//-------------------------------------------------------// Quest -by The Meme Stealer- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// -The Chubby Starfish- //-------------------------------------------------------// -The Chubby Starfish- ----==Quest==---- Critiqued By Flint Sparks (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Flint+Sparks) Skeeter The Lurker (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Skeeter%20The%20Lurker) Cobalt The Alicorn (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Cobalt+the+Alicorn) Proofread And Edited By RainbowBob (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/RainbowBob) MasterFrasca99 (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/MasterFrasca99) Flint Sparks (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Flint+Sparks) AlicornPriest (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/AlicornPriest) Author: CloneBurner *** -Recommended To Read In 'Medium Dark'- -------------Chapter I: The Chubby Starfish-------------- “Stupid music rental clerk made me late! That trilobite wouldn't know an oboe from an elbow!... hehehe, elbow, hehehe… more band humor…” Squidward pulled up to the old factory ahead of him, excited to meet the fish inside willing to practice for the bubble bowl coming. The many rows of seats were filled with fish creatures of all types and grade, most babbling and wasting time for Squidward, but he at least had the confidence to bring them together. He walked down the aisle to the wooden podium. “People, people. Settle down!” All of the participants fell quiet and readied their instruments. “OK, now! How many of you have played musical instruments before?” “Do instruments of torture count?” Plankton asked. “No…” “Is mayonnaise an instrument?” “No Patrick, mayonnaise is not an instrument…” Patrick raised his hand again. “Horseradish is not an instrument either…” As much as Spongebob wanted to grab his dependable wooden fishing net, frolic happily through Jellyfish fields, and swing the net around to catch the growing population of Jellyfish, but he could only stare worriedly at Patrick's rock as occasional sparks and clouds of smoke bellowed from underneath its solid stature. It was Sunday, and he had hours to relax from the Krusty Krab restaurant’s endless crowd of hungry customers (even if he desperately didn't want to), but the disturbance from the massive rock kept him fixed to the floor. He silently tapped away at the windowsill. "I wonder what's going on with Patrick..." he pondered. Most of the week, the smoke was low and unnoticeable, but later on it started to fog up the rest of the small neighborhood, surrounding his home and Squidward’s alike. A few times the blue squid would burst out of his home and yell at the rock in pure anger, but there was never a response from Patrick. “Better go check on him soon…” Spongebob promised. "Meow." The silent hum of Spongebob's pet Gary reared his attention. He squatted down to Gary's level. "Awww, how's my little Gare-Bear?" Spongebob cooed. Cupped around Gary's mouth was his food bowl; he dropped it at Spongebobs feet. "Oh! Does my little snail want to play fetch instead? Or how 'bout some leapfrog?" Spongebob shook out a small orange plastic ball from behind his back, eager to play with his little snail. But Garry's expression disclosed a blank stare, his eyes in cold slits, wearing a dark 'no'. Spongebob’s expression dropped quickly and he picked up the bowel and walked towards the kitchen. Garry followed. "You know, you're not so easy to make fun of." "Meow," Gary agreed with a sly smirk. While walking into the kitchen, Spongebob could hear a tough, vexatious drilling noise derive from Patrick's rock: A new sound; a new mystery to chime at his brain. Trying to bat it away, he began to pour in Gary's kibble. "Hey Gare?" The snail looked up at Spongebob with a questioned look. "Do you have any idea on what Patrick's doing over at his rock?" Despite the snails sluggish anatomy, he shrugged. "Yeah, me neither..." While pouring Gary's kibble into his food bowl, Spongebob took another glance at the rock from the kitchen window with a sad grimace. Spongebob couldn't let the noise and strange sounds continue, he was too worried for his best friend. He lowered the food bowl to the floor and walked towards the door. "Be right back Gare! Gotta go check on Patrick, just go and eat without me!" With a new sponge-happy smile, Spongebob walked out his large iron door into the fresh clear sea. Gary eagerly took the time to grab his large ten gallon hat out of the closet and began to watch another episode of 'Redneck Snail Rodeo'. His eyes bulged with interest. As predictability would allow it, Squidward was already at the front of Patrick's rock, batting away at it in pure anger, his hot nerves bulging from his clear shiny head. "Oh, hello Squidward!" Squidward immediately turned around and frowned powerfully at Spongebob. Despite the harsh stare, Spongebob kept his friendly neighbor smile. "Spongebob, that IDIOT friend of yours has been blustering smoke and fumes for weeks now! And I can't stand another minute of them! I wake up every morning with my home filled with the stuff!" he explained, waving his tentacles around for emphasis. "I'm sorry for that Squidward. I just wanted to come over and check on Patrick myself! Has he said anything to you since then?" "No! He's been completely ignoring me!" Squidward stopped talking for a few moments to try and evaluate how ironic that sounded. "Let me see if I can talk to him..." "Good luck!" Squidward said sourly. Spongebob eagerly went to the rock and knocked on it three times. A small silence surrounded the area, the smoke starting to dissipate. "Um...hey Patrick?...You okay in there?" The whole of the rock’s side flipped open and the chubby pink starfish puffed out. He wore a sleek pair of black goggles and drips of mayo and oil scattered the whole of his shorts. "Spongebob! I've been waiting for you, buddy!" Patrick grabbed at Spongebobs left arm and pulled him inside. The rock fell back down to the sea floor with a massive thud. Squidwards jaw hit the ground in awe, now opened large enough for jellyfish to fly into it. Which it did. Squidward yelped in agony. Spongebob had been inside Patrick's home many times before, and he wasn't so surprised by how it looked in the past. Now his eyes bulged into flying saucers in amazement. The whole underground household gave the resemblance of Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy’s lair, with stone stalactites dripping occasional water. The cave extended farther underground, and the walls extended further outwards. Ironically there wasn't a speck of sand anywhere. Spongebob followed Patrick deeper into the large cave, and was more than surprised, to see what was before him-and also a bit creeped out. Maps, diagrams, charts, photos, math sheets, flasks, test tubes and opened jars of mayonnaise scattered lined wooden tables in a messy heap. Patrick walked over to a particular table and applied the goggles over his eyes and began to experiment with more mayo jars. Spongebob was hopelessly speechless. After minutes of gawking over the massive cave, Patrick noticed Spongebob’s surprise, he took off his goggles. "I suppose you have some questions to ask about the mess here?" Patrick asked. Spongebob turned his gaze at his friend and stared into his eyes. Mysteriously enough, Spongebob could see a new glow in his eyes of knowledge and curiosity, and seemed to have a brand new sense of the world. Spongebob nodded in realization that Patrick had become smarter. "Well, It's sorta a long story really... remember when I asked Squidward at band practice four months ago if Mayonnaise was an instrument?" "Uh... yeah... but didn't he return the answer by saying 'no'?" "He did, yes, but even after that my mind started to race with questions that needed to be answered, and that I knew wouldn't cease until I actually tried to solve them myself. So I did weeks of studying and researching to know the truth, mostly invilved in rolling in a few jumbo jars of mayo and butter. But I couldn't find anything else to find! And now... I'm a bit stricken with grief, but I won't give up!" Patrick shook his fist in emphasis and continued to work on more mayo jars, combining them with other special chemicals. "... So, that's why you haven't left your rock in weeks? You just needed to know if mayo was an instrument?" Spongebob started to notice a foul smell lingering in the cave. "Mmmhmm, I even believe that the answer might unlock the secrets of the universe!" Right then and there, Spongebob swung his hand to his face and gave a smacking facepalm. "Patrick, the answer to that question-like Squidward said-is NO. You don't have to search the whole ocean just to find out if a condiment is a playable instrument! That's just common sense!" "But I did search the whole ocean for it Spongebob! I went to every single library and institution I could find! And the only thing I discovered was this!" Patrick grabbed hold of a book near him and swung it to Spongebob. He caught it, but fell to the floor from it's massive size and weight. "If I’m correct, go to page 57!” Spongebob managed to stand on his two feet and flipped through the pages to page 57, the picture on the page resembled an open jar of mayo, with a quote at the bottom of the page. Curious, Spongebob read it aloud. "It is determined that the best condiment known to all of the universe, mayo, is the one powerful instrument used to command all of the universe, or perhaps the multiverse, to it's fundamentals, and that the only question that we may find is if it is actually playable, or even can be used as an instrument, only those of high-knowledge could tell the answer... Patrick this is ridiculous… and is this a gag book?”" "No it's not! I did the research, but I just need more! And that's why you're coming with me!" "Coming?... coming where?" "Why, to our neighbor universe of course!" Although Spongebob was against what Patrick believed in, but he could only be curious as he was lead into the small room further back into the cave. The dark corridor scared him and forced