Shadows of a Silent Pony

Chapters

The Velvet Room
The True Self
The Promise
Sour Sugar: Level 1
Sour Sugar: Level 2
The Magician
Interlude Part 1

The Velvet Room

Shin Megami Tensei Persona:

Shadows of a Silent Pony

Chapter 1: The Velvet Room

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Welcome to the Velvet Room. It has been quite the long while since we last had a visitor from this particular world. Not for well over a thousand years. You are but one of many guests I’ve had in the course of my time here in this room. You will soon enter a contract in the coming days to uncover a mystery. What you choose to do is entirely up to you. I, however, will assist you in your destiny, by providing the means you need to unlock your true potential. All that I ask in return is that you take responsibility for your actions...

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Tuesday March 3rd, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Morning

You are Big Macintosh Apple. Co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres and the strongest pony in Ponyville. Between your masculine red coat, orange hair, and large stature, you are the embodiment of what all stallions want to be. Your interests include work, pretty mares, and being STRONG. You’re certainly cool. Almost as cool as the Elements of Harmony. You’d like to think you’re almost as cool as Rainbow Dash, even. Almost.

You are by far the most eligible bachelor in Ponyville, with many pretty mares infatuated with you from afar. Between your rippling muscles and your perfect, chiseled chin, no mare can possibly resist your perfect body.

Hey! That’s mah brother yer talkin’ about!

“... What in tarnation?” Big Macintosh opened his eyes, glancing over to the closet. The normally silent stallion hefted himself out of bed, pulling the quilts and blankets off of his body and kicking them back onto the bed. The behemoth of a workhorse opened the closet door across from his bed. He stared blankly at the scene before him. His sister and her two friends were sitting in his closet, the three of them looking up to him with expressions of absolute embarrassment.

Mac glanced down at the three, each trying to shuffle and hide wads of paper. From what he could make out, the three had hastily scribbled notes that looked similar to what they were saying. A shiver went down the stallion’s spine upon noticing the copious amount of hearts drawn on Sweetie Belle’s pages. He gave his sister a stern look, never breaking eye contact with her.

“I, uh, guess we’re not gettin’ a ‘Cutie Mark Crusader Life Narrator’ cutie mark then?” Apple Bloom tried to give her brother the cutest, most innocent grin she could.

He faltered. He berated himself as he sighed and walked away. The stallion readied himself for the day as the fillies quickly exited, with Apple Bloom shoving Sweetie Belle out rather forcefully. Mac gave his rough, orange mane a quick brush-over before he pulled his yoke off its nail on the wall and down onto his neck, prepared to face whatever may come. Despite that weird dream. Someone was monologuing to him about something related to contracts and taking responsibility for his actions.

He certainly wasn’t an immature little schoolcolt. He knew more than anypony else how to pony up and stick to his choices. He didn’t need some dream voice to remind him of that. The apple farmer went about his day the same as usual. The walk to town was quiet, as usual. There was little he loved more than his time to himself in the late morning. To hear the birds and smell the grass.

Mac walked at his normal, measured pace to Ponyville. Along the way, he saw his sister and her friends trying some new, surely hare-brained attempt to get their cutie marks. He smirked a bit at their tenacity. He did admire their perseverance. It’d help them later in life when they finally reached puberty. Celestia knew how hard that was for everypony.

The stallion glanced over an odd cart covered in stars and crescent moons, snorting a bit as he remembered that Trixie gal. She was a pain to deal with, all things considered. But he couldn’t stay too mad at someone driven insane by a magical artifact. It wasn’t the weirdest thing to happen to Ponyville, after all. That and the whole thing about Princess Twilight's doll Smarty Pants left him wondering if they were really all that different.

As he started reaching the town proper, he saw familiar faces left and right. Cheerilee was enjoying the day off from teaching, he guessed due to the holiday. Some old harvest day that never fell out of style. He gave Cheerilee a passing nod, the mare giving him a rather wide smile in response. His eyes turned skyward as a rainbow blur flew past overhead. He could clearly see that Rainbow Dash girl and miss Fluttershy were discussing something while flying toward the town library. He presumed they were going to go meet Princess Twilight for something.

He stopped for a moment as a single blue butterfly floated near his face. The odd little creature seemed to be completely translucent, and made up entirely of a shade of blue Mac could only describe as 'perfect'. He couldn't help but wonder why there was such a beautiful, odd insect like it so far away from the depths of the Everfree Forest. After circling his head a few times, the butterfly lazily flew away as Mac once more paid attention to the world around him. The town square seemed to be filled with ponies. Tuesdays always were busy.

