't tell me one thing! He just used me and left me behind when I wanted him to change Pinkie back!"

Twilight sighed "We'll settle this once we've subdued that monkey! Let's go help Rainbow Dash in case she's having trouble!" The three mares galloped after Rainbow Dash and the Monkey King.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was gradually catching up with the Monkey King, who only chattered in laughter as he ran from her. She growled as she inched towards her target with complete focus on him "When I get my hooves on you, you're so dead!!"

Before she could get close to him, the ancient prankster made a swift and sharp turn to the left. Rainbow Dash went to do the same, but slammed against a wall of a building. She slid off of it and landed on the ground with a moan.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Lyra finally caught up to their friend with worry upon seeing her hit the wall. Twilight approached Rainbow Dash and helped her on her feet "Rainbow Dash, are you hurt?"

Rainbow Dash looked away with a frown "Only my pride..." She muttered sadly.

"There! You see now?"

The four mares looked to see the Monkey King stand a few feet away from them with a triumphant smirk "You know better than to mess with the Madcap of monkeys himself! You all should be happy that I'm brightening up your day with a ton of laughs!"

Rainbow Dash scowled at the Monkey King "That's more of Pinkie's thing. All you did was hex her and fool around here in Ponyville!!"

The Monkey King huffed "Oh, I haven't done so much damage..." He looked away with a devious smirk "yet..." He muttered before he continued "Besides, I still have more stuff to do before I actually DO get bored! Like maybe meeting one of those princesses your friend over there was talking about!"

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all looked over at Lyra, who smiled in embarrassment.

The Monkey King continued "Now if you'll excuse me, there's fun to be had and pranks to be pulled!" He went to leave, only to be surprised by a lasso swinging over and constricting him along his midsection with his arms "Wha!?" He looked over to where the rope led.

Applejack was seen tugging on her lasso with her teeth as she kept the Monkey King still "Gotcha, ya filthy varmint!!" She yelled with the rope in her mouth.


End of Chapter 3

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4


See no Funny, Hear no Funny, Speak no Funny


The Monkey King tried to struggle in the grasp of Applejack's lasso as she held him in place "Looks like I'm at the end of my rope!" He grunted as he slipped his distasteful pun out of his mouth.

Applejack tugged on her lasso to pull the Monkey King in "Ya sure are, partner!" She growled with the rope between her teeth.

The Monkey King struggled more before he smiled "You now realize that I was joking! This is nothing!" He pulled out his staff and managed to aim it at the end of the lasso tied to himself, zapping it and turning it into a snake. Applejack noticed that her end became the head of the snake. It turned to Applejack with an agitated look in its eyes and hissed while bearing its fangs.

The farmpony yelped and instantly released the snake as it slithered off while releasing the Monkey King, who was found wearing a red robe and a fake grey, scraggly beard with his red mane flowing. He spread his arms with a look of fake determination "Let my people go!" He shouted in a feigned serious tone. His bravado was cut when he was wrapped in a magenta aura, and the Monkey King examined himself blankly "Huh, well so much for that..." He muttered.

Twilight glared as her horn glowed "Got you! Now, you're coming with us to change Pinkie back! Don't get any ideas about escaping, neither!"

Monkey King looked confused "How can I change her back when she's hopping around behind you?" He asked as he pointed a finger behind Twilight while both of his hands were held in place.

The mares wondered about this, and they all looked back to see if he was telling the truth; Twilight - in her haste to see Pinkie - dropped her hold on the Monkey King. They saw nothing but a blank-flank zebracorn wearing a fedora as he nonchalantly drank a mug of cider at a table a few feet away from them. They quickly looked back at the Monkey King in his regular clothes, grinning deviously with his staff pointed at them after he was free from Twilight's magic "Made ya look!!" He zapped a beam directed towards Twilight, who quickly ducked as the beam headed towards the zebracorn.

The beam hit his fedora, somehow transforming it into a top hat. He was surprised at first, then stared up at his new hat with a content smile. Afterwards, he went back to drinking his cider like nothing happened.

Monkey King scoffed "Missed!" He then smiled with a shrug as he held his staff "Oh well! At least I'm not receiving the short end of the stick!" Strangely, a rimshot was heard "Bye now!" He hopped off while laughing mischievously.

Twilight galloped ahead of her friends "After him! Who knows where he might strike next!" The other four mares followed after Twilight in hot pursuit of the Monkey King.

They followed him towards the market square, where many other ponies turned to see the Monkey King approach "Stampede!!" He shouted, alarming the many citizens. They eventually calmed down when they noticed it was only the Monkey King being chased down by five mares.

On the far side of the market, Bon Bon was busy buying more groceries for her house. She was unaware of where Lyra went, but she figured that the mint unicorn was possibly on another crusade for her obsession. After her latest transaction consisting of some celery stalks and tomatoes, she heard laughter and a large set of rumbling steps coming to her right. Bon Bon turned and widened her eyes at the sight of five mares including Lyra chasing after an overgrown monkey.

All Bon Bon did was give a dumbfounded stare as they ran by; Lyra made sure to say "HiBonBonsorrybutIgottacatchthismonkeyBYE!" while she ran with her friends. After they distanced themselves, Bon Bon proceeded to faint, ignoring the other ponies around her.

The Monkey King was getting bored with the cat-and-mouse chase and decided to take the initiative in warding off his pursuers. He noticed a watermelon stand up ahead being ran by an earth pony and pointed his staff "In Soviet Russia, you don't eat melons..." He quipped in a mock foreign accent as he zapped the watermelons. The vendor ducked in fright, and each melon sprouted sharp teeth on their midsections and growled like agitated dogs "Melons eat you!" He breezed past the watermelon stand as the watermelons began to hop up on their own and constantly snapped their jaws; They hopped in the way of Twilight and her friends, and some even leaped up to the sky to try and take down Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash avoided three of them, but one managed to clamp its teeth on her mane and bit down, causing the cyan pegasus to stop and fuss with her new fruit-themed hair accessory "Gah! Get off of me!!" She barked as she tried to pull the melon-turned-monster off of her mane.

Twilight, Lyra, and Applejack banded together to zap the melons that tried to attack them, whereas Fluttershy cowered behind her newly-dubbed protectors. Each melon exploded into a messy pulp whether it was from the unicorns' beams or from Applejack's bucking. Twilight cursed herself when she noticed the Monkey King get away while they were caught up destroying each of the rabid watermelons.
_____

At Carousel Boutique, Rarity lightly hummed to herself in peace while she applied makeup to her face in her bathroom. She was currently powdering her nose in front of her mirror with a smile on her face "Ah, I can never find a better time to pamper myself before a good walk in Ponyville. It's the right time to unveil my newest creation for my fashion line! I'll be sure to have my friends be the first to view this little ensemble!"

The esteemed fashionista was found wearing an ornate ballroom dress that shined with a brilliant velvet lined with shimmering topaz. After she was finished powdering her nose, she levitated her powder puff and brought it over to the first drawer under her sink, facing away from the mirror to make sure she would place it in her organized collection of makeup tools "There we are...Now to make sure I'm all set!"