him to shiver, but the blue light at the end of the tunnel guided him further. The room was completely dark, almost surrounded and enclosed, except from the mesmerizing blue swirl resting in the back of the room. Patrick flicked a switch and large light bulbs switched on, and Spongebob was surprised yet again by what he saw--A portal. A circular portal in the wall, with a light brightening center most part of the machine. "Meet the MTM! The Multiverse Transportation Machine!" The machine seemed to brighten by Patrick's introduction. "B-But how did you make such a portal?!" "Hmm... well I mostly added in a mayo with cheese and cream. A few extra specs of squirrel fur, and some random object I found in Plankton's restaurant. And I must say it turned out just fine! So, how about another adventure?" Patrick nudged Spongebob’s elbow with his own. Spongebob was still staring longingly at the portal, and then back at Patrick, evaluating the answer in his head. "W-well, I did enjoy the other adventures we had together... and this one--" "Is just gonna get more interesting, I even packed suits with both of our clothes in bags, we're all set!" "Well... I-" Spongebob stared back at Patrick and happened to gaze into the biggest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen on a starfish. "Oh, fine! I'll come with you! But don't expect me to just waltz on with you without telling Mister Krabs first, I won't try to break my reputation!" "Great! This is gonna be one wumbo of a quest!" Spongebob fiddled with his Krusty Krab hat as he approached Mister Krab’s home. Of course, most of the time Mister Krabs didn't want to be bothered by any means, especially at home during a late Sunday evening, but Spongebob didn't want to leave his favorite workplace without his bosses’ honest opinion. The Krusty Krab needed a fine patty flipper each day, and abandoning the post was something he never felt comfortable with, but the adventurous opportunity in front of him was something he never wanted to pass up. With Patrick to lead him, he believed it might indeed be a wacky quest. He knocked on the door. After a few patient minutes, it opened, and the greedy crab stared down at Spongebob. "Well, good evening Spongebob! Why ya' here so late? Work isn't ‘till tomorrow..." Spongebob fiddled with his hat again in worry, and turned his gaze to the gravel beneath him. "Well... um... Patrick wanted me to come with him on this little...Adventure type... quest-thing, and, well... it happened a bit sudden, so... uh... I just need your permission... to... go...?" “A quest?” He questioned as he swam the word in his head. “Y-yeah… and well, I might be away from work for a while… Mr. Krabs rubbed his chin for a moment and thought about the dilemma he saw. The funds given to the Krusty Krab would be short compared to the day average. “Boy, how much money you got on ya’?” Luckily Spongebob thought ahead of the situation and pulled out a large amount of cash that even Mr. Krabs would bathe in for a few hours. He swiftly flipped through each bill. “Hmm… Still a bit shor--” Spongebob shoved an extra hundred in his face. As Spongebob walked back down the blackness-consumed corridor and into the next room, he couldn't but notice Patrick dressing himself in a very familiar set of clothing. "Hey, aren't those the spacesuits we wore when we thought we went to the moon?" "Yep, they are!" Patrick responded as he adjusted the fishbowl around his head. "Ah, memories..." Patrick sighed. "You mean the ones when we blindly trapped all of the Bikini-Bottom citizens in fishing nets, thinking they were aliens?" "Exactly!" Patrick tossed a similar suit to him, only in his square size. With the new bag embedded into it, and thicker bowl, the suit was uncomfortably heavy. "So, what kind of universe are we going to?" "Could be any of them, by some theory, there could be multiple! All we just gotta do is jump in and find out!" Spongebob adjusted his fishbowl helmet. The clock on the wall clicked to 9:27 in the evening. "Come on, Spongebob! Time for adventure!" Spongebob followed Patrick to the front of the portal. Patrick--determined as he was--cricked his neck. "Ready, buddy?" he said, as he grabbed Spongebob's arm. Looking into the portal, a massive wave of fear hit Spongebob at full force. Realization dawned on him, and question sped into his mind of survival and what he might meet on the other side. "N-now wait a minute, Patrick, are you sure we need to go into another universe so soon? H-how about another Sunday?" "Can't wait, Spongebob! Knowledge and discovery are calling out to us!" "Actually, now that I think about it, I need to go ask Squidward to take care of Gary for me-" "Taken care of. Filled your entire home with kibble...mostly... since I ate some for dinner..." "Can't we just ask the magic conch first-" "NOPE! GERONIMO!" AAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!! Patrick and Spongebob were flung into the portal, and the light danced in glee as the two friends were sent to discovery and adventure, off to a land unforeseen. "Gotta go faster, gotta go faster!" Rainbow Dash screamed as the wind pulsed past her. Light streamed and slowed due to Rainbow Dash's sheer speed and strong wing-power. She had made many consecutive rainbows the past minute, counting at least four color-filled circles across the Equestrian blue cloudless sky, but her goal seemed to go beyond that. Her theory, however, is to create an explosion of Rainbow that would layer the world in color, almost like a shield, but the laws of physics saw otherwise. Fluttershy kept track of her speed below her with a pocket watch around her hoof, checking the time and her current performance, which she was still spell-bound by with her large blue eyes. After another four more rainbooms, Rainbow Dash descended quickly next to Fluttershy. "So...How did I do?" She heaved, sweat dripping down her face. "You did pretty well, Rainbow Dash! But, unfortunately you didn't create your... 'Super hyper-mega-ultra-SonicBomb Rainboom'. Just a lot of Rainbooms." Rainbow Dash stomped the ground in frustration. "Darn! If only I had gone faster!" "I'm not sure if you even could go faster. You seemed to be hitting your top speed when you were flying. I even think I saw you slow down a bit near the end..." "Gah!" Rainbow Dash fell back in shame and lay on the grass for a few moments. She finally sighed and shut her eyes. "I'm really sorry for pulling you out here, Fluttershy. I don't want to waste your time any longer with me, you can go home now..." "Oh no, you didn't waste my time, Rainbow! In fact this was rather exciting, I don't think I've ever even seen you do so many Rainbooms in one moment!" "Yeah, well, you're gonna see a lot more in the future..." "You know, why don't you come over my house? The critters and I are having a tea party! The herbs I prepared should help with the stress." "No thanks, Flutters, I just need to clear my head and take a trot." "Oh...Okay... well, hope you recover!"  Fluttershy flew to the direction of her cottage, and Rainbow Dash trotted to the sidewalk near Ponyville. Most of her excuse for trotting was from the pain that throbbed in her wings. As she walked she gently stroked her strained feathers. Although she felt disappointed by her performance, she still felt some satisfaction by doing her absolute best. But I could have done better... Flashbacks of her past crashes and mishaps flicked in her head, making her cringe in discomfort. She sighed as the bones in her wings sharpened in pain. "This day couldn't get any wor--" And then Rainbow Dash exploded. Spongebob could feel his spongy skin stretching through the dark blue vortex. A chorus of white noise filled his ears (or holes or whatever) and vibrated his body in unison as he was pushed at breakneck speed. The sensation filled him with fear. He wanted to scream but something told him to keep his mouth shut. He managed to turn to gaze around the dark tunnel, and luckily saw Patrick with his fist above his head as If he were a flying superhero. A look of pure determination and excitement was plastered on his pin-headed face. Spongebob called out to him, but his cry was only drowned out by the noise of the tunnel. Fortunately for Patrick, Spongebob was in his field of vision, and once he saw his friend, a smirk rose around his cheeks. Patrick leaned to the side and swiftly floated to Spongebob. He grabbed hold of his back and kept looking ahead. “P-Patrick, what is this place?!” Patrick's grin slid wider. “The space vortex, Spongebob! Just as I predicted, an area in the cracks of the universe that can transport a worthy individual to their desired destination across the multiverse! And we're flying through it! You think they sell mayo on the other side?” Spongebob gaped once more around the whirlwind. As time sped, he began to see frost, building up around his helmet and small crack in the corner of the glass. Fear gripped at him again. A spectrum of light and color pulsed at the end of the vortex, calling the friends to the new universe. “Ready buddy?” “NO!” Patrick leaned in and sped faster to the exit; Spongebob was the first to scream. //-------------------------------------------------------// -Traveler- //-------------------------------------------------------// -Traveler- -Traveler- I can hear it... I can hear it! The universe! It is crying! A plea! A cry for help? But what can it mean? Maybe an event is coming? An event that will shake the mother of creation to it's foundations? A cruel fate? A hero? And maybe allies to aid? Enemies to test it's strength, and tear the whole of reality and meaning? Maybe... Maybe it is the arrival, the arrival of the traveler from our brother! Yes! I see it too! The one colored pink and yellow! The fools who seek answers! Like all the others? Yes! Creatures who climb high for a cure to their curiosity! Who crave for adventure and friends... will they survive their fates? Pinhead and Dirty Dan? Probably not. Rapid questions swirled in Rainbow Dashes mind as to what the hay happened to her in the instant she stared at the spiral of blue in front of her. The explosion propelled her into the hard