He gave a grin at how lively things always were around town, even as his walk came to an end as finally reached the Ponyville marketplace to set up shop. The same indention in the grass from the cart still remained from so many other days of apple sales. He parked it in the exact same place as always, and waited for his customers to arrive.

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Tuesday March 3rd, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Evening

Big MacIntosh packed up shop, being sure to put the bit till into the cart securely. He didn’t want any thieves coming around, though they were few and far between in Ponyville. He couldn’t fault a mare or stallion for needing money to feed their family, but he couldn’t just let it come from his family’s pockets either. The workhorse hitched himself to the cart, starting the evening walk back home.

While he loved the time he got alone, it was boring after a while. His sister always had her shenanigans to tend to thanks to her friends, but those weekly misadventures almost never involved him in any major way. The closest times he’d had to anything like that was when he had to repair the gazebo (for which he was frustrated at Apple Bloom for an entire week after), the time the family nearly lost the farm to those two unicorn con-ponies, and the whole debacle with the love poison.

He halted in place at the memory of those few short days. Even though it was forced, that short-lived relationship was about as close as he’d gotten to having a special somepony. While what the Crusaders said that morning was for the most part true, barring the rather embarrassing admission from Rarity’s sister, he honestly had never had anypony approach him about something like that. None had proposed a date in school, nor asked him if he were free. He wasn’t quite sure what it was. Perhaps acknowledgement of his obligation to his family? Intimidation by his stature and musculature? His own inability to pick up on something subtle?

He let the line of thought go, continuing his walk back home. He knew better than to fret about 'what ifs' when it came to love. It simply wasn't his thing, he guessed. He halted for a moment as he looked at the barn, a lit lantern near the hay loft telling him everything he needed to know. His sister was using it for a party of some sort. Mac grinned as he parked the cart by the barn, picking up the bit till with his teeth and carrying it inside the house.

He set the metal container down gently on the kitchen table, stretching his shoulders and rear legs out after the long day. He couldn't seem to tell why, but he felt more tired than usual for a Tuesday. All he did was check up on the barn and sell some apples. Most sales days left him restless from the small amount of work involved. He reached his room after heaving his way up the stairs, unable to care enough to take his yoke off as he reached his room. It wasn't worth the effort to take off.

The stallion flopped down onto the mattress, creating an audible creak as he fell dead asleep against the worn out piece of furniture. His dreams were blank for a time. Dark nothingness. A wonderful void that only gave rest to his weary bones. He stirred after a few moments. His ears perked up as the beautiful singing voice of a mare sang out to him, with a beautiful piano accompaniment. He couldn't rightly say what the words were, given the style of music, but he could appreciate the beauty of the composition.

His eyes slowly opened, soothed by the calm glow of some odd blue light. This was a first for his dreams. Usually they involved apples or apple trees in some way. Not plush couches, a large table, an assortment of fine wines in a cooler nearby, and Princess Luna, dressed in an outfit that screamed 'flight attendant' while standing next to a rather large sitting room chair, all in what appeared to be a giant train car instead of a room. Wait. Princess Luna?

Mac had heard of the Princess of the Night appearing in dreams to aid her subjects in some manner regarding their fears. But given the nature of the soft couch, the large, blue themed room, and the beautiful music, he had to guess she was a figment of his imagination. Or rather, a construct of the dream.

She spoke plainly to the apple farmer, "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am indeed Princess Luna, my fair paramour. Your kindness has not been forgotten from the festival of months past. However, I am not here to speak with you of the past."

The lunar princess adjusted her dress with her magic, the solid blue outfit accented by various arcane symbols drawn on it in black. She took a moment to take a deep breath, as if to calm herself. Mac didn't even know that royalty like her needed to calm down. He'd always assumed that they were in control of themselves all the time. His eyes felt wide open as he looked around the room, finding no one but her as she continued.

"I am here to assist you in an oncoming journey. I am a subordinate to another servant of my Lord, Philemon."

Mac opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent as she raised a hoof.

"It is not important for you to know of him or his works, proud stallion of the Apple Family. Instead, you must know what my Lord has decided to give unto you. I cannot inform you of this. Instead, my companion may fill in the gaps," motioned toward a door near the back of the room.

A nearly hairless, bipedal thing dressed in a dark blue suit slowly walked to the chair directly across from Big Macintosh, taking his seat while the Princess stood. His nose was rather large, almost protruding from his face, and his hair on his head was surely balding on the top. His eyes appeared bloodshot and bulging from his skull, while his ears appeared to be pointed like those of a bat. He set his hands down on the table, fingers interlaced as he looked at the stallion.

"I see. Welcome to the Velvet Room. My companion Luna has told me much of your world. It has been ever so long since I've had a guest that was conscious of their time here after only the first contact. My name is Igor."