She closed the door and went back to looking at herself in the mirror. Something seemed off however, as an overgrown monkey wearing an oriental garment was found grinning behind her in the mirror's reflection. After staring for a brief moment, she turned around with a high-pitched shriek.

The Monkey King pointed a finger "I couldn't help but notice you were getting gussied up for a day in the town! Looks like you could use a makeover!" He pointed his staff at Rarity.
_____

Twilight and her friends galloped around town, though they were slightly covered in melon pulp from their last battle. They stopped to look around "Look alive, everypony! He could be anywhere!"

Applejack kept her eyes peeled "He couldn't have wandered off too far! Not like he went t' Rarity's or anythin'..." A blood-curdling scream was heard, and the farmpony turned to the distant building that was Carousel Boutique, donning a deep frown "Me an' my big mouth..."

A blue beam shot out of one of the windows, startling the group of mares. Lyra gasped "Oh no! The Monkey King must've got to her somehow!!" Another beam shot out of the same window, and Lyra noticed the aforementioned prankster leaping out of it wearing a soldier's outfit.

The Monkey King ran off after avoiding another beam "Double time! Move, move, move!!" He shouted in mock authority.

Twilight and company had a mind to chase after the ancient prankster, but they were more concerned about what happened to Rarity, or what happened to trigger all of the beams that shot out of Carousel Boutique. They galloped to the front door, and Twilight went to open it, only to have it swing open to reveal a scary sight.

It was not Rarity that stood at their door, but a mare adorned with the wildest harlequin appearance ever seen in Equestrian history that hyperventilated in righteous fury; Her mane was dyed in a bright blonde similar to Applejack and tied with a frilly band; Her eyes leaked with bloodlust while she wore red makeup over them and purple makeup over her lips similar to that of a clown; she bared her teeth in a scowl while her makeup made it look like she was smiling. She growled before finally shouting "I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE that monkey!!" Rarity snarled in her ire, not noticing her friends yet.

Rainbow Dash was torn between laughing at Rarity's appearance or being creeped out/ afraid of it. Something about her friend's look sent a chill down the cyan pegasus' spine almost as much as Fluttershy.

Applejack gawked at Rarity "Land sakes! He turned ya into a rodeo clown!" She blurted out while dumbstruck.

Twilight wiped a bit of watermelon out of her mane as she gave Rarity a serious look while the fashionista calmed down "That was no ordinary monkey as you've seen, Rarity. It's some kind of ancient monkey that's a master of mischief! It turned Pinkie Pie into a puppet!" She glanced over her shoulder at Lyra "And somehow Lyra's responsible for it..."

Lyra looked down in shame "I never meant for this to happen! I just hope Pinkie can forgive me, too..." She nearly whimpered.

Fluttershy consoled Lyra with a hoof over her shoulder as she gavea comforting smile "I'm sure she wouldn't think badly of you, Lyra. Maybe she'll forgive you once this is all over..."

Applejack scoffed "Ya mean IF it's over! That hairy fleabag's all over th' place jus' like Pinkie!"

Twilight sighed "I know. And he even made watermelons come to life..." It was at that moment that Twilight had an idea as she perked up "Of course!"

Applejack looked over at Twilight "What's on yer mind, sugarcube?"

Twilight looked at all of her friends "We need to go back to Sugarcube Corner on the double! I think I have an idea on how we can solve this problem!!"

Rarity snorted "If it means doing away with that insolent pest that besmirched my hard work, then I'll gladly do whatever it takes!!" She stomped a hoof on the ground.

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow "Why would we wanna go back there? Pinkie Pie's a puppet, remember?"

Twilight nodded, but held a confident smile "Trust me on this. Let's move, girls!" The group of mares, now numbering six, galloped back to Sugarcube Corner.
_____

In Pinkie's room back at Sugarcube Corner, the group of ponies gathered around the puppet of their hyperactive friend. Twilight focused on the doll and pointed her horn "This should help us with all of this monkey business!"

Twilights horn glowed and zapped Pinkie as she was covered in a magical aura. When the aura faded, the puppet's eyes blinked for a moment before it moved its entire body "Hey! I'm me again!" The puppet inspected herself "I think..."

Rarity gasped "The 'Come to Life' spell! Marvelous, Twilight!" She beamed at the lavender bookworm for her success.

Lyra made her way towards the living puppet with a face of sheer remorse "Oh, Pinkie Pie! I'm so sorry about this happening to you! I never should've sent you off to find a gift!"

Pinkie looked up at Lyra, who was close to crying and tried to smile with her jaw "Awwww, don't worry, Lyra! It's not your fault! I just never expected that meanie pants to have me pull his leg and turn me into a puppet while he's out having fun!" Lyra gave a thin smile at Pinkie's words.

Applejack was slackjawed at Pinkie's response "Fun!? That dang dirty ape's causing a ruckus out in Ponyville!"

Pinkie blinked at Applejack "Really? He told me he was pulling pranks!"

Rarity pointed at herself with a glare as she caught Pinkie's attention "Does THIS seem like a prank to you!?"

Pinkie stared before she rolled on the floor, laughing at Rarity's jester-like appearance.

Rarity growled and hopped up and down like a child throwing a tantrum "Stop laughing at me this instant!" She stopped and cursed herself "I knew I should've just abandoned this crime to fashion before I arrived..."

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight "Well, that solves half our problem, but Pinkie's still a puppet, Twilight! What's the plan?"

Twilight smiled up at Rainbow Dash "Pinkie's the plan! The Monkey King is an unpredictable anamoly that thrives on mischief and is highly energetic! If we're going to catch that monkey..." She focused her gaze on Pinkie "We'll need to think like him!"

Pinkie stared at Twilight before she realized what she was saying "Oooooooh~! Well, that monkey's not just like me, but I can help you out with catching him!" She hopped in place in a carefree manner, as if she were never a puppet to begin with.
Applejack rubbed her chin "It's a shame yer a puppet...Otherwise Ah'd wager we'd nip this problem in th' bud with th' Elements o' Harmony!"

Fluttershy held up a hoof "If we manage to hold him down, I could be able to use the Stare on him..." She looked away with a frown "Unless he's like Discord, then I'm out of ideas..."

Twilight blinked "There's an idea! Where IS Discord, anyways? Hasn't he been staying with you?"

Fluttershy pawed at the ground "He said something about enjoying a vacation in Acapulcolt..." She hung her head with a forlorn frown "It's been pretty lonely without him around my cottage..."

Rainbow Dash fumed "Great! That's two ideas down the drain!" She sighed and looked down at Pinkie "Looks like you're our last line of defense, Pinkie! Can you be able to do your best like this?"

Pinkie gave a mock salute "Sure as the most sugary cupcake I've ever baked! Let's go monkey-hunting!"

Lyra looked outside a window with a frown 'If only he wasn't so mean, I could've learned about humans...' She sighed 
before she smiled 'But, he did teach me that I should be careful what I wish for.' Lyra turned back to her friends with a determined smile "Yeah, let's go!"