dirt, and after a minute of pain, she was completely bewildered. Magic? Or maybe Discord's work? The blue mist circled around itself, creating a large ball of light. The intensity brightened and she had to shield her eyes from the painful beams. An implosion sequenced afterwards, taking in a large chunk of land with it. It was replaced by two forms, blobs, one pink, and the other a squarish yellow that fell to the ground with a light thump. "Man! What a rush!" said Patrick. "W-wha? Who said that?" Although hurt and confused, the rainbow pegasus scrambled up and looked into the small crater a few feet from her hooves. She stared at two figures getting on their feet, each wearing a white jumpsuit and glass domes over their head, with water filling the entire circumference. One of the creatures looked at Rainbow Dash in surprised and smiled. "Hello!" It said. Rainbow Dash screamed and sped towards Twilights library. Patrick saw the alien above him fly away in a haze of cyan blue. His eyes were wide, but his expression said otherwise. "Oh my gosh! My first life form! I must write this down! Spongebob! Mind getting the giant paper out of my bag?" Spongebob tried to get on his two feet, but the shock from the travel to the current universe shook his mind to the stem. He felt nauseated and sick. "You're already tired Spongebob? Come on! We still got a full planet to explore! Onwards!" Spongebob fell on his face. Rainbow Dash could feel the sound barrier breaking behind her as she flew head first through Twilight's bedroom window. Or maybe it was the sound of one of her bones breaking? She wasn't sure. Although she expected to crash into Twilight, she instead sped into the wooden floor. Twilight, who was comfortably reading on her bed, jumped in surprise as glass shards flew everywhere , fortunately not hitting her, and her Pegasus friend sticking out of the floor like an arrow. After a few seconds of realization, followed a bit of disappointment. "Rainbow Dash? Really? Again?! This the fourth time this month that you broke my window! And now my floor?! Repairs to this library aren't cheap!" Rainbow Dash popped her head out the wooden floor with little effort, and looked at Twilight dead in her eyes. "Rainbow? Are you oka-" She was silenced by a blur of blue, and her friend an inch from her nose. "T-twilight! Aliens are attacking Ponyville! I just saw them! They were standing on two feet, and had white suits with glass helmets filled with water! They flashed here from an explosion and... and... you're just gotta come and see! Maybe we can warn Canterlot before they multiply!" Rainbow Dash tugged at Twilight's hoof and strained her out the door, but Twilight stood her ground and instead looked at her with a uncaring expression. "That's probably just Flim and Flam coming back to cause more trouble to Ponyville. Or Discord screwing around with reality! OR maybe you just had another cup of apple cider after- maybe- six or seven?" "OK, for one thing, that is a stereotype! And two- I'm serious! We should get the royal guard! Or the Princess or something!" "Rainbow, I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, Ponyville is a village filled with purity, peace, and-" "Hello, surface dwellers! We hail from the ocean!" Twilight hooked her attention outside and saw a crowd of ponies circled around a crater with two odd creatures standing in the middle, described as what Rainbow Dash explained. "Spike must have drugged me..." She muttered. This has got to be the work of Discord! Twilight thought as she pushed herself past the growing crowd. Rainbow Dash-still in her shock-decided to stay back at the tree house, watching her investigate. And yet she was the pony who discovered all this? Twilight managed to pass by to the front. Onlookers stayed quite a space between these creatures, and already ponies where getting more than scared. Even Twilight didn't believe it. A bipedal stumpy creature clothed in a white jumpsuit, with a companion mostly resembling A walking squiggly rectangle. Yep. Discord. Although Twilight felt it was needed just to blab, and force Discord from wherever he was videotaping this, she-for her own pleasure-decided to humor the chaotic god, and also to know more about what he conjured up. "What are you?" Twilight asked. The taller one-who now to Twilights philosophy looks more like a poorly drawn star-drew his attention to her and away from the awestruck crowd. Through the glass, she could see a smile grow on his (or its) face. "Hello!," he cheered, "It is a pleasure to meet your...um... Spongebob whats the smart word for 'friend' again?" "Acquaintance?" "What he said! My name is Patrick, and he is Spongebob. We hail from Bikini-Bottom from underneath the ocean from a distant universe!" Patrick emphasized his last few words by waving his hands around. Twilight grimaced. Weirdly shaped, stupid creatures that could alternately bring more trouble to her and Ponyville. She knew in her heart-as well as the hoof that will be swung towards Discords face-that she didn't want them anymore. Plus she didn't like to be interrupted by her afternoon reading time. Twilight's horn glowed purple as she cast the summoning spell, and in a flash of lavender light, Discord appeared... in between a horrid sight of him clipping his toenails. "Oh, what is it now?! You know, I am getting a bit tired of you constantly summoning me! So, what horrible dilemma-that you will purposely blame me for-are you into now?!" Twilight pointed towards the two stupid creatures. "Oh, pooh" "Now, I know I'm very infamous for creating chaotic phenomena, like my name entails," Discord paused to take a small sip of tea, "I swear to Princess Sunbutt, I didn't do it this time!" Twilight was across the library in her own seat and crossed her hooves. She didn't have any doubts. None to her fantasy. "Twilight, this isn't even my type of chaotic style! My type is usually sly, open, and big. This is too sad of an attempt! Plus, you cannot deny that I am reformed..." Twilight darted eyes at the creatures on the opposite side of the room, flipping through books, and yet seemed to not have no interest in reading them. A part of her conscious and mind spoke up. Discord is reformed after all, he doesn't create magical chaotic evil anymore... or as often. Twilight relaxed her shoulders and stared at the two. Another question now crossed her mind- What are they? She remembered them explaining that they came from a distant universe... Impossible. These two looked as if they had the raw intelligence of a broom stick, not even extremely quick-witted Extra Terrestrials as she would think. But then again, they merely appeared by an implosion, A blue stellar teleportation? And Equestrias nearest oceans are hundreds of miles away. Could she be in the presence of aliens? Or gods? Doubt It. "Um... excuse me Mr. Patrick?" Patrick lifted his head from the book. "Yes Mrs Talking land animal?" Twilight frowned. "Just call me Twilight Sparkle. And I... erm... welcome you to the land of Equestria. Where did you say you were from again?" "Bikini Bottom!", Patrick said cheerily. "Right... exactly how did you get from the bottom of the ocean to another universe?". Twilight was curious. More than actually. If they weren't woven from the hands of Discord, than what exactly were they? "Oh, just A simple teleportation device, made by yours truly!" Simple?! It was simple to jump from one universe to another without completely destroying reality? Simple?! Twilight leaned back in her chair, and composed one last question to these strangers. If it was the answer she presumed, than she would be morally satisfied... or creeped out. "Why are you here?" Patrick smiled. "To find out the simple question lended to us my the most influential of minds! One that will shake the foundations of this universe from the next to its core! Patrick pointed straight towards Twilight, and yelled at the top of his lungs. "Is mayonnaise an instrument, Twilight Sparkle?!" Twilight facehoofed. She wasn't in the presence of intelligent life as she had hoped. Merely idiots who made a rift machine by accident, nothing more, but probably something less-as she expected. Maybe if she looked through the library once more she can find a spell to send them back from where they came from. They were going to be a bother, if not removed. "Do you plan to probe us, you alien menace?!" Rainbow Dash screamed from Twilight's bedroom. "I can see through your lies!" she continued. "Rainbow calm down! They come in peace." Rainbow Dash tightened her eyes. "Oh hello! I don't believe we've properly met, my name is pa-" "I don't care! Just leave!" "Maybe having Spongebob and Patrick along in Equestria won't be such a bad thing after all!" Discord said while Twilight read through her fourth consecutive spell book. The visitors have been here for hours, and already her patience with them have become shortened. Her hospitality defeated her when Patrick ripped a few pages out of her books in ''the name of science and research" and Spongebob was helping him too by gathering the information on the giant paper Patrick gathered along with them. Finally Patrick decided to ask the mare: "Do you have any mayo?" "Excuse me?" "Mayonnaise... you know, the creamy yellow condiment? I'm going to need it to further my thoughts on the subject." "And what exactly will you be doing with mayo in this situation?" Rainbow Dash asked. She had built up the courage to come near Spongebob and Patrick, as she now found them not as a threat anymore. "I'm going to see if it has to power to create a black hole. Do you have any pieces of the space-time continuum lying around?" "I'm starting to like these guys!" Discord exclaimed. He slid his dragonesque figure next to Spongebob and Patrick and hugged them tightly. "Maybe these two can be my little helpers in spreading a little caos once in a while, eh Twilight?" that little question eased her gaze at Discord with a wrath-filled look. She had enough ''chaos'' for one day. "Will it be fun?" asked Spongebob. "Oh, tons! We can create floating buildings, cotton candy clouds with chocolate rain, and maybe turn the princesses into donkeys once in a while!" "Princesses?" Patrick pondered. Twilight was the one to speak next. To her surprise she hadn't explained Equestrias system of living yet, nor the rulers. "Oh that's right! Equestria is ruled by two princesses; Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. They control the sun, and moon, and raise it each day and night. They even have the ability to wield powerful spells of magic, and are immortal creatures also." "Fascinating!" Patrick said. "Magic? I didn't know magic existed in other universes!" Twilight dropped her book. "Wait, your universe has magic?!" Spongebob scratched his head for a moment in thought. "I guess, but probably not as advanced as this one seems to be." Twilight pouted, and used her levitation spell to raise her book back into her hooves. "I would very much like to meet this Princess of yours Twilight!" Patrick said with glee. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry Patrick, but no. This town is already uneasy with your arrival. If this world was any less... mysterious, then there would be panic. I'm going to spend the next few hours-or possibly days- trying to crush some numbers and get you two back home before anything else happens." Patrick sighed, and Discord flew back into his seat, and looked at Twilight with a bit of disappointment. "Oh come now, Twilight! These two need to see the world with their very own eyes! The magic, the cities, and the wonderful sunsets and moonshines..." Twilight raised her head, and saw Discord poofing himself a travel bag, a small button shirt covered in tropical leaves, and a straw hat with dark glasses. "And I can't wait to show it to them myself, mind if I help pack?" She grimaced, which practically forced Discord to sit back down. "The only time I would get you two to meet the Princess is only when I need assistance finding a spell to get rid of you." "Wow, that's harsh" said Spongebob. From his spot, Discord slithered next to Twilight. "Now Twilight, you really must be thinking of what might happen if Princess Celestia found out that you were hiding Equestrias first extraterrestrial visitors from her, right? Who knows-in her rage she might strip you of your princess title!" Twilight stood to attention, now that Discord had twisted her plan. Could he be right? She thought. These were visitors, visitors from other worlds not known to pony kind. It would be disrespectful to hide them from her royal highness! "Fine!" Twilight sped towards her writing table and drew out her quill, paper, and ink. - Dear Spike, If you haven't heard already, we have new visitors in Equestria! Please tell the princess and send escorts right away. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle - She put down the quill and rolled the parchment. Discord eased in and snatched it. "Hey!" "Don't get your socks in a twist, Twilight" Discord threw the paper in the air and exhaled a plume of green fire. "I'm just sending it." "... I didn't know you could do that..." "Oh please! I'm a god." "This is gonna be so exiting!" Patrick exclaimed. Spongebob shared his excitement. //-------------------------------------------------------// -Greetings!- //-------------------------------------------------------// -Greetings!- -Greetings!- **"Sensors On Standby" - "Universal Passage Link Drive Operational" - "Escape Pod Stock Full" - "Weapons Systems Ready" - "Engines At Full Power" - "War Fleet Awaiting Command"** "Thank you Arbus 14. Is the assault ready to begin?" "Affirmative. Data from Planet-Tartarus-have been received." "I shall look over it soon." Captain Dark stared out of control room window to the planet below him. A swirling large world with green and blue covering its surface. The king was correct, it was filled with life. Sentient, he told them, and holding their two lost prisoners. "Arbus, find our little targets for me." A holographic screen blinked in front of Dark. A camera linked to its system, and zoomed thousands of meters into the planets atmosphere, towards Equestria. It kept increasing until it reached Ponyville, and spotted entities leaving a large tree hull. "There you are..." a wicked smile grew on his face. _-_-_ "So, what's your princess like, Twilight?" "Well... mainly a good strong-willed alicorn, who leads her fellow citizens in hope and harmony. She has a sleek white coat and fantastic mane! I know you're going to enjoy seeing her!" "Wow, she sounds like quite the princess." said Spongebob. "In fact, I used to be her personal assistant!" she bragged without hesitation. "Is that supposed to be impressive?" Patrick asked. She frowned, and continued to stare out the window of the carriage. The Pegasus Guards were very strong and quick with their wings, as the surrounding environment seemed to blur passed them as they ascended towards the mountain to Canterlot. Discord decided to stay back at Ponyville and ''babysit'' Rainbow Dash while on their visit, and Spike and the Princess were waiting on their arrival. Twilight wasn't sure of her reaction to Spongebob and Patrick. They haven't had aliens before... and then again, she is very protective of her kingdom, and would feel more comfortable throwing them in the dungeon than letting them walk another step in Canterlot territory. Maybe feed them table scraps while their sanity rots under the gloomy, enclosed atmosphere. Oh how cruel she can be... She brisked a look at them, and was surprised to see their wonder as they both looked out the window. The suns position that evening set perfectly behind the tallest spire. The golden essence of the kingdom bloomed outwards, and sparkled, giving a wonderful image of the beauty of Canterlot. It was only a matter of minutes before they swiftly landed on a small concrete platform in  one of the castles gardens. The carriage pulled to a halt, and Twilight, Patrick, and Spongebob walked out into the open sky. "Wow, I've never seen these flowers before!" Spongebob exclaimed. "Wait... you've seen flowers? You live in the bottom of the ocean!" "What does that have to do with anything?" Patrick asked. "... You know what? I don't care anymore, just follow me..." as told, they followed, and enjoyed the long trek through the castle. The decor of the interior was awe inspiring-the glistening glass windows and tall corridors made then lean back just to see how far high it could reach. Each room seemed to have its own different design, whether it was painted windows and golden columns, or checkered floors with decorative tapestries. With no more time to waste, they made it to the door to the throne room, where Spike was waiting with an eager smile. Sometimes he enjoyed visitors, especially if their sincere kind dragons. He was wrong. Twilight approached him and shared a hug with the baby dragon, but he did not (nor could he) keep his eyes away from Spongebob and Patrick. He looked more disturbed than surprised. "Twilight, did you ''experiment'' at the library while I was gone?" "No, Spike, I did not. Meet Spongebob and Patrick, Equestria's most... unique visitors." "Hi." said Spongebob "How you doing?" Patrick asked. Spike was instead met with a rise of emotions-mostly confusion, somehow nausea, and a bad gut feeling. Twilight had a habit of making spells that eventually went awry, and he wouldn't be surprised if this situation would make another one. So, instead, he went along with. He had an emergency floating device in his bag just in case. "Um... hi... eh, the Princess is eager to see you both. So... don't mess it up." "No promises." said Patrick. _-_-_ The hallway was bigger on the inside once the door had opened. And how it was portrayed was larger in its own likeness as well. The glassware told its own unique story with each line and picture. The carpet felt light and silky. And her majesty's throne was as tall as the ceiling itself. She sat comfortably in her seat atop the golden pedestal holding her chair to the floor. Her smile to the visitors was bright and sunny like the sun she raised each day, and despite their appearance, she was not surprised. Equestria is a strange place, and she ruled it. "Welcome travelers to our kingdom!" she happily said. Twilight and Spike bowed happily, but Spongebob and Patrick stared in some awe. She was quite the princess indeed. "Nice to meet thee! Hopefully I can reach my goal in this... weird empire you got here." "Oh?... I hope your goals don't have to do with world domination, enslavement, overthrowing a certain princess, correct? Something wasn't right. And Twilight could sense it. The Princess seemed to be giving off a new aura now, more towards a threat to the visitors instead of a warmer welcome. She would expect better from her if she didn't have a reason. From Discord, to King Sombra, and Queen Chrysalis's invasion, she was all the more uncertain of what might happen next. "Now then..." Patrick started. His large belly now seeming to be bigger than usual, "Whaddya have to eat here?" _-_-_ "You don't even have roast beef?!" Patrick stood up from his seat in anger. "Patrick, calm yourself!" ordered Spongebob. The chef was confused at the starfish, as the dishes he wanted were never known or invented in the equine society. Roast beef, meat-lovers pizza, coral bits, or beef jerky were all a bit of a blur to him at this point. "I'm sorry mister Star, but none of these cuisines or meals you have requested have never been known to us... we do have salads and grass sandwiches though!" Patrick lost three pounds that day... _-_-_ Of course fiddling with the life of reality never hurt anyone, did it? I mean, there is the part where I nearly encased the world in chaos and made Ponyville the capital of all the mayhem, and also draining the elements from Twilight and her friends, but after so, it was harmless. To me at least. As for the sweet Fluttershy I constantly squeezed in my hand, vanilla smoothie in the other, making the form of homes into candy (which Pinkie Pie rather enjoyed), and using Rainbow Dash as paddle ball was a different perspective. "Um... Dis-*SQUEAK*-cord... could you please stop sq-*SQUEAK*-ueaking me... if you don't mind?" "Nope." The squeezing intensified. "...Oh my..." Fluttershy's squeaking stop. A large