The odd creature bowed to the earth pony, taking a moment before speaking further, "I am here to assist you in your journey. A great tragedy is to befall your land of Equestria. I needn't explain for now, but soon, you shall enter into a contract, and you will be granted the power to overcome life's hardships. When the time has come, we will meet again. Until then, pleasant dreams."

The odd room faded to darkness as Mac shot up in his bed. Glancing down at the sheets, a glimmering object caught his attention. Picking it up gingerly with a hoof, he stared at the small glass key. It glowed a vibrant blue, as it it were meant to be part of that dream world he'd just awoken from. The groggy stallion's eyes shot even wider open as the object disappeared in his grasp, as if evaporating into a series of sparkles.

"Uh..." Mac tried to process what had happened, coming up short with every explanation for the item.

Big MacIntosh had always hated Tuesdays in Ponyville. Something weird always showed up on Tuesday. Fashion shows, Princess Twilight going insane over deadlines, Cerberus showing up to wreak havoc, Pinkie Pie babysitting... The list went on. He wasn't too terribly surprised when he found out Pinkie Pie's date of birth was indeed on a Tuesday as well.

Hefting himself up from the bed, he groggily made his way over to his dresser. He stared into the mirror on top, his reflection staring back. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was 11:50 PM. Well beyond the usual time he went to sleep. He didn't seem all that different after that magical key disappeared. At least, he guessed it as magical. What other explanation was there? Aside from the obvious guess that he was slowly going crazy. It had to be magic.

However, he heard a girlish scream coming from the barn. A thousand thoughts rushed through his mind as he barreled past his bed room door and down the stairs. A single conclusion came to mind: it had to be something from the Everfree Forest. As he thought it over, reaching the barn doors, he realized that the voice had to be Spike. With a quick glance upward, he saw no lantern in the loft. The party was well over, and from the yelling coming from the house, he knew Applejack was definitely not in the barn.

"Damn it." He cursed as he pushed the doors open with both hooves.

He grew stock-still as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He counted no less than a dozen stallions inside. In the moonlight, he could plainly see each of them. All of them had black coats, with a porcelain blue half-mask over their eyes and snout. Each of them looked as if they were made of ink. The moment the doors slammed against the walls, each and every one turned toward him. Their bodies shimmered as they moved, every motion altering their bodies.

As their hooves lifted up and came back down as they walked, the tips and edges of the skin appeared to be blank paper until they settled. Once they did, they seemed to gain several deep pencil lines and then massive ink outlines. Whatever they were, they weren't equine. The screams had lowered in volume, but were coming from whatever the ink stallions were standing around. Whatever they were, they charged at him, galloping at full speed.

Mac grabbed the hatchet he and Applejack kept on one of the nearby support beams using his teeth. He kicked at the nearest non-pony thing to send it flying at the wall. His head turned quickly to lodge hatchet's blade into the mask of one of the intruders. The beast disintegrated, his body becoming a fine mist of ink and magic embers. The other that had hit the wall had done the same. Mac could only guess that these things truly were magic constructs of ink.

Since they weren't ponies, he didn't have to worry about hurting them too badly. He steeled himself as he ran at another with the blade, slicing it its mask as well. The remaining ponies hesitated, each one wailing unnervingly as they retreated to the item they were standing around. As each approached it, they were sucked into some sort of void. Mac followed, reaching the spot on the barn floor he'd found them.

He paused as he glanced it over. There was only a broken flashlight and an open comic book. He tentatively poked the book, only to feel an odd suction against his hoof. As he tried to pull away, his entire leg was pulled in. The more he struggled, the more of his body was pulled inside the paper. Once his head was in, he found himself falling through a deep void of dancing colors. His vision went black once more as he landed on something hard.

Maretropolis

He tapped his hoof against the ground as he settled. It was concrete. He worriedly glanced around as he found a giant urban environment around him. A city of some kind? It looked just like Manehatten, but all the signs read 'Maretropolis'. As he regained his bearings, his eyes went wide. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of the Ink Stallions from the barn stood around him. With only the hatchet in his mouth, the farmpony readied himself for the oncoming fray.

Mac felt nauseous as he waited for his foes to move. His entire body felt like it was on fire, every fiber of his being crying out in pain. The hatchet fell from his teeth to the ground, clattering against the pavement. He glared up at the Ink Stallions, as he decided to call them, trying to muster what strength he could. His ears perked up as a chime rang out. His eyes glanced up toward the unrealistically full moon, catching sight of the blue butterfly from the market. A single word echoed in his mind.