"Wait!"

All the mares turned to Rarity, who stood with a furrowed brow "I refuse to go back out there until I get out of this ridiculous outfit!" Everypony stifled a need to facehoof, but sympathized with Rarity knowing that it would be pretty weird to be seen with a mad clown.
_____

At one of the outdoor tables at Ponyville's cafe, four stallions were busy playing a game of five card stud poker; There was Caramel, Pokey Pierce, Thunderlane, and Noteworthy. They all put on their best poker faces as their game took place, but it was mostly limited to narrowed and shifting eyes. Pokey was brave enough to push in some bits in the pot "I raise."

Caramel saw Pokey's ploy and could not be denied this game. He had already lost most of his paycheck from his help across Sweet Apple Acres, combined with what his medically-gifted brother had let him borrow "I call." He pushed the same amount of bits as Pokey did in the pile.

Thunderlane was the first to crack a confident smirk "I think you guys are in for another loss with what I got."

Noteworthy gave a light huff "You've said that the past few hands. If anything, Pokey's giving us a run for our money..." He casted a dirty look towards the unicorn next to him.

Pokey did not break his focus much like his fellow stallions as he discarded two cards and drew more in their place "Years of practice, friends. Sometimes, I focus on nothing but the game itself." He looked over at the fellow who hid his face behind his hand "Why, I barely even recognize the newest addition to our little game."

The other three stallions instantly ceased their competitive behavior and stared blankly at the uninvited player. The individual lowered his hand to reveal a monkey with sunglasses and a fake cigar in his mouth. He pulled out a card from his hand and placed it on the table; it was a card of a monkey holding a staff "I place my Monkey King in attack mode!" The player took off his sunglasses to reveal narrowed eyes that betrayed serious business "Yahtzee..." He hissed with vigor.

Caramel stared before pointing a hoof "Who in the hay are you!?" He blurted out incredulously. He paused before adding "And do you even know HOW to play poker!?"

"You've activated my trap card!"

The three stallions look over to see another hand of cards being held by what appeared to be a puppet wearing a fake moustache. It lowered its hand to reveal narrowed blue eyes, then placed a joker card on the table "I just sunk your battleship!"

The Monkey King stared before pointing a finger at the newest addition to the game "I call shenanigans!" He shouted in mock outrage.

All of the stallions but Pokey were beyond confused at what was going on. Pinkie only hopped up on the table and pointed back at the Monkey King "Well I call DOUBLE shenanigans!" She shouted back "I wanna be me again!"

The Monkey King crossed his arms "But you ARE you!" He leaned his face towards the puppet with an arched eyebrow "Aren't you?"

Pinkie shook her head "Not yet! I wanna be all of me! I wanna change back into my old body again!"

The Monkey King rolled his eyes "A nickel for every time I heard that one..." He smirked back at Pinkie "Sorry, Pink-nocchio! No can do! That means that I won't have any more fun for myself!"

Pinkie tried to smile as she attempted to negotiate "Well, we could always take turns having fun! Oh! Or maybe Princess Celestia could figure something out! Will that work?" She spoke in a hopeful tone.

The Monkey King stared before he stroked his beard with a paw "Hmmmm..." Before he could answer, he was tackled to the ground by a torrent of mares. He tried to struggle as he was pinned by them "Hey! This ain't funny!"

Rainbow Dash grunted as she tried holding the Monkey King in place "Tough cookies, monkey boy!! You've had your fun! Now change Pinkie back!"

Pinkie blinked "Girls! I was close to making the Monkey King change me back!"

Lyra looked over at Pinkie with a frown "All he'll do is lie to you, Pinkie! He lied to me when he said he would teach me about humans!"

"Well, maybe I can tell you if you let me go!" The Monkey King grunted as he continued to struggle under the pile of mares.

Fluttershy, being the only mare not pinning the Monkey King to the ground, trotted up to meet the ancient prankster's eyes with a stern gaze "You've been a very bad monkey, mister!" She then proceeded to use the Stare, boring her ominous gaze into the Monkey King's eyes.

The Monkey King stared back with widened eyes and screamed before he strangely turned into stone. This surprised the mares as they got off of the monkey-turned-statue and inspected him being frozen in place. Suddenly, it cracked to reveal the Monkey King hopping up with a taunting grin "Just kidding! I don't think a little look in the eyes'll work against Yours truly!"

Twilight scowled "This has to stop, Monkey King! We'll give you one more chance to reverse what you've done to Ponyville AND to Pinkie! Change her back or we'll force you to by any means necessary!"

Rainbow Dash bashed her two forehooves together while giving the Monkey King an intimidating glare "Especially if it means smacking your monkey butt to Canterlot and back!!"

The Monkey King stared at the group of mares before furrowing his brow with a frown "So it's gonna be like that, is it? Another set of enemies for the Monkey King?" He assumed a defensive stance as he leered at the mares.

Twilight assumed a stance of her own "We don't want it to come to this! Think about what you're doing!"

The Monkey King narrowed his eyes to slits "I just did..." He uttered as he stared down his new opponents. They stared back, tensed up and ready for battle. The stallions watched from their table with anticipation and curiosity as to who would actually win...

The atmosphere instantly changed when the Monkey King ran off while making a whooping noise.

Twilight and her friends stared blankly as the Monkey King ran off. Rainbow Dash finally let loose a roar of anger "I can't believe this!! He tricked us again!!"

Applejack groaned "This is already gettin' old..."

Pinkie Pie eagerly galloped ahead of her friends "Chaaaaaarge!!"

Twilight and the others decided to follow suit, knowing that the Monkey King is yet another danger looming in Equestria. The stallions watched them leave, except for Pokey, who for some odd reason kept his eyes entirely on his hand of cards. The other three stallions turned to Pokey, and Noteworthy spoke "You paid absolutely no attention to what just happened, did you??"

"Nope." Pokey replied nonchalantly as he laid down his hand with a smile "Full house."

All three stallions chorused a "DAMMIT!!" to what Pokey had shown them.


End of Chapter 4

> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5


Going Ape


At City Hall, Mayor Mare was busy filing her paperwork with a calm smile; At the moment, they were made up of suggestions and minor complaints from the ponyfolk, business papers, and legislative notices. It wasn't easy being the mayor of a small town; No matter how much work is accomplished, there is always a big situation to tend to when you least expect it. Finishing up her last batch of papers, she sighed contently to herself as she placed them away in her desk drawer "And now for a small break before I get to sending them..." She said with a worn smile as she got up from her seat and strolled towards the lounge. Mayor Mare stopped when she heard the sound of glass breaking, but then continued, thinking she was hearing things.

When she made it to the door, she heard muffled grunting and shuffling, followed by crashing and the sound of more glass breaking. Feeling threatened by whatever was behind the door, Mayor Mare kicked it open "What is going on in he-HUH!?"