shadow prowled over us. I took noticed and decided to look up from the roof I was resting on. It wasn't anything I had ever seen, but it sure was big. A sleek superstructure, cannons at each side, and possibly hundreds of ships surrounding it. I smiled. Sometimes chaos came, and I didn't even have to lift a finger. _-_-_ Patrick took the time to experiment on mayonnaise more inside the kitchen. Spongebob was his helper, and since they were the guests of her royalty's castle, they had the permission to do so. They fused in the ingredients in the cabinets and a bunch of items in the janitors closet to their help, but unfortunately came to nothing. He wanted to use magic next. "Um... no..." "Why not?!" Patrick whined. "You two have already embarrassed the princess and the chef, plus stole one ofthe most finest ingredients from her kitchen. And have you even looked at this place? It's a pigsty!" Twilight gestured to the massive amounts of burnt mayo, discarded jars, and massive amounts of spices around the floor. The janitor might as well quit. "It's a work in progress..." he said with pride. "Work in progress? Seriously? Look Patrick, you have already made a mess of the area, but you want to use magic now?! Magic is a sacred art that only unicorns can master, and if practiced correctly can make the ultimate feats in history. And is also dangerous when lent to someone who doesn't know what they're doing!" "... Are you calling me stupid?" Twilight facehoofed. "No..." she said through gritted teeth, "I just don't think that you are responsible enough to use it..." "Is everything alright in her-" Princess Celestia walked though the kitchen door, and was at the utmost surprised at what she saw. Janitors gonna have a hard time with this one. She thought. "I'm so sorry Princess Celestia for all of this! These two were my responsibility and I should of watched them more closely." A comforting smile grew on Celestia's face. "No need Twilight, these are our guests, and they should be treated as such." "That's what I'm afraid of..." "Umm... Princess?" A royal guard stood at attention. By his physical appearance and sweating body, he tried his hardest to retain a sense of urgency and respect. "Yes, Blue Steel?" the princess acknowledged. "I'm afraid we have something you should see... quickly?" Twilight turned her head at Spongebob and Patrick. Spongebob shrugged and Patrick just stood there like an idiot. She frowned. _-_-_ Of all the new comers to visit Equestria, these two had to bring trouble beyond anything even the Princess can stand, and she tried her best. But the fear from the sheer sight of the massive vessel floating over Canterlot was great enough. It was far, she knew that. Above the atmosphere, as a blue hue circled it's corners, and small details she could not make out. But it's shadow completely covered Ponyville below. Around the ship were tiny star-fighters that whizzed past it, and started to come to Canterlot Castle. The Princess, Twilight, Spongebob and Patrick looked atop the spire overlooking everything. "Maybe they're friendly?" Patrick asked. A star-fighter sped past the golden castle and fired a massive red laser, faster than anything they had ever seen, impacted a row of homes on the hillside. The shock was too powerful, the infrastructure collapsed, and the homes tumbled off the mountain. "Never mind." Princess Celestia stood there in shock, mouth agape. She turned at Patrick with rage in her eyes. "IS THIS OF YOUR DOING? DID YOU BRING THEM HERE?!" Her royal voice nearly flung the sea star into the sky. "I honestly have no clue, they look familiar to me..." "But oh, are they dangerous..." Spongebob said. Celestia calmed herself, and walked back into the castle room. A guard stood there, ready for orders. "I want you to send guards to every inch of Canterlot and protect the citizens you find. Find my sister and tell her to create a force-field as well. Do NOT make any mistakes!" The guard swallowed, nodded, and galloped down the spire. "Princess!" Twilight sped to Celestia's side. "The smaller ships are landing on Canterlot's plaza! I think they're sending out an army!" Celestia tightened her teeth. She could no longer keep her anger in. "YOU TWO!" She pointed towards Spongebob and Patrick. "TO THE DUNGEON!" _-_-_ //-------------------------------------------------------// -Break Me Bad- //-------------------------------------------------------// -Break Me Bad- -Break Me Bad- "You think this was a mistake?" "Yes!," Spongebob said, eagerly, hoping to flee the chamber - but to no hope. The cold walls and dark atmosphere of Celestia's dungeon made Spongebob cringe in maddening fear. He never thought he would be in such a situation like this, but then again, he crossed universes, opening a rift in which he should not have, and might of accidentally started a war with an unknown alien race just by his presence, so he shouldn't be surprised. A tremor shook the cell they were held in. The battle was growing, and they weren't needed anymore. Spongebob slumped against the wall and thought. Was there a way to get out of this situation? Patrick didn't seem to care, his new ego thought that everything would be OK, if they kept their patience, but Spongebob's anger was well ready to pop. Only one thing was for sure. Equestria is doomed. _-_-_ Adrenaline hadn't rushed through Twilight in a long time. Not for months at least, but she was used to it. Unfortunately not to this level. All of Equestria was becoming pulverized by the beams and missiles constantly plummeting through the atmosphere. Some ponies were saved, barely others weren't so lucky. The odds were shortened. They had technology that this world had never even dreamed of before-floating vessels, and steadfast starfighters. The news had already spread to most of the world: We were under attack. By aliens. Honestly she was surprised. As she ran through the streets, she couldn't help but shed a tear at the unholy destruction across Canterlot, piles of rubble and bricks-scattered everywhere. She looped around a corner, meeting two royal guards protecting  a small group of terrified ponies, some alone, or with family to hold and keep. "Princess Twilight! Thank goodness you're here! We need orders, and fast!" "Get everypony OUT of Canterlot as soon as you can, I don't want a single pony here besides me, Princess Celestia and Luna, and I." "But what about you? You can't just stay here!" "I must. These aliens came for a reason, and I would rather make peace negotiations rather than start a war. Now hurry!" She hustled past them, more towards the source of destruction. "She's gonna die," said one of the guards. "Eeeyup," said the other. _-_-_ Luna thought she live out the rest of her days carefree. Boy was she wrong. The entire kingdom her sister had made with her own sweat, blood, and oceans of tears was crumbling under the mighty horse shoe of whoever or whatever was committing this act. And she wanted to know why-after she finished running for her life. Technically flying. A sharp speeder was behind her and closing fast, shooting missiles and quick lasers, hoping to end the life she grasped desperately onto, but she evaded each spark screaming past her. Quickly she swooped down, into the chaos of crumbling streets and buildings. Gravity held her down with ease, but fortunately she lifted herself before she could hit the ground, the speeder still behind. The alleyway was being destroyed, brick by brick, as the princess crossed and dodged the falling pieces above, and swiftly ducked into the window of a tumbling home. The speeder was too fast, and couldn't pull up in time. It crashed into the side of the house with unmatched force, taking the house with it, but Luna sped out from the other side before she could perish along with the alien inside. Fear propelled her back to the castle. She flew, and saw her sister in the spire, ordering guards and sending them off. "Sister!" Celestia turned, and caressed her sister in a tight hug. "Are you alright?" "No need to worry me! We need to worry about about the citizens! Do you have any idea what might have caused them to come here? Or why they are attacking us?" Celestia's expression churned to anger. "Yes, and their names are Spongebob and Patrick! Only a day of being here, and they started a war!" "Where are they now?" "Shivering inside the cold dungeon - where they belong!" "And what of Twilight?" "Urgently seeing to the ponies on the streets, everypony needs to evacuate!" Luna stared at the ground in deep thought, then looked back at her sister. Her fear was gone, and was now replaced by near rage. "Tia, take me to the prisoners!" _-_-_ The slow descent to the planet below was slow and agonizing, as Dark was not a patient pony, nor one to be trifled with. The invasion before him was slowly, but steadily, climbing to a climax, like a slug up a mountain, in which case his final order was to destroy all the inhabitants of Canterlot. Dark never left a city without it blazing in fear and fire. And planned to keep it that way. The ship he occupied - Slave Cruiser 27C - along with bodyguards at his side slowly landed on a small garden, partially outside of the castle walls. The pilot pushed a few buttons, maintaining air pressure in the ship, and preparing himself for what there is to be outside, then unlocked the passenger door. Dark stepped out of the ship, in grace, and honor, looking at the castle crumbling under him, only as a message of his superiority. He trotted towards the large cracks in the walls, acting as a doorway. Dark grew a devilish, horrid smile. Whoever the ruler was - he thought - would soon cower in fear. "Find and capture the elements, then send them back to the ship." He ordered. _-_-_ Celestia tried to calm her sister, but she seemed to care more for her people than even her older sister would have. At this moment, mostly. She craned down the steps at a quickened pace, and once she was at the prisoners level, saw the two in their cells. She boiled in anger. "You!" She screamed in her royal voice. "How *dare** you bring out the destruction of our beautiful city! Prepare to face the wrath of the night!"