"Per... so... na-" He sounded out each syllable as his hooves were wreathed in blue flames. The Earth Pony stomped on the ground as he screamed once more, "Perseus!"

The flames erupted around Mac, a large, bipedal figure standing behind him. "Thou art I. I am thou. Thou hast called upon thine inner strength to form me. Mine name is Perseus, son of Zeus, King of the Gods!" The creature appeared to be much like Igor, only bare of any clothing, save for a winged helmet upon his head, and a loincloth. In his hands he held a sword and a shield, the latter covered in the face of some hideous creature.

Mac stared at this being, awe inspired by the powerful presence of the beast. He could only watch as it moved with the utmost agility to slash its blade down upon the heads of the nearest Ink Stallions.

"Wh-What are ya'?" The bewildered pony asked as the giant continued to decimate the ink ponies.

Perseus halted as he sheathed his blade into one of the being's skulls, "I am your Persona, MacIntosh Apple."

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Save Data?

>Yes

-No

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Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

1/10 Understanding

1/10 Knowledge

2/10 Courage

1/10 Expression

1/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Equipment:

Weapon: n/a

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

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Save Complete

The True Self

Tuesday March 3rd, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Night

The night sky over Maretropolis was clear as always, giving just the right amount of lighting to allow the silhouette of Mac's Persona to loom over him. Perseus, as he said his name was, stood well over the simple farm pony. The stallion gathered himself as the Ink Stallions started slinking away into the shadows of the city's various alleyways. He shot the warrior before him a wary glance as he thought over his next move.

"We need to find the one you heard screaming." Whatever Perseus was, he was well aware of whatever Mac had planned. If it weren't for the helmet, Mac would've sworn he was smiling, "I am your Persona, Macintosh. I am a part of you. The Persona is a representation of the mind, the mask one uses to overcome life's hardships. The moment you swore in your heart to find your friend Spike, the contract needed for this power to awaken was made."

Mac flatly stared at him in frustration, holding up a hoof and rolling it in the air as a sign for his 'partner' or whatever to continue.

"Sorry. I haven't been summoned in eons. Pardon me for wanting to talk to my newest User a bit." The warrior slung his blade toward a straggling Ink Stallion, pinning the creature to the ground as it wailed out in a pained, unearthly plea of desperation. Perseus grabbed the sides of its skull with his bare hands, twisting its neck as fast and hard as he could manage. The body of the ink-based construct melted into nothingness as its cries were silenced.

Big MacIntosh shook his head as slowly closed his mouth, walking past the overzealous Persona. The creature walked without a sound to catch up, his feet not even needing to touch the ground. Mac caught out of the corner of his eye that Perseus was floating near him, his legs dangling as he moved beside his 'User' as he'd been called.

The earth pony started exploring the city, though each time he strayed from the path to what appeared to be a cosmetics factory, each alleyway would act as some sort of invisible wall, pushing him toward it once more. He tapped his hoof against it. It was solid. The magic sort of solid, like the shielding spells Princess Twilight had him help test. He shrugged it off as he continued toward the factory, guessing that something was intending for him to go there. Perhaps that something would have answers.

Perseus appeared to be looking over the thing that had called him into existence. "Pardon me, but perhaps, MacIntosh of the Apple Clan, you should steel yourself with a real weapon before going into the lion's den?" He clanged his own sword against his shield in some form of military gesture, his muscles flexing heavily as he did so.

Mac gave him another, tired stare as he walked over to one of the many mailboxes on the street. With the quick kick of a single hind hoof, the well trained apple farmer kicked the metal container over, bending its hind legs and ripping the front pair from the concrete below. He stared fairly hard at the Persona, giving a small grin afterward.

"You would have made a great soldier even among my men when I was alive!" Perseus laughed heartily at the display, quieting himself as he gave his User a solemn nod. "Whatever may lie beyond those doors, I will assist you."

The pair ran at the door of the factor. MacIntosh slammed himself against it to tear through the weak barrier of wood and concrete. Perseus followed behind, running past his recovering User and taking a defensive stance. The warrior relaxed as he took a moment to glance around.

"No one seems to be around." He stated to Mac, lending a hand down to help the pony up from the ground. "However, there seems to be a portal just beyond," he pointed to a large mirror across the factory floor from them, "there."

Big MacIntosh stood tall as he shrugged off the mild pain in his shoulder, walking, though at a slightly slower pace, toward the mirror. He raised an eyebrow toward Perseus, the Persona shrugging in kind. Deciding he'd had enough pussyfooting about magical objects, he ran through the mirror, landing on the other side of it in what appeared to be a dungeon of some kind?