Mayor Mare noticed what appeared to be five of the element bearers, a live puppet, and the same mare that wouldn't stop talking about the things called 'humans' chasing an oversized monkey in an oriental garb. They circled around the lounge, toppling over each object that came in their way. The only one that stopped was Fluttershy, who quickly flew up to Mayor Mare and bowed in apology "We're sorry about this! So very sorry!"

"Just what on earth is going on in here!?" Mayor Mare asked as she gawked at the scene behind Fluttershy.

Fluttershy shifted her eyes back at the circling chase "Umm...Well, long story short, Pinkie found this old puppet called the Monkey King, and now she's been turned into a puppet. We're trying to stop him so he can change her back." She paused before bowing in apology again "I'm sorry if that was too long!" Fluttershy squeaked nervously.

Mayor Mare went to say something, but screamed when the Monkey King leaped towards her. She ducked as he leaped over and laughed "Sayonara, suckers!" He quipped as he made his way out of City Hall.

Rainbow Dash flew over Mayor Mare "Don't let him get away!" Pinkie followed close behind, bellowing an unintelligible battlecry.

Lyra stopped next to Mayor Mare "Don't worry, Mayor Mare! This might seem big, but we can handle it!" She galloped after her friends.

Applejack was next to stop "Ah'll make it up t' ya by giving ya some free food!" She sped off.

Rarity smiled "I'll give you a fancy new dress as a token of apology for this mess after we capture this cretinous ape! Ta-ta!" The fashionista made her way out.

Twilight was the only pony who didn't say anything as she passed Mayor Mare. She figured it was best to save her words for when she wants to lecture the Monkey King for his mischievous misdeeds. Fluttershy and Mayor Mare stood in the tossed-up lounge in awkward silence before the timid pegasus shimmied away with a nervous expression, catching up with her friends outside.

Mayor Mare only stared at the fresh mess from her precious lounge and heaved a sigh as she donned a deep frown "Sometimes, I think we let too many calamities go in this town..." She said to herself.
_____

The Monkey King was huffing mockingly as he ran away from the cadre of mares hot on his tail. He pulled out a small black can with the word 'AXE' on it, leering at it with a mock scowl "You lied to me!" He tossed the can behind his shoulder, and it connected with Rainbow Dash's forehead, further agitating the cyan pegasus.

Up ahead, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were found riding around Ponyville; Applebloom and Sweetie Belle sat in the wagon being pulled by Scootaloo and her scooter. They stopped when they noticed the Monkey King running up ahead "Hey! Is that a monkey wearing clothes?" Sweetie Belle asked inquisitively.

Applebloom looked behind "Why's my sister and her friends chasin 'im?"

Scootaloo widened her eyes "They're headed right towards us!" She flapped her wings and turned her scooter around, riding away from the thundering group; The fillies were unsettled when they were catching up with ease. Scootaloo spotted a ramp up ahead and rode towards it, soaring into the air after riding on it. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle held on tight as they lingered in the air.

Down below, the Monkey King flipped over the ramp and ran ahead. To the dismay of the crusaders, the mares that chased the Monkey King swerved across the ramp and were right under them "Look out!!" Scootaloo called out

Twilight looked up and her eyes widened when she saw a scooter and wagon dropping towards her and her friends. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy easily avoided it, but the mares on the ground had suffered the wrath of the flying scooter/wagon combo courtesy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Fluttershy stayed back in concern for the safety of both her friends and the fillies that dropped on them.

Rainbow Dash was conflicted on staying behind to help her friends or continue her pursuit on the Monkey King. Being the Element of Loyalty that she was, she grunted to herself and joined Fluttershy in helping the others. It was hard for her to ignore the raspberry the ancient prankster blew at her as he ran off. She flipped the wagon over while helping up the others "Is everypony alright?"

Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash and grinned dreamily "I am now..." She lightly swooned.

Sweetie Belle shook herself when she stood up "What happened just now? How long was a giant monkey in Ponyville?"

Rarity growled "I've no guess myself, but I know he's going to pay for his mischeivous deeds..." She leered at the trail where the Monkey King ran.

Twilight brushed herself off and helped Lyra up "This monkey's no laughing matter! Not to mention he's hard to catch even with Pinkie at our side..." She paused and gasped as she looked around "Where's Pinkie!?"

"I'm over here, Twilight!"

Twilight turned to the sound of Pinkie's voice, and her jaw hit the ground when she spotted her friend-turned-puppet as a pile of body parts nearby. Pinkie, for her part, didn't really mind "I don't know why, but I can't move! Can you come pick me up, please?" She said, not noticing the scattered parts behind her head. Fluttershy stared at Pinkie with widened eyes before she fainted on the ground.

Rainbow Dash swooped down towards her friend "Oh no! Now we gotta put her back together again!"

Rarity trotted up to Pinkie with a collected and confident smile "Just leave that to me, darling!" She said as she levitated every single part and carefully placed them back together again. When Pinkie was completed, Rarity set her on the ground "There we are. Good as new!"

Pinkie was unable to grin, but she was more than happy with being able to move again "Thanks a bunch, Rarity!" She darted her head around with squinted eyes "Now where to find that meanie of a monkey..." Pinkie said to herself vigilantly.

Applejack sighed "It can't be helped! Twi's got a point with that filthy varmint bein' tough t' catch!"

Lyra stood silently in thought before an idea came to her "What if we lead him to us?" All eyes were on Lyra as she continued with a smile "If there's anything the Monkey King loves, it's to make a good joke and making sure everypony's there to see it! He's like a showpony craving attention!"

Twilight assessed what Lyra was saying until she perked up with a smile "So all we have to do is make it seem like we're putting on a better show! That'll draw him to us for sure!" She turned to Rainbow Dash "Seeing as how you love to be the center of attention, what say you become the star of our little show, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked coyly with a smile to match.

Rainbow Dash sported a smug grin "I'd thought you'd never ask! And who said anything about a little show?" She placed a hoof on her chest "Your's Truly is gonna put on the biggest show in Ponyville!"

Scootaloo hopped up and down in excitement "Alright! Can we help?"

Rainbow Dash tussled Scootaloo's mane "Of course you can, squirt! We're gonna need all the help we can get to make this show a good one!"

Twilight nodded "True that! Let's get started and quickly!" The group galloped off to prepare for both a memorable show and a well-crafted trap.
_____

The Monkey King giggled to himself as he beheld his newest work of pranking art: A group of cows dancing against their will in enchanted clogs.

One of the cows, Daisy Jo, mooed in anxiety over being controlled "This isn't working out for my legs!" She shrieked as she continued to dance.

The Monkey King laughed "Now there's an act worth milking! I wonder how I can top that..."

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! May I have your attention please!"

The ancient prankster ceased his laughter at the sound of Twilight Sparkle's voice from a megaphone and looked behind him to see a vast crowd of ponies flocking in at town square; There was a tall tower with a pegasus standing on it "What do we have here, hm?" The Monkey King asked curiously with a frown as he hopped up to a building, leaving the group of dancing cows behind. He leaped from roof-to-roof until he got a better glimpse at what was seen in the center; A small stage with a group of mares standing on it.