* Spongebob and Patrick leaned backwards, feeling each venomous spit of her words from her mouth. "W-we didn't do anything!" Spongebob pleaded. "Lies!" "Luna!" Celestia stepped forward. "Calm yourself. These two will meet their punishments soon enough." "Why not know, when I still have my boxing gloves in my closet?!" "The invasion is still happening, and Canterlot needs as much assistance as it can carry." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that..." That was a voice that she could not recognize, but it struck fear into the princess. A voice that sounded so low and evil, not even Discord can manipulate it himself. She whipped her head around, but a blur of red and blue zipped past her shoulder... and hitting Luna in her side. She screamed in pain, then fell to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness. Celestia looked back at the shooter, and froze under a dark shadow. Four ponies encased in a metal armor stood before her, slightly bigger than the average pony, and built for combat. The one they surrounded caught her attention. Although he was an equine, he was different above all else. His mane slipped over his head like a waterfall, crimson black, as well as his coat. His muscles were perfectly built in every area, like any soldier should be, and his eyes were darker than space as well - with tiny sparks of light darting back and forth inside of the orbs. Celestia would of fallen in love - if she wasn't so terrified. "Who... are you?" "Dark. And I see you have my captives in a cell. Well done!" "Y-your captives... so you know who they are!" "Hardly. I was ordered here to catch them. Fortunately they're already locked up, so there is no need to find them either way." "Well you can have them! But for once, spare the city! I don't want millions of ponies to perish because of their stupidity!" "Hey! I have a 2 on my personal IQ, thank you very much!" Patrick yelled. A soldier steadily running from up the stairs entered the room. "Sir, the elements have been captured." "... Elements?... The elements of harmony?!" "What do you think?" Dark said, sarcastically. Celestia was losing herself. It was all happening so fast. Just over an hour ago, peace and tranquility swarmed the entity of Canterlot, and yet now, it is in ruins. "Why would you decide to capture the elements?! Isn't it Patrick and Spongebob you are asking for?!" "Yes, but as long as we have the most powerful protectors of this kingdom in our grasp, you won't decide to do anything... drastic... and I hope you stand there, if you know what's good for you." With a click of his teeth, Dark sent a soldier into the cell, and locked Spongebob and Patrick in magnetic locks. "Unhand me! I'll sue! You hear me?!!!" He dragged the two out of the small chamber, and led them back upstairs. Dark followed them. "Oh and Celestia?..." Dark said. "Thanks for being so cooperative." "Sue!" Patrick yelled again. //-------------------------------------------------------// -Calm down, Bro- //-------------------------------------------------------// -Calm down, Bro- -Calm Down, Bro- If Twilight were patient, she would get her way - by recoil or intelligence - if need be. But her long and famous patience was not strong enough for Patrick nor Spongebob. Those two little sea creatures caused destruction to her home and freedom. Now she was being forcibly boarded onto a slave ship named the SC-I, along with her dear friends. The ship was small, dark, damp, and rusty, treating them like the ship intended them to be. Although with her magic, she could utterly destroy the foundations of their being to mere dust with the addition of her anger, their protective armor kept her from doing so. Rainbow Dash was most violent to retaliate, second to Applejack. "Let me go you alien scum! If you so much as probe me!" The guard had just enough, and tased her in the side with a sharp rod. The pain escalated through her body, and she fell to the ground in a limp daze - although alive, she was utterly shocked. Literally. "W-what did you do to her!" Screamed Rarity. The guard turned, and purposely chose not to respond. Applejack helped her friend by lifting her, and shamefully trotting inside the small cell at the end of the ship. Another guard, more darker and sleek when it came to his armor, followed them and sharply shut the cell door. He began to speak - his voice deep and intimidating. "You belong to me now. As long as you six ponies are in my custody, you are not allowed to speak, scream, eat, or beg!" Twilights patience shortened. She braced the bars, as if she were to break them. "Where are Spongebob and Pat--" She started, but it quickly ran short. "Silence!" He yelled. The wave of dominance bounced off the walls and rung in her ears. "Spongebob and Patrick are on a separate ship, and that is all that you need to know." The warden of the ship turned and nodded, and the pilot rebooted the vessel to fly. Twilight and her friends were slowly being descended into the dark void of space. _-_-_ "Ya' got any liquid sausage on this field trip?" Patrick asked Dark, completely oblivious to whats going on. Dark sat exactly across from him, unmoving, staring with his dark soulless eyes. "No." He said with little emotion. Although Patrick didn't quite understand the gravity of the situation, Spongebob did, and nudged him in the shoulder, silently shushing him. "What? I'm just hungry." "I realize that Patrick, but we're sort of inside a heavily armored ship, guarded and watched by the commander of the entire fleet that attacked Twilights home world. Dont you think you can be a little bit more... quiet?" "Nope!" _-_-_ Darks sleek ship buzzed with the ongoing work of its crew members - nearly thousands - working with steady hooves to edge the ship towards perfection. What was waiting at the docking bay for the leaders prisoners were medical droids and special armored sentry to escort them. The SC-I skimmed inside the vessel, along with Darks personal cruiser. The large prison ship opened first, with the warden leading out the Twilight with the rest of her friends. Darks ship flew in yards away, safely landing on the chrome plated floor. As Twilight walked out, her jaw nearly dropped to the ground, seeing the massive infrastructure of the ship and the aliens around her. Then she saw Patrick. Her memories flooded back into her. Images of the crumbling city rushed through her mind. Her reflexes reacted, and she jumped, then releasing an intimidate neigh. "Patrick!" She screamed. Patrick turned, and saw her across the docking bay. He merely waved. Twilights anger rose higher. Before she could attack, the warden activated her shackles, releasing a short but disciplinary shock. She stopped in her place, and so did the warden once he noticed Dark was trotting towards him - with Spongebob and Patrick by his side. "Warden CKack! I do so hope you didn't show mercy on the way back, did you?" "Not at the slightest, sir." "Good." Dark turned and acknowledged a guard. "Give me the current status of the Arbus." The guard was currently a rookie, and nearly fumbled with the holographic disc in his hoof. "Uhh... c-currently well, sir! Engines are at full capacity, The UTS is near completion, and the computer has just updated iTunes!" "Good. CKack? Take the elements of harmony to the prison station and keep them locked, along with Patrick and Spongebob. If these two ever leave your clutches, It'll be your head that will go missing!" Dark left them and headed up to the main command center of the ship, while CKack stood there, trembling slightly. CKack shook his head of his fears, and looked at the sentry at his command. He smiled wickedly, feeling the sense of power that he desperately loved. "Sentrys! Pair the six ponies in two of each cell. And make sure Spongebob and Patrick get their own individual ones, under high surveillance. Do I make myself clear?!" The sentrys saluted, honoring their command. "I can't take this anymore! I can't go back to space prison!" Without warning, Pinkie Pie jumped high into the air, and dropkicked CKack in the face. "Gah!" Pinkie took no time to wait, and ran at full speed towards the ships many corridors. "Get her! And take all these useless prisoners to the cages where they belong!" _-_-_ "You idiot!" Twilight yelled with pure anger. "You imbecile and train wreck of evolution! You caused all of this!" Patrick rested himself on the bench provided in the cell. "Yes, and you should be thanking me." "THANK YOU?!" "You're welcome." Twilights hair was a large plume of fire and smoke at this point, and the only thing standing in her way was the thick titanium bars between them. "Do you even have a plan to get us out of this mess?!" "Don't worry about it! I'm sure Spongebob is already kicking butts all around the ship by now." "I'm right here..." Spongebob said from the next cell. "Oh... well, I've got nothin'. Better wait this out until this whole thing blows over." "I HATE YOU PATRICK STAR!" Twilight screamed. _-_-_ "How long now until we can jump back?" "Seven hours sir." "Good. The sooner we can go back to Squidtopia, the better." //-------------------------------------------------------// -Beam Me Up, Scotty- //-------------------------------------------------------// -Beam Me Up, Scotty- -Beam Me Up, Scotty- I doubt we can find her…” Larce fumed. The simple weapons engineer was out of his comfort zone at this point, seeing now that the whole ship’s crew, including himself, was forcibly ordered by Dark to look for the released captive known as Pinkamena Diane Pie. They’d caught footage of her roaming the ship’s many corridors, but once sentries hurried there, she was nowhere to be seen--and no pattern to follow. “Aren’t her other friends locked up in the prison level?” Dayke asked. “Yes, and by the looks of it, she might be planning for an escape,” Larce answered. "How long do you think?" Larce stared out of the nearby window at the open space before him and clenched his teeth. "Before we can travel back to Squidtopia, and I'm sure his majesty will be far more enraged if we come back empty hooved." "Plan?" "Find her before we're screwed..." _-_-_ “Guard?” Patrick yelled at a nearby sentry, currently