Bound Castle, Basement 1

He took a moment to investigate the immediate area. He still looked the same, and Perseus had followed, but the moment he pressed a hoof against the mirror, it shattered like every mirror he'd touched in the real world. 'Real world'. It dawned upon the pony as he thought it over.

"Yes, MacIntosh. This world is a magical construct, but it does not make it any less real for the one inside it. That is the fate of those who are attacked by Shadows. The ones you've dubbed 'Ink Stallions' are the most basic form of them. Shadows are a representation of the opposite of a Persona. They are the darkness and toxic feelings in the hearts of people. Or in this case, ponies." Perseus continued talking, though in a far more serious tone than before.

"When a Shadow attacks a person- or pony- the intent is to kill. Shadows attack the mind. They create a place that fatigues individuals who have no power. Once the victims are disoriented and begin to panic, the Shadows swarm." As the Persona explained, several Ink Stallions, this time dressed in crude armor started appearing at the edges of Mac's vision.

"And finally, when there are enough to keep the target safe, and to kill the target." The two stood back to back as they were slowly surrounded by these Armored Ink Stallions.

"And?" Mac inquired firmly, glancing back to Perseus, who had trailed off. He didn't know how, but there was a smile under that helmet for sure.

The warrior banged the flat of his sword against his shield in pride again as he awaited the fray, "The swarm is still small, and we are strong."

The two grew dead silent as the clattering of armor and the unearthly wails of the Shadows grew louder. Both dashed from one another as the beasts were upon them. Mac threw himself into the nearest group, tackling several to the ground. He reared up to buck several as they grew close, trying his best to avoid the blades the Shadows now boasted.

He kicked the blade from one of the Shadow's mouths, cracking its mask in the process. The sword remained, wedged into the cobblestones of the floor. Mac pulled the sword from the ground, which if he remembered right from the Royal Guard literature he was given, was called a 'gladius'. No matter what it was called, he held it between his teeth firmly, trying not to think about the taste of ink on his tongue.

Something felt right about holding it, Mac mused. It was simple, but functional. He grinned, running toward the stairs that he presumed led out of the dungeon. With a whip of his head, he easily sliced through several of the Shadows. Before he could reach the door, he stood stock-still, his mind slowed down to nothing.

Before his eyes, the workhorse saw a thousand cards, flipped on their backs, save for a hoofful. The ones he could see held several different images. A singular cup. A sword. A bit. A gnarled branch. Three in particular were a goo monster, a presumably female version of Perseus with wings, and another female biped holding a veil, dressed in white. The moment his hoof reached out, the cards that caught his attention were caught in a whirlwind. He grabbed at the nearest one with his hoof, pressing it to the ground.

A single name came to mind as he stood at the top of the stairs. "Apsaras." He called out as he stomped his hoof onto the ground.

The blue flames that erupted from them previously wreathed Perseus, rapidly revealing a new form. Mac glanced over his shoulder as this transformation took place. A serene female stood behind him, her skin a deep blue, and her body lithe. Her torso was wrapped in a silk leotard, with many sheer veils wrapped around her arms and waist. Her arms held several bangles, and a circlet kept her hair in place. She appeared to be a dancer of some sort, possibly a priestess of some foreign religion.

"Thou art I, and I am thou. My name is Apsaras." The creature spoke in a calm, almost emotionless voice, whose words flowed like a gentle stream into the stallion's ears. "I have arisen from your sea of soul. You may summon me when you are in need, fair son of the Apple Clan." While her legs were long and graceful, she did not touch the ground, floating in place as she spoke.

"Perseus." Mac called out as he turned around to face his Persona. He stomped his hoof on the ground, the brilliant blue flames changing the female back into the male he'd used. "Apsaras." He called again, changing his Persona once more.

He gave the quiet Persona a solemn nod, turning back to face the door. He reared up onto his hind legs, punching through the obstacle with his forehooves. Ignoring the Shadows around him, he ran down what seemed to be a very long castle hallway. He glanced at the walls, barely able to make out several different stained glass windows. Each one depicted various unicorns and their triumphs of magic. Or it could've been a really long how-to guide for unicorns. Mac frowned inwardly as he realized how ignorant he was of magical practices.

"Shut up!" He heard as he rounded a corner, a large pair of double doors before him.

"You will not mock the Great and Powerful Trixie with this foolish display!" The voice was the same third person speaking mare that had shown off before the town, and encased it inside a giant glass dome.

He pushed the doors open quickly, both of them slamming into the walls they were connected to. Before him, in what appeared to be a giant throne room, stood not one, but two Trixie's. One stood over the other, dressed in her typical magician's hat and cloak. Something was off. Her eyes shimmered gold, and some sort of ambient aura around her made the air surrounding her as black as pitch. The second Trixie seemed primarily normal, but bare of any clothing, and in tears.