Twilight was seen gathering more attention from the ponyfolk with her megaphone "It is our pleasure to give you an entertaining spectacle of skills being performed by none other than Rainbow Dash! The fastest flier in Equestria!" She pointed a hoof up to show the mentioned pegasus standing at her post at the top of the tower.

As planned, Rainbow Dash received a flurry of cheers as she waved with a cocky smile 'Oh, I'm so gonna enjoy this!' She unfurled her wings with determined eyes and she jumped up to swoop down at an intense speed. She quickly pulled up to fly over the crowd, twisting into a rapid spiral as her prismatic trail twisted with a brilliant glow. The crowd kept up their cheering as the cyan pegasus moved on to her next trick; She landed towards the ground and performed her practiced 'Super Speed Strut' with a smug grin on her face.

From behind the stage, the other mares peered over and noticed the Monkey King watching from a distant building. Applejack smiled up at Twilight "It's workin'! He's takin' th' bait!" The farmpony whispered triumphantly.

Twilight grinned "Then we better reel him in and wrap it up..." She whispered back and prepared her megaphone for the crowd "Okay, everypony! Who wants to see Rainbow Dash perform her spectacular Buccaneer Blaze?" The crowd cheered in response "Alrighty then! Get ready for a wondrous feat!"

Rainbow Dash took off into the air and grinned 'That's my cue! Let's see if all that training paid off!' She flew into the air to where she was unseen behind the clouds, and a brilliant flash had spread across the sky, sending the crowd into a hypnotic state of awe before they went into a frenzy, applauding Rainbow Dash for her amazing trick. She landed onto the stage with her chest puffed out, grinning proudly as she relished in their cheers 'Oh, if only the Wonderbolts were here to see this!'

From the building he stood on, the Monkey King trembled profusely in anger while the Buccaneer Blaze faded "So, we got ourselves a bunch of show-offs, huh? Those ponies won't be hogging the spotlight for long!" He pulled out a piece of paper and pencil "They just made my list!" He proclaimed irately as he jotted down words at the top of his list:

- "Stupid Ponies"
- "Chans"
- "Humorless geezer"
- "Kong"
- "Anyone more famous than me"

After stashing away his list, the Monkey king prepared his staff and took a leap of faith as he jumped onto the crowd, using their heads as stepping stones until he flipped and landed onto the stage in front of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. He turned to the crowd with a grin "Now wait just a cotton-picking minute, folks! Clearly, you haven't lived until you've seen the Monkey King perform feats of his own!"

He used his staff to summon a giant magician's hat "Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" Out of unexplainable reasons, the Monkey King pulled his royal fur back on his right arm "Nothing up my sleeve..." He reached into the hat and pulled out Fluttershy with a set of bunny ears "Presto!" The ancient prankster directed his free paw to the timid pegasus while he grinned expectantly.

Fluttershy whimpered nervously "Oh...my..." Rainbow Dash and Twilight were genuinely surprised for their part.

The crowd, impressed with the Monkey King's display of magic, cheered him on, and he took it in with pleasure as he took a bow. He then turned to Twilight and Rainbow Dash with a smug grin "Didn't expect that little turn of events in your act, didn't you!?" He asked arrogantly.

Twilight smirked back "Actually we did..." She looked behind the Monkey King "Now, girls!!"

The Monkey King arched an eyebrow, then looked behind him to see a trio of fillies carrying a net while shouting "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MONKEY CATCHERS! YAY!" The ancient prankster then found himself caught in a net, fussing with it as he grunted irritably.

Applebloom grinned "We did it!" She and her friends turned to their flanks to see if they got a cutie mark, but chorused an 'Awwww' to see no mark appear.

The other mares came out of their hiding places and came onto the stage to gather around the Monkey King. Twilight trotted up to him with narrowed eyes while he fussed with his net "Alright, Monkey King! We've tried reasoning with you long enough! You leave us no choice but to force you to change Pinkie back!"

Rainbow Dash stepped up next to Twilight and bashed her forehooves together "That's right, you stupid monkey! It's pounding time!" She snapped as she glared at the captive king.

The Monkey King ceased his fussing to leer back at Rainbow Dash "Hey! Don't make me angry, toots!" He squinted his eyes "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry..." He hissed before his eyes shot open with large green pupils. The ancient prankster curled up before he began to grow in size, ripping out of both his shirt and the net containing him while his fur turned into a sickly green. He then revealed himself to be a large muscular monster, roaring as he beated on his chest "Monkey King angry! Monkey King smash!" He brought down his two large fists onto the stage, demolishing it into a pile of planks. The group was overwhelmed by this happening and hopped off of what was left of the stage.

The ensuing destruction startled the crowd and caused them to scream and run away in fright. The Monkey King stopped and looked around with his seemingly angry eyes until he turned to the wooden tower next to him. He hopped over to it and pulled it out, swinging it as a weapon towards the mares.

Twilight widened her eyes "Everypony run!" They wasted no time in retreating from the Monkey King's wrath, barely avoiding the tower being swung at them.

The Monkey King drew back his substitute weapon as he hyperventilated in anger, then dropped it as he poofed back into his regular form with a frown of mock sadness "Why does everything I swing at leave me?" He asked insincerely before shrugging "Oh well!" He did a spin before he was found in an old-fashioned hunter's outfit, complete with a pith hat. His staff transformed into a boomstick as he pointed and aimed with a devious grin "The hunt is on!"
_____

Twilight and company were back at the library, away from the Monkey King as they caught their breath; Pinkie had no trouble breathing, but chose to act like she was out of breath as well. Rainbow Dash grunted "Great...So now we ticked off the Monkey King and we ran off." She smirked confidently "What say we go back there and show him who's boss?"

"Are you out of your mind!?" Rarity scolded Rainbow Dash "Some of us nearly lost our loved ones back there!" She said as she held Sweetie Belle close.

Lyra frowned "Not to mention he's good at magic! It was hard enough to catch him, but now we have to avoid getting hurt by him!"

Twilight frowned "We'll have to consult with the princess if we're gonna stop this prank-loving monkey!"

"What's all this talk about the princess and a monkey?"

Twilight turned to the stairs to see her assistant Spike waddle down with a quizzical glance "Are you girls planning something?" He noticed Pinkie and examined her appearance with impressed eyes "Wow...Neat Pinkie puppet." Spike complimented curtly.

Fluttershy fidgeted her hooves "Umm...Spike? That is Pinkie..."

Spike frowned "Yeah, that's what I said!"

Pinkie spoke up "Nonono, she means it IS me, Spike! See?" She moved around to prove her point.

Spike stared with widened eyes before turning to Twilight with a raised eyebrow while pointing a claw at Pinkie "Did you do this?" He asked inquisitively.

Twilight shook her head "No way, Spike. This was the work of a magic monkey who shouldn't even deserve to be called a king!"

Spike stared "...A monkey king?"

Pinkie trotted up to Spike "Not A monkey king! THE Monkey King!"

Twilight shook her head at Pinkie's redundant correction "Spike, take a letter to the princess! We have to put a stop to this madness!"