guarding the starfish with an unmoving stature. Patrick was hungry--again. “Guard?!” he called again, louder this time. The sentry struggled to not attack in pure anger. “Do you have any potato chips? Any beef jerky? Chicken? Steak?!” Constantly he nagged, and the sentry frowned in anger. "Guard! Hey guard! Your shoe’s untied!" The  guard glanced at the ground, only to see his naked hooves, and massive gullibility. “Ha! Made you look!” He turned and screamed at the top of his lungs--a nerve pulsed out of skin. “SHADDUP!” He then turned, took a deep breath, and wore his plain expressionless face again, as if nothing had happened. Patrick slid down from the bars and decided to sit-nearly disciplined from his nuisance. “I told you not to confront the guard like that.” said Twilight, calmly. “Well, what else am I supposed to do?” “Shut your mouth, like he said. Or you, Spongebob and I could discuss how to escape, like we should've been doing for two hours now.” “I wouldn’t waste the dark, dry wasteland that is your small brain just yet,” the  guard playfully sneered. “Soon enough, the hyperdrive will be prepared, and we’ll jump back to our original timeline. You’ll be imprisoned and never return to your homeworld.” “And what makes you think that we can’t just fight back?” Twilight retaliated. The guard turned with a sickly smile. “There are approximately 3,021 crew members on this vessel, each trained enough to swiftly defeat an army twice their size, and armed to the teeth with lethal weapons. We are ascending out of the world Tartarus, leaving it in carnage and death, and the hyper drive will be ready in mere hours. You have no hope of escaping, nor hope of return.” “I wouldn’t say that. Pinkie Pie is somewhere around here. And I know for sure that she will help us out of a dilemma like this!”         “You've got spunk. I like that. Nevertheless, only fate will tell.” "Not fate. Pinkie Pie." _-_-_ "Oooh!" Irke was nothing more than an average crew member of the Arbus, and like most of them had very little experience, but plenty of training and commitment to his ship. Although his naive nature was completely oblivious to the obvious oddity in front of him of him. A donut, taking up a small space on the iron table in his room, covered in dark chocolate, lightly sprinkled with a variety of small candies, and freshly heated. The sweet aroma drifted through the air and into his nostrils, causing him to salivate. But now some fool decided to leave a perfectly prepared and ready to eat rare treat lying plainly out of nowhere. Surely there was nothing wrong with eating it? Irke locked the iron braced door, ran back and knelt down. He closed his eyes and began to privately feast. And yet the one thing he failed to notice was the open vent above his head. Pinkie Pie flew out of the vent with law defying speed and grabbed Irke by the neck. Her eyes were fierce, and a red bandana was wrapped around her head. The pink pony braced Irke against the wall behind him. "W-What?!" Before he could continue to speak, she filled his mouth with his own hoof and silenced him. "I am in no mood to hear you beg. The one thing you are going to do for mebefore I break your skull, is tell me where the prison level is." Irke wanted to cry then and there. She pulled out his hoof, and he coughed in reply. "Can I at least have the rest of the donut back?" _-_-_         Fluttershy was the most scared of the group. Her dear woodland friends were alone back at her cottage, and she wasn’t there to comfort or feed them. The only thing she could do was be patient, and cry in Rarity’s soft bosom. Her friend stroked her mane like a mother. Applejack across the cell paced back in forth, desperately thinking. “Alright… m-maybe if we think of some sort of trap er… Fluttershy, are you purring?” The noise stopped.         “...No…” she lied.         “This is no time to be groomed! We need a way out of this place--NOW!”         “Do you think Twilight has a plan?” Rarity asked.         “Maybe, but she’s somewhere else in this fancy-shmancy ship! And I have no clue where! Any ideas, Rainbo-” As she turned, she was reminded again that Rainbow Dash was completely paralyzed. All she could do was move her eyes and blink.         “Oh… right”         “Do... do you think they’ll kill us?” Fluttershy sobbed out.         “I… I can’t say for sure. I jus’ wanna see my family again. I miss ‘em already.”         “And I miss my boutique. All those beautiful and newly made dresses…wasted!” Applejack stared at her plainly. “Oh… and Sweetie Belle too.” “And I bet you miss your little Scootaloo don’t ya Rainbow?” Rainbow Dash forced her head to move, but instead shook her head in a prideful ‘No’. “Of course you don’t,” Applejack sighed. The apple farmer decided to lay her head on the cold floor. For the first time, she thought she’d given up. The odds seemed small, anyways. They were trapped and captured by a force that was more powerful, more advanced, and more dangerous than even Celestia herself. “What’s the point?” she whispered. “Wow Applejack, I thought you had more spirit than that!” Applejack’s ears perked up, hearing the familiar friendly voice echo in her head. She looked up, and standing directly out of the cells bars was Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie?!” “Boy-Howdy!” she cheered. “H-how did you-” “Didn’t you notice through the storyline that I was the only pony that wasn’t jailed up?” “Storyline?” “Nevermind! Let’s just get you guys outta there.” She whipped out a pair of keys, unlocked the door and swung it open. Applejack dragged out Rainbow Dash’s limp body while Fluttershy and Rarity hurried out. “Do you have a plan, Pinkie?” Rarity pleaded. “Yes. Unfortunately it involves involves a crowbar, guns, grenades, and a teensy tiny itty-bitty invasion of the ship…” “You had me at crowbar…” said Rainbow Dash, regaining her mobility. _-_-_ “Llamma or Duck?” “Excuse me? What kind of a stupid question is that?”asked Twilight. It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since their last conversation, and already Patrick Star was receiving his own personal penalty: boredom. Twilight and Spongebob had a more wider ranged luxury, since their patience and time far exceeded his, but while he was in this state, Patrick was random, immature, and unnecessarily annoying. And the price could be seen on the guard standing outside with an electric gun in his hooves, his eye twitching, and hair fuzzing out of his protective helmet. “I swear, if Dark gave me the permission, you three would be lying in the corners unconscious by now!” “But we aren’t, now are we?” Patrick teased. He gritted his teeth in anger. He turned and yelled in an unmatchable rage. “How does fear not strike your hearts?! You are outnumbered, outgunned, vulnerable, and weak! You have no hope of freedom and love! What, in the name of all that his horrid and painful keeps your hearts uplifted, high, and spirited?!” What caught the guard was the smile plastered on Twilight’s face, and open happy eyes. But what really pulled his attention was her answer. “Pinkie Pie!” At first, he was completely confused, until he felt an angered presence behind him. He turned, and swallowed. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash (with a crowbar in her hooves) all stood there with angered faces, and a few guns in their hooves. “I hate this job anyways-” he whispered before he was brutally beaten by the most of the ponies (mainly Fluttershy), while Pinkie Pie unlocked the cell for Twilight and Spongebob. “Wow! Fast delivery!” Spongebob cheered. Twilight hugged Pinkie Pie with all her might, and so did everypony else once they stopped pulverizing the guard. Once everypony started to leave, Spongebob noticed one small oddity. Patrick wasn't with them. “Hey! What about me?” Patrick pleaded inside the unopened cell. Applejack turned, her eyes flaring with vital rage. “What about you?”         “Girls, we can’t just leave Patrick like this! He’s our friend, isn’t he?” The girls looked at each other with  angered looks. Rarity stepped forwards. “For one thing: I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know where you came from… all I know is that you are the one who put us in this danger in the first place… so why should we free you?” “Because that’s not what friends do.” Rarity blinked, and Applejack facehooved. “Aw crabapples…” _-_-_         If one thing was true, Applejack needed a good bottle of cider to wash her day away, but for now, it was time to run. Spongebob, Patrick and the rest of the band sped through the corridors of the Arbus, beating away any crew member that stopped them. It wasn’t long until the alarm finally pulsed through the ships hull, alerting all of the passengers onboard. At the cockpit of the Arbus: mainly tipping north of the vessel, Dark’s temper was barely contained.        “Why in Prometheus is the alarm going off? I thought that everything was going smoothly!” Dark turned to CKack with searing eyes. CKack flinched and turned to the attached surveillance unit next to him. The screen blinked to life, sputtering with static, then adjusting its colors. CKack’s jaw dropped. “They’ve escaped, haven’t they?” Dark asked. CKack didn’t speak. Instead he turned and stared at the ground in shame. “You still want to redeem yourself? Find them before I change my mind.” CKack looked up. He turned to three pony shaped service droids. “Seal off the exits and capture the escaped prisoners, quick!” the three droids galloped into the hull of the ship-then dispersed. CKack turned back to his leader, only to find a look of disappointment, anger, and an intention to kill. _-_-_ Sensors from the central processing core of the C7-Delta Recessor Droid fired off in multiple directions. Due to the dire tone of CKacks voice, the core knew that this mission was in much need of success. Although it could not retain emotions like regular beings do (unless programmed to do so) it could still see it as an importance. One of the droids sped down the many corridors. Its optical sensors zoomed down further and found eight individuals running in the opposite direction. They were foreign. Suddenly its core pushed a photo back into its view. If realization can be felt by a piece of hardware, then it would be the first.         The droid pumped more power into its legs, pushing itself forward even faster. Then, it lowered its head, revealing its shiny but hard and thick exostructure. The droid was about to ram them. It was close. Very close. It almost felt the emotion of joy to eliminate the prisoners, but before it could even squish the being into a frail humus, Twilight Sparkle’s horn lit up. She took her stance, her eyes glowing white. An aura surrounded the droid. External sensors detecting massive radioactive energy spi--Twilight had already crushed the powerful droid into a rolling metal ball, and once it was near enough, sliced it in half with her magic. The crew behind her moved out of its path, seeing the half cut orb roll about before falling. Sensors stopped. The core was destroyed. Luckily It had already sent the radio feed to its brethren: The intruders are on floor 13. The group proceeded onward. _-_-_ Few things surprised Twilight now. She had been forcibly abducted, jailed, disciplined, and looked upon her home planet from the atmosphere far more above than she had ever imagined. But once she saw Pinkie Pie hack into the computer system set into the wall, she thought she had seen everything. Fluid foreign letters spattered the screen while Pinkie tapped at the keyboard flawlessly. Soon, a large virtual map flashed up, and Pinkie smiled. She stood back and showed her friends.        “As of now,” she spoke,“we are on floor thirteen and heading upwards to the escape pods on floor eleven. The ship is massive, and it’ll take a while before we get there.” She then slung a rifle over her shoulder, new and lubricated, ready to fire. “But I’m sure we’ll get through it,” she reassured them. “Wow, Pinkie! I’ve never seen you like this” Fluttershy commented. “Trust me, when times are dangerous, it's good to be a little rogue.” “I like your spirit! But I think we should get a moveon!” Applejack said, looking back down the hallway at four upcoming soldiers, screaming in rage. Before anypony could react, Patrick decided to step behind the group. He screamed to the top of his lungs: “You. Shall. Not. Pass!” The guards still advanced. “Well, that’s all I’ve got…” Patrick admitted. Pinkie decided to step forward, slugging her rifle over and took aim. Carefully, she angled the cross-hairs, then pulled the trigger. Hundreds of volts of electricity surged out. The sentries bodies limply fell to the ground. The rest of the group turned their heads toward Pinkie Pie in shock. “Don’t worry-- it’s on stun.” _-_-_ Dark stared at the surveillance footage in disbelief. They were more lethal of a threat than he had anticipated. And now they were released. He leaned and whispered into a sentries ear, and he nodded. The sentry then sped to CKack across the room, gripping his shoulder and pulling him to the neck of the ship where a batch of pods lie. “Gah! What?!” Two other guards looked at Dark in wonder, but their leader nodded to them. They did not question. Instead they helped remove the unwanted trash. “No! Please sir! Give me a second chance! I’ll redeem myself!”         “It’s too late for that.” Three sentries forcefully threw CKack’s body into the escape pod encased in the command center of the ship. He squealed and cried, scared out of his mind. They stepped back and locked the thick doors. CKack pounded at the door, begging for mercy. “We have no room for weaklings on this vessel, CKack. You have made too many mistakes this day.” Dark stepped up to the module next to him and, without a glint of hesitation, punched the launch button. The last thing Dark saw before CKack was propelled into space was his horrified eyes. Dark didn’t look back. Instead, he took a rifle from a nearby officer and walked off the deck. He was more than determined to get the deed finished. Before he could continue, a private sped towards him urgently. “S-sorry to interrupt you sir, but–” “You should be,” he said grudgingly, “Trust me private, this had better be important, or else I’ll blow your head off its sockets.” “Someone has hacked into the Arbus computer system, connecting from here to all of the ship! The only thing that was forcibly opened was the ship schematics. Do you think they plan to destroy us from the inside?” “No. They do not posses the brain capacity to even know how to reprogram the generators on the engine level! They plan to escape using our pods.” “So… you're going to stop them?” “No…, I’m going to end them. No one makes a mockery of my ship.” Dark proceeded to walk off toward level eleven. _-_-_ The ship’s architecture was like nothing the main six had ever seen before. Floor eleven hosts the escape pods, medical rooms, and main ammunition. If a war was started somewhere, this would be the place to begin the killings. The pods were perfectly structured horizontally, all surrounding a tube, and once one was activated, it would detach and zoom away into open space. Pinkie Pie led the team now. Up to four groups had intercepted them, but once they saw her pink fizzled mane, they fell apart in electrifying agony. Once they turned the corridor, they saw a massive row of pods, newly made, and ready to blast. “Go go go!” she yelled. The everyone paired off to multiple pods . Applejack Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ran in one while Spongebob and Patrick were sent in another. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nearly entered theirs, but a blue bolt of electricity missed them, instead hitting the pod’s control panel, hindering its automatic flight. Dark stood at the head of hallway, advancing towards them with the rifle in his hooves.         “You thought you can escape from me?” He cocked his head. Pinkie Pie aimed her gun, but Dark was quicker. The massive volt shot through Pinkie’s muzzle, and her rifle exploded. Parts flew everywhere. Pinkie fell back in a daze, and Rarity tried to help her up. Dark aimed the gun again.         “Goodbye, my little ponies.” He pulled the trigger. Twilight didn’t have time to react to the massive bolt whizzing through the air. Spongebob willfully quickly flew out of the pod, and received the volt instead.         “What?!” Quickly Rarity used her magic to pull both Spongebob and Pinkie Pie back inside the pod while Twilight fabricated a shield, then hurled herself inside.         “Goodbye yourself, you crazy little-” Twilight punched the manual launch button at the control panel by the front of the pod, and so did Applejack once she knew she was ready. The thick pod doors instantly shut, then detached. Computer systems activated themselves, and their programming aimed them to the nearest planet: Tartarus. The engine cried, then blasted the pods away. In anger, Dark blindedly fired the gun at the pods, but to no avail.         They swiftly turned away carrying the ponies with them.         The pods fired off towards the planet below. It took less than a minute to reach the atmosphere. Heat picked up, turning the emergency pod into an incoming asteroid. Patrick forcefully pulled a face.         “So this is what it feels like to chew five gum!” _-_-_ Somehow Patrick managed to stretch and make something crack in his arm, even though he never had bones. The main six managed to crawl out of the crashed pods, fortunately near Canterlot territory: and seeing the massive plume of smoke drawing above them. Spongebob looked up at the sky, seeing the ship again floating above the atmosphere, but facing in the opposite direction. He could already feel the anger from Dark now.         “That’ll show him!” He raised his fist in pride, but drew it back down, seeing the seared off core in the side of his body and uniform. “Spongebob… your body is…” Twilight wanted to cry, but stopped as the flesh of the sponge healed up immediately.         “... oh.”        “T-thank Celestia!” Rainbow Dash said, fluttering away. “I won’t ever be doing that again!”         “It’s not over.” Patrick said, looking back up into the sky. Rainbow Dash turned around.         “Come again?” she asked. “He’s right…” Pinkie cried out, a medium sized burn across her cheek. “As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. It’s not over. I realize that you might think that their hyperdrive will already be preset to launch soon, but they still have a solid two hours. They’ll be back. And they’ll be persistent.” “Are you kidding me!? I just went through all that, and now I’ll have to do again?! I-I won’t! I refuse!”         “I’m sorry, Rainbow. But it looks like we have to…” A tear crossed her face. Pinkie looked like something that she rarely seemed to be: exhausted. She had done all the heavy lifting, and now that she was weakened, maybe they won't receive the same mercy they had before.         “Not if we change our fate,” said Spongebob, defiantly. He turned his head to Patrick, who nodded in agreement. “I say we take the battle to them! I realize that I put you through plenty today, and that you all seem tired, and afraid. But this is an adventure! And they are the ones who attacked us first! I say we invade that vessel with gutsy and strife. And maybe we can take the Arbus ourselves!”         “... can… can we really do it?” pondered Rarity. “We’re the elements of harmony! Of course we can! And they’re gonna be here soon anyways… Rainbow Dash, didn’t you want to bash their heads in once or twice?” asked Pinkie.         “I do enjoy a good head bashing…”         “And I bet Applejack and Fluttershy want to give them a piece of their minds as well?”         The two looked at each other, thought for a second, then nodded. The rest of the group looked at Twilight for a final decision, and she was caught off guard by the response. What changed their minds so quickly? Their ambition? Their will to go on?         All she wanted to do was go back and see Celestia and her family, but the enemy would be back. Then she reminded herself of Canterlots destruction, the cries of fear that rang through her ears when she flew through Canterlot. Maybe they did need a good beating. “You know what?” she started, “Lets do it…” _-_______-_