The frightened one spoke up, "Shut up. I'm not like that!"

"Oh? Tell Trixie then: why do you travel around, trying to show your magical skill to others for any purpose other than to feel good about yourself? You are weak. You need the approval of others to feel good about yourself!" The odd Trixie jabbed a hoof accusingly at the other one, her sadistic smile growing by the moment.

"You need to be another Trixie, a stage Trixie, to function properly, if you can even call it that. You're so pathetic. The Great and Powerful Trixie is the only 'real' Trixie. After all, Lulamoon is such a boring name. It sounds so bland and dull. Nothing like how the words 'Great' and 'Powerful' sound. Then again, even thinking something like that makes you such an unbelievable egotist. In the end, if you aren't condescending and showing off to others, you aren't the real Trixie!" The dark Trixie continued lifted the other one's chin with her hoof, maliciously glaring down to her counterpart.

Apsaras approached Mac's side, leaning in close to speak into his ear quietly. "You may wish to intervene." It advised, awaiting his response.

The stallion nodded to his Persona, before charging at the two, "Git away from her!"

"You're wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! I'm nothing like that." As the normal, bare Trixie spoke, the other one grinned more and more. "You aren't me!"

The castle rumbled with a foreboding quake, the ground beneath Mac's hooves feeling more and more unstable. He looked up at the golden eyed Trixie as she began laughing.

The mare pulled her hat down to cover her eyes, "You're right. I'm not you. I'm me now." The shade around her coalesced, as if pitch black flesh were growing off of the mare. The giant chamber was soon filled with an enormous mare made of the dark matter. "I am a Shadow, the True Self!" the beast roared as it towered over the original Trixie, her height well exceeding many times the stage magician's.

ENCOUNTER

Magic Marionette

Mac observed the creature as he approached the mare in need, staring up at the beast. It seemed to look exactly like Trixie did on stage. Her hat, her cape, even a sickeningly vibrant cutie mark, all formed from the strange shadow-flesh. In its chest was a giant heart-shaped hole, reaching from the front to back, and inside, strung up like a marionette, was the first dark Trixie.

He glanced back at the real Trixie, who laid beside him on the floor in an unconscious heap.

"Think you can take the Great and Powerful Trixie, little colt?" The twisted, mangled copy produced an inequine laugh, far more sick and monstrous than the farmer had ever heard before.

He locked eyes with the smaller Trixie inside the beast, snorting as he gripped down tighter on the handle between his teeth. He managed to grunt past the item, "Apsaras! Bufu!" He didn't quite know what the second name was, but it felt right.

His Persona appeared as his side, waving her hands around one another before pulling them away. A collumn of ice shot from the ground before the dark Trixie, stabbing itself into the giant pony's belly. She didn't take kindly to the attack, howling in anger, "Agi!"

The ground near Mac burst into flames, leaving naught but scorch marks on the tile. The earth pony scooped the real Trixie onto his back, retreating to one of the many columns around the throne room. "Apsaras! Bufu!" He called out again as he ran, ducking behind the marble pillar with the unconscious unicorn.

A sudden searing pain shot up his forehooves as he glanced out from his cover. His Persona was slowly being impeded upon by a torrent of flames coming from the giant magician pony's mouth. The smaller pony that took the place of it's heart kept yelling 'Agi' over and over, surely casting the spell repeatedly at the biped. The longer he stared, the worse his legs burned.

He forcefully tapped his hoof against the ground, panting as he did so, "Perseus!"

The warrior took the place of the dancer, holding the flames back easily with his shield. Mac couldn't feel the searing against his legs any more, the cold air agitating the burns. He quickly examined Perseus, trying to find something like the order he gave Apsaras. Within a moment, he had it. "Zio!"

The biped guarding against the Shadow Trixie's attacks roared, thrusting his sword into the air. A moment later, a storm of lightning bolts struck down upon the head of the giant unicorn, each striking her horn with the utmost precision. The beast recoiled, an unearthly howl coming from her as her body curled. Not wasting a moment, Mac ran at the fiend, galloping up the monster's neck and back to jump into the heart-shaped hole. With a pair of quick, measured swings of his newly acquired sword, the farm pony cut a swath through the mare's hooves, forcing her out of the larger body.

The flesh borne from shadow disappeared, leaving only the golden eyed Trixie, who didn't seem to put up much more of a fight. Mac pulled himself from her back hesitantly, simply watching her as he backed up slowly to the real Trixie. As soon as he glanced to the real one, she seemed to rouse from her fainting spell.