A gunshot was heard, and Applejack's stetson was knocked off of her head. She leaned down to inspect a bullet hole on it, then joined the group in examining the front door having a hole as well. Applejack went pale "Ah think ya might wanna send that letter pretty quickly, Twilight..." She uttered in terror. Everypony in the room screamed and ducked when more bullets pierced through the front door.

When the firing stopped, Twilight hopped up on her hooves "Everypony hide! Quickly!" She hissed as the group separated through the library and found different places to hide.

The door was kicked open by the Monkey King, who gripped his boomstick as he tiptoed into the library and shifted his eyes. He stopped for a moment and shushed at a certain angle "Be vewy vewy quiet..." The Monkey King whispered to no one in particular as he grinned evilly "I'm hunting ponies..." He went further inside the library and searched for his quarry, aiming his boomstick as he went.

He went up the stairs and noticed a lump under the covers on Twilight's bed. The Monkey King giggled quietly as he leered at his target, inching over to it before he tossed the sheets and pointed his boomstick "Gotcha!" He blurted triumphantly until he noticed it was just a set of pillows lined up. The Monkey King drooped with an annoyed frown "I can't believe I fell for that one..." He muttered bitterly. Underneath the bed, Lyra desperately held a hoof over Fluttershy's mouth to keep her from squeaking in fright.

The Monkey King perked up "Of course! It's not what's ON the bed, but what's UNDER it!" Before he went to check under the bed, the sound of writing filled his ears. He stopped, then shifted his eyes down the stairs. His eyes squinted as he held a toothy grin "There you are..." The Monkey King whispered as he quietly went down the stairs.


End of Chapter 5

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6


Get this Monkey off My Back!


In the kitchen, Spike quickly jotted down his own version of a distress call to the princess with fear in his eyes. Twilight stood over him protectively, thought held fear of her own "Hurry, Spike! I don't know how long before he actually finds one of us..." She whispered pleadingly.

Spike finished his letter and took a deep breath as he rolled it up"Done. Now all we gotta do is send it and pray it reaches her in time..." He went to spit fire, but he froze with his mouth open as wide as his eyes.

Twilight blinked "Spike, what's wrong?" Following his gaze, she turned to the kitchen's entrance and gasped when she noticed a grinning monkey holding a boomstick.

"Found you! Any last words before I turn you into swiss cheese?" The Monkey King quipped while aiming his gun carefully at Twilight 

Twilight stared before quickly turning to Spike "Senditsenditsendit!!" After Spike blew a stream of fire on the scroll and sent the message out the window, Twilight instantly brought up a shield over her and Spike the moment some bullets were fired, blocking the projectiles as they ricocheted loudly.

The Monkey King scowled "Hey, no fair! There's no sport in protection!" He scoffed until he smiled "Oh well..." His boomstick transformed into a mallet "Sometimes, you gotta crack a few eggs if you wanna make an omelette!" He grinned menacingly as he ran over and whacked the shield.

Twilight grunted in pain as she held up the shield "Spike! You'll have to run! I can't hold this shield up forever!" She grunted again as her barricade was whacked again.

Spike feared the worst from her sister figure suffering at the mercy of a giant monkey. He mustered the courage to reply to her "I-I can't leave you, Twilight! I won't do it!"

Twilight gritted her teeth as her shield was continuously pounded on "This isn't a request, Spike! You need to be safe! I can't bear to visualize what would happen if-GAH!" After one last hit, Twilight's concentration was broken, and her shield had been shattered like a dropped vase. She moaned and rubbed her head, but then opened her eyes to see the Monkey King tower over her and Spike with his mallet prepared.

The Monkey King held his mallet over his head as he grinned "Time to play Whack-a-Pony..." Before he could bring down his weapon, he as knocked forward, prompting Twilight and Spike to move out of the way as his head went through a cabinet door.

Twilight and Spike noticed their savior hovering steaming her nostrils after laying a good hit on the Monkey King "Nopony messes with my friends!" Rainbow Dash snapped as she landed by her friends "Are you two alright?" She asked while the Monkey King tried pulling himself out.

Spike heaved a sigh of relief "We were this close to being smashed into pancakes! Thanks for your help, Rainbow!" He smiled brightly at the cyan pegasus.

Rainbow Dash smiled back "No way am I gonna leave my friends in danger!" She turned to Twilight "Everypony ran outside while the Monkey King wasn't looking! I made sure to come back for you!"

Twilight nodded "At least everypony's safe. Spike managed to send the letter! Now let's hurry out of here!" Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash ran out of the library.

The Monkey King growled when he pulled himself out "I think a certain Rainbow's gonna turn black, blue, and red all over when I'm through with her!" He picked up his staff and ran out of the library in pursuit of the mares, laughing as he went outside.
_____

Princess Celestia was busy enjoying a slice of fine marble cake in the royal kitchen. Nothing was more decadent than the succulent texture of a good cake baked by the finest chefs in Equestria. She wondered if she should consult to order more food from Sugarcube Corner given Pinkie's expertise in baking.

Both her thoughts and meal were cut short when a message was sent to her 'Huh? This is unexpected. I wonder who sent a friendship letter...' Her expectations were shot when she unraveled the scroll and read its contents; It was not a letter on what was learned about friendship, but actually a hastily-written distress call.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Please come and help us! Some weird and magical monkey turned Pinkie Pie into a puppet and is trying to kill us all! Please hurry before we're all done for!

Spike

P.S: Pinkie is a PUPPET!!

Well, there went her idea to request Pinkie to make delicious cakes. The mere thought of a magical monkey sounded ludicrous to her standards, but she still had to bear with a former spirit of chaos and disharmony being reformed after being such a villain. Perhaps she could try and convince this monkey into ignoring his murderous intentions and turn over a new leaf; it worked before, didn't it? She set her decadent slice of cake on the counter and activated her horn to teleport to Ponyville.
_____

Twilight and company gathered in front of Sugarcube Corner "Okay, everypony. The princess should be here soon, so we should try and stall for time if the Monkey King will be hot on our trail!"

Pinkie turned to Twilight "But the Monkey King isn't even hot! In fact, I'm not sure he's even cold." She answered obliviously, earning a facehoof from the others.

Lyra sighed "Leave it to Pinkie to lighten the mood..." She stated with half sincerity as she looked around "We should be more careful, though. The Monkey King could be anywhere!"

Rarity looked down "I just want Princess Celestia to come to Ponyville and resolve this whole issue so the day can be over!"

Applebloom frowned "But what if she don't make it in time? That monkey's so scary!"

Applejack looked down at her sister "Now that's just stinkin' thinkin', Applebloom! We'll be fine so long as we stay outta that varmint's sight!"

"Peek-a-boo!"

The group of mares darted their heads up at the front roof of Sugarcube Corner to see the Monkey King with a large mallet "I see you!!" He held his mallet and prepared to jump.

Twilight jumped at the sight of the Monkey King "Run!" She barked as the group sped off, the Monkey King striking the ground with his mallet. He leaped into a chase after the group of mares.

Rainbow Dash was flying off, then stopped to hover "Wait! Why am I running away?" She asked herself as she looked back at the Monkey King approaching with his hammer. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and assumed a midair karate stance "Alright, monkey boy! Bring it on!"

Twilight noticed her friend stopping and skidded to a halt "Rainbow Dash, no!" The other stopped as well and looked back at the cyan pegasus about to fight.

The Monkey King's grin widened "Gladly!" He called out as he leaped into the air with a primal screech. Both of them collided, with hoof meeting stick, and they engaged in combat; Rainbow Dash tapped into her extensive knowledge as a black belt while the Monkey King easily fought back with his staff in its regular form. Rainbow Dash sent her opponent back on the ground with a straight jab to the face, the Monkey King recovering in a flip as he landed on his feet "That's for leading me into a wall, you jerk!"

The Monkey King rubbed his cheek "A mare of payback, huh?" He looked around and noticed he was near a garden with a small metal wire fence. The ancient pranskter grinned and aimed his stick, shooting a magic beam at the fence; It then rose up from the ground and shot up to tightly constrict Rainbow Dash, bringing her down from the air.

While she struggled, the Monkey King's stick transformed into an axe as he advanced towards her "This is for stealing my audience!!" He snapped as he raised the axe over his head and went to bring it down. What managed to stop him was the sound of a quietly raging scream that rose in volume "That voice..." He uttered before his axe changed back into a stick. The Monkey King quickly turned around to deflect a pink blur headed towards him. He flung it away to reveal a certain pink puppet that was out for blood.

...Okay, maybe not blood, but she wasn't happy.

Pinkie stared down the Monkey King "Don't hurt my friend, you meanie!" She barked indignantly.

The Monkey King chuckled "Oh, come off it, girlie! I was just gonna axe her a question!"

Rainbow Dash stopped fussing with her iron bindings to stare blankly at the Monkey King. The rest of the group did the same before Spike finally called out "Boo!"

The Monkey King jerked his head towards the purple dragon "Quiet, you!" He hissed as he turned back to Pinkie "Besides, this isn't your fight!"

If Pinkie could steam from her nostrils, she would "It is now..." She growled as she pawed at the ground. The Monkey King saw this and spun his stick until he gripped it with both paws, taking a stance.

They slowly circled each other while staring each other down as both tension and silence filled the air. The Monkey King finally broke the silence "You are not able to defeat me with your current physical condition!" He spoke in an abrupt mock-foreign accent; His lips moved entirely different from the words that came out of his mouth.

Pinkie scoffed "You underestimate my capability, Monkey King, for I have rose above many a challenge!" She quipped back in the same form of talking, lip movement and all. They squinted their eyes at each other, and then rushed in to close the distance between them and begin their fight.

Suddenly, a bright light expanded from nothingness in between them as they skidded to a halt, drawing both fighters into confusion. There was a bright flash before Princess Celestia appeared between Pinkie and the Monkey King. The ancient prankster looked miffed "Oh, come on! We were gonna start a battle of epic-" He changed his tune "and possibly comical-" He added quickly before going back to his cross tone "proportions!"

Twilight beamed "Princess Celestia! You made it!"

Princess Celestia smiled back at her student "It's good to see you all..." turned her head to gaze upon Pinkie Pie in her puppet state, looking surprised at first glance "I haven't seen something like this in ages!" He turned to face the Monkey King "So you're the one responsible for this?" She asked curiously.

The Monkey King giggled "Well, I wouldn't say I was responsible!" He pointed a finger "That one over there managed to save me from Marionette limbo by pulling my leg!" He paused before he looked away and waved "Literally speaking..."

Celestia nodded "I see...And I take it you do not wish to go back there, correct?"

Monkey King zipped up to Celestia and slapped a graduate hat on her head over her tiara and grinned as he slung an arm over her neck "Correct! She can be taught!" He called out comically to the group. He smacked the hat off of her head and pressed a finger to Celestia's chest with a smirk "So judging by the flashy regalia, you must be the head honcho of this place! Princess...Celery?" He asked.

"Celestia." The solar princess corrected politely "And you must be the evil monkey mentioned in my letter from Spike, if I'm not mistaken." She stated with a thin smile.

"Evil!?" The Monkey King asked in a baffled tone as he inched away from Celestia and pointed a thumb on his chest "Dunno where evil came from, lady, but I happen to be the Maharaja of Monkeyshines! The Monkey King, if you will!" He pointed at Celestia "You got something against comedy?"

Celestia shook her head "Not at all." She replied warmly "In fact, you remind me of somepony who acts just like you."

The Monkey King crossed his arms "Oh? Is he some kind of plagiarist trying to steal my act?" He asked with a small amount of ire. Competitive show-offs was one thing, but he could never tolerate someone stealing his material.

Celestia chuckled at the ancient prankster's tone "Not at all, in fact he's quite different in both appearance and mind." She took a deep breath and held a serious look "I wish to negotiate with you on the events of your behavior and your actions."

The Monkey King tilted his head "Negotiate? What are the terms?" He ask as he placed a free paw on his hip while the other held his staff.

Celestia closed her eyes "From what I've gathered, you must have been put in your wooden prison for a reason. Have your mischievous misadventures gone out of control at some point?"

The ancient prankster screeched and clenched a fist  "There's nothing wrong with a good prank now and then! Are you saying I have a problem?"

Celestia shook her head "No, I do not." She opened her eyes with a frown "But you must have caused a lot of wrongdoing in your time under the excuse of comical reasons to have been locked away as a puppet. Do you not care for the well-being of others?"

The Monkey King scoffed "Of course I do! I also make sure they get a good look at my handiwork, too!" He grinned smugly.

Rainbow Dash glared at the Monkey King "You liar! All you did was cause so much problems in Ponyville, and now you're trying to kill us all!"

The Monkey King waved a paw at Rainbow Dash "Meh, ignore her for a moment. So, while we all love to talk and junk, I'm on a tight schedule! Mind cutting to the chase?" He asked with an arched eyebrow

Celestia nodded "Very well. Monkey King, you're clearly one to express your love for freedom, mischief, and comedy, and your endless supply of magic helps see to that goal. But I urge you hear out my proposal so that I can ensure that your freedom stays intact."

The Monkey King stared before he pulled up a chair out of nowhere and sat down, placing his fingertips together as he stared intently "I'm listening..." He spoke in an intrigued tone.

Celestia smiled "I'm willing to let you enjoy your freedom entirely, so long as you try and use your powers for the greater good."

Rainbow Dash held an incredulous expression "Princess, are you serious!? I don't think the same trick will work twice, especially with this guy!"

Twilight studied how confident Celestia looked and turned to her bound friend "I think she's onto something, Rainbow Dash. Let's watch..." She said as she stared at her mentor and the Monkey King intently.

Celestia continued "If you're willing to ignore the vendetta you have with my little ponies, I'll even grant you a room back at my castle so you can actually feel like a respected king."

The Monkey King stared with awestruck eyes at the thought of his own throne, and stroked his beard with a thoughtful glance "A chance to actually show my status as a king...I like it..." He said in an interested tone.

Lyra frowned "But princess! What about Pinkie? She's still a puppet!"

Celestia held a hoof "I can take care of that easily. All I'm waiting for now is a direct answer from the Monkey King." She stared at the ancient prankster mulling over the proposal "So, what do you say to my offer, Monkey King? Are you willing to reform yourself so you can live a better life?" She asked sincerely with a smile.

The Monkey King stood up from his chair with a blank face as everypony around him waited for an answer "You know...Looking back on it, maybe I haven't had a good audience to marvel at what I do to bring a good amount of laughs. A tickle or two, maybe even a pie to the face, but it isn't enough!" He looked down as he stroked his beard "Perhaps I've been milking the same old thing over and over. I mean, I still have a vendetta with a bunch of people, but I don't even know if they're alive! Which reminds me..." He paused before pulling out a scroll and unraveling it to reveal a picture of two bipedal figures.

One of them was a tall male figure with a blue shirt, beige pants, and brown loafers with black hair. Next to him was a small female child with an orange coat and blue pants; She had black hair as well. The Monkey King pointed a finger to the picture "Know where I can find these two?" He asked politely.

Celestia studied the picture before shaking her head "I'm sorry. For as long as I've lived, I haven't seen a trace of the figures on your picture. I do not think they even exist in Equestria." She said as she bowed her head with a frown.

The Monkey King's eyes shot wide as his jaw dropped to the ground along with his pictures "Y-...You mean...They're..." His pupils trembled as he leaked tears "Gone?" He squeaked feebly as his lip quivered.

Celestia nodded "I'm afraid so, Monkey King...I'm sorry for your loss."

The Monkey King drooped down "Great, now I can't even enjoy a proper revenge to go with my freedom!" He dropped to his knees and brought his fists to the sky "What do I have to live for now!?" He shouted to the heavens.

Celestia smiled hopefully "You shouldn't feel sad. I'd say you have a bright future ahead of you if you're willing to oblige to my offer."

Fluttershy stared at the Monkey King with pity upon seeing him a broken mess "That poor monkey...I think we should give him a second chance..."

Rarity and Applejack turned to Fluttershy with disapproving frowns on their faces "Really?" They spoke simultaneously.

Fluttershy recoiled from their question "W-Well, maybe he's just misunderstood!"

Lyra examined the Monkey King "You know, I'm kind of with Fluttershy on this."

Twilight gave Lyra a deadpan stare "It's because of your love for humans, isn't it?"

Lyra looked away "Maybe..." She muttered as she pawed at the ground innocently.

Celestia stared at the Monkey King as he rose up and brushed himself off "Well? Will you consider my words?"

The Monkey King hummed and looked down in thought "You know, now that the Chans are gone and I'm all alone in a world full of technicolor ponies, maybe it's time for a change after all...Maybe...Maybe I should try and start a new reign as the unrivaled master of mischief and king of all that is monkey...." He scratched his head "Maybe I should accept that some of my pranks have been dry running gags for the longest time..." He stared at his staff "Maybe..." The Monkey King took his staff with both paws.

"Naaaaah~!!"

He directed his staff and shot a magic beam towards the princess, startling everypony, especially Twilight "Princess Celestia!!" She called out in shock.

Celestia only closed her eyes and took a deep breath "Oh well. I tried..." She activated her horn, and her eyes shot open with glowing white light. A golden shield appeared and blocked the magic beam, neutralizing it completely. She then grabbed the Monkey King in a golden aura as he tried to struggle "It saddens me that you had to choose this path, Monkey King. You've wasted a lot of potential as becoming another one of Equestria's greatest icons. You leave me with no choice but to send you back where you belong..."

Her horn shined brightly and fired a magic beam at the Monkey King, and a golden whirlwind surrounded him as he felt himself becoming a puppet again "Nooooooooo!! I was just kidding! Can't you take a joke!?"

Celestia simply replied with "Not today..."

The Monkey King screeched "I'll say it once and I'll say it again: Everyone's a critic~!!!" His voice faded until he was finally reduced to his former puppet form, dropped to the ground as he laid in a ragdoll position.

Pinkie stared until a pink mist appeared around her and swirled into a rapid whirlwind. It then subsided to reveal the party pony back in her original form. After examining herself and gasping in surprise, Pinkie hopped up and down joyfully "Hooray! I'm me again! Princess Celestia saved the day!" She grinned brightly. Pinkie then zoomed up to the solar princess and hugged her "Thank you so much for your help, princess!"

Celestia returned the embrace "Anything to help my subjects!" She replied brightly. She looked down at the puppet in front of her and frowned "We'll have to deal with this one properly."

"Umm...Princess?"

Celestia turned to Fluttershy as she approached her "I was wondering, after seeing the Monkey King like that...Maybe he's just not ready to be good yet."

Lyra turned to Fluttershy "You don't mean..."

Fluttershy nodded "That's right. I still think he deserves another chance. Now just wasn't the time is all. Maybe we can wait until we feel he can change his ways sometime in the future." She looked away "I-If you don't mind that is..."

Celestia stared at Fluttershy before she chuckled "I'd expect no less of a request from the Element of Kindness. Your empathy is to be commended, Fluttershy. I'm willing to leave this puppet in your care until you feel it's necessary to revive and reform him."

Lyra raised a hoof "I can take him in myself, your majesty." She looked down "It's partially my fault he even came around."

Pinkie turned to Lyra "Ponyfeathers!" She sped towards Lyra and hugged her as she smiled "This wasn't your fault, and you know it! I'm the one who bought the puppet and pulled his leg, silly!" Pinkie stared at her friend "What makes this cool is that if we actually DO reform the Monkey King, he'll tell you all about humans, just like you want him to!"

Lyra stared back at Pinkie before she smiled back "Pinkie...You're a real friend, you know that?"

"Hello??"

Lyra and Pinkie turned to Rainbow Dash, who was still tied up "A little help here, please?" The two mares giggled and went to help the cyan pegasus.

Applejack sighed "Ah'm surprised we're even gonna give this ape another chance after all that he's done..."

Rarity shook her head "You and me both, darling..."

Celestia smiled "Well, then I leave it up to you, my little ponies. Hopefully, when the time is right, you'll guide the Monkey King on the right path."

Before Twilight could say anything, a bright flash appeared over the group. They looked up to see a certain draconequus wearing a Haywaian shirt and sunglasses laying back in the air, sipping from a straw in a coconut shell. He stopped sipping to raise his shades and look down at the ponies below him with a smile "Hello there, everypony! Did I miss anything?" He asked with genuine curiousity.

Fluttershy stared up for a moment before she smiled "Discord~..." She and Discord shared a laugh, to which everypony else joined in shortly after. Even if today turned out to be a hectic one of comical proportions, there was nothing like a good laugh between friends.

And to think, the one who brought their laughter was now a puppet once more, waiting for the next chance to come out and have some more fun.


The End