"Wh-What happened?" The real Trixie asked as she rubbed her forehead with her hoof, opening her eyes slowly. After a single moment, she was back on her hooves inching away from the other her. "N-Not again!" She cried at the other mare.

Big Macintosh placed himself between the two, glancing down into the real one's eyes. He gave a silent, slow nod to her, backing out of her way again as the unicorn calmed herself.

"Applejack's brother? Why are you here?" All she gained in response was a shrug, and a quick motion back over to the other her. "No! I can't talk to whatever that thing is." She tried to turn away, only to have Mac lean in a bit closer.

"Ah can't rightly say ah know 'bout whatever goes on inside the minds of other ponies. But, ah do know this: everypony has things they ain't proud of, things they don't like about themselves. Ya' can't just ignore it and run away from the problem. Ya' gotta face yerself and accept that ya' ain't perfect." Mac looked down upon the showmare with those big, soulful eyes of his, giving her a gentle smile, and extending a hoof out for her.

Trixie hesitated, flinching at his statement as he mentioned 'not liking' the self. She glanced up at his face, shuffling her hooves as she watched his calm, still form. She gave him a small, nervous smile and a nod, reaching out to hold his hoof with her own for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, her formerly shaking chest calming. She looked over to the other her, standing alone, surrounded by whisps of darkness rising from her hooves.

"You may not be who I am entirely. But," the real Trixie conceded, "You're a part of me. You are me."

The unicorn's Shadow let her expression soften to a pacified smile, the dark strands flowing upward slowly glowing a strong blue. A blaze of the same flames Mac had become ever so slightly familiar with revealed another biped. This one was wrapped in a cloak that appeared to be a sea of stars, her skin a matching translucent black. Her eyes were both glowing a vibrant purple, matching the dark shade of it that covered the witch's hat upon her head. Cascades of luxurious hair lay underneath the hat, it in and of itself an almost iridescent gold. In her left hand was a caduceus, and in her right a tincture of some indiscernible liquid.

"Thou art I. And I am thou. Thou hast called upon thine inner strength to form me. My name is Circe, goddess of magic, and daughter of Hekate. I suppose I'll be your Persona." The female ape-thing bowed to her new User, despite her final words bearing a tired, sarcastic tone.

Mac watched as Trixie looked the creature up and down, her expression equal parts confused and unimpressed, "What are you?"

"Your Persona. Weren't you listening?" Circe answered with a groan, bringing a hand up to rub her forehead.

"I mean your species, or whatever. You look like a hairless monkey covered in star maps."

"I am what you'd call a 'human'," the creature began, "More or less. I'm more of a metaphysical representation of an archetype held within the collective unconsciousness of mankind, but for your droll little question, I'm a woman."

Trixie huffed at the Persona, tapping her hoof on the ground. With a burst of flame, Circe was dismissed. "Wha-" The unicorn found herself looking for the woman again, only to find nothing.

Mac imitated the gesture, winking Perseus out of existence. With a wave, he called the mare's attention to him. "Persona! Apsaras!"

Another blaze revealed the blue skinned female, bowing before Trixie. The show mare looked over the new human, finding herself in awe of the stallion. "You have two of them? Is that a standard thing? Can Trixie trade her arrogant thing in for this quiet one?"

Mac gave her a shrug, motioning toward Apsaras once more. "Perhaps you should learn from your recent 'encounter', Miss Trixie." The blue skinned human replied with a demure smile.

Trixie gave little more than a nervous laugh before turning to Mac. "Y-Yes. So, how do we get out of here? I'm feeling exhausted." She stated as her knees began shaking.

Even Mac could feel the strain of the oppressive world around them. Wherever they were, it most certainly wasn't Equestria. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings.

"Where did you enter from, Miss Trixie?" His Persona inquired, her smile never budging an inch.

"Well, the way I entered this dream was through that hallway. The heroine Shimmer Collar brought me down this hallway to face the evil Leather Whip, in a rather," the mare blushed a deep red as she started to explain what happened, her breath hitching nervously as she paused for a moment, "Compromising confrontation. Then that dark me appeared, and I suppose you two appeared to save my flank."

Apsaras glanced over to the double doors leading away from the throne. "Lead on, Miss Trixie." The Persona grinned, motioning toward the giant double doors. The blue unicorn walked up to the marble colored portal and pressed her hooves against it. She and Mac were surrounded by a white light on all sides, both squeezing their eyes shut.

The two grunted after a few moments. Mac felt as if he where thrown across a bar by a minotaur. Which wasn't entirely inaccurate. As his eyes opened, he found himself in a small, cramped wagon. His back was pressed against what felt like a dozen tiny bottles as he lay belly-up on a table against the wall.

He glanced up from his predicament at Trixie, who, thankfully, was propped up against a chair. Mac gave no mind to his current position, simply righting himself onto his hooves on the floor. He guessed, since there weren't too many wagons that were large enough for a pony in town, that it was Trixie's.

"W-Well, I suppose none of that was a dream then." Trixie awkwardly tried to pull her cloak over her with her magic, as if embarrassed by her nudity.

Mac glanced down to the table across from the one he was shot on to. There, lying in all its glory, was a porn comic. A heavily bondage themed porn comic. Starring two unicorn mares. He could faintly see an outline over the cutie marks of the characters. Trixie quickly threw herself onto the table, covering the comic with her hooves. She nervously laughed, "N-Nothing to see here."

Mac gave her a hard stare, gently pulling the item in question away from her via his teeth. "Oh my. Well, that certainly explains how you got into that other world then." Apsaras's voice echoed out, the Persona standing next to her User as she observed the item in question.

"Q-Quiet! It's n-not what it looks like." Trixie tried to pull it away from Mac, only for him to dodge each time.

"What my User is trying to say is that perhaps he and I should keep this somewhere safe until the two of you figure out why you both were pulled into that world."

The unicorn huffed as she rubbed her forehoof, staring at the floor. Her face was flushed a brighter shade of red than a Gala apple in September. "It's- It's an enchanted comic. The kind that pull you in to live the story. B-But they never had monsters like that, or even you for that matter! Why are you even in the real world!" She pointed a hoof accusingly at the woman.

"Those were Shadows, my dear. They appear in all mortal worlds when certain conditions are met. Likewise for us Personae." Apsaras bowed before the mare with the same calm smile, the expression seeming more smug than before.

Trixie grumbled in frustration, getting up from the table with her head hanging low. She idly offered a hoof out to Mac. "Thank you for rescuing me, Applejack's brother. I- I'm sorry about what I did with the whole Alicorn Amulet thing. The Great and- I'm trying to make up for acting like such a jerk before, if you'll forgive me?"

Mac gave her a moment before shrugging and giving a simple, "Eeyup."

Trixie's eyes shot open, keeping them locked on his. "What? Just like that? No 'you're a fraud and will always be one'? No 'you should leave and never come back'?"

"Nnnope." He sat down to pull his hooves up to his mouth, slowly placing the comic book between his work yoke and his neck. He grinned as he fixed it just so, extending his hoof to shake hers. An idle, somewhat ominous voice rang out in his mind as time seemed to stand still. He could see a single card floating before him. It appeared to be a pair of eyes staring past a flame, held within two hands.

Thou art I. And I am thou.

Thou hast established a new bond.

May this bond bring thee closer to the truth.

Thou shalt have our blessing when crafting Personae of the Magician Arcana.

The card disappeared as he shot a glance over to Apsaras, who gave an idle bow of the head toward him as he let go of Trixie's hoof. "Well, perhaps we should discuss this tomorrow if we're to get anywhere with it?" Trixie dismissed as she tugged at the sheets of her bed with her magic.

Mac gave her a half-nod, slowly walking toward the door.

"By the way, what is your name, exactly?"

"Big Macintosh," he replied without missing a beat, closing the door behind him as he walked on toward the farm. He roughly tapped his hoof against the ground, not caring to look back as he felt his Persona dismiss. The walk back to the farm was tiring. Exhausting, even.

He reached the barn again, waltzing inside to find the same comic book as before in the middle of the hay-strewn mess on the floor. The title read Power Ponies Volume 4: Attack of the Dunn Derby Devil. He placed it in his yoke as well, carrying it with him over to the rusty tool chest he claimed as his own. Applejack never looked in it, since he was the only one who could remotely open it. With a swift movement of his hoof, he shoved both of the comic books into the top drawer, and locked it.

Without a care for where he did so, the stallion found the nearest hay bale and promptly fell asleep against it. Just another weird Tuesday.

=====================================================================

Save Data?

>Yes

-No

=====================================================================

Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

1/10 Understanding

1/10 Knowledge

2/10 Courage

2/10 Expression

1/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Trixie's Questionable Comic

Power Ponies Vol. 4

Equipment:

Weapon: Gladius

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

=====================================================================

Save Complete

The Promise

Wednesday March 4th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Morning

"Mac?" A familiar voice called. The pony in question turned away from it, ignoring the scrapes he got from his makeshift mattress. It was too early to work, for once.

"Mac." It sounded annoyed. He'd get up soon enough either way. What was the rush?

"Mac!" A jolt of ungodly pain shot through his side, roughly in the shape of a hoof. Applejack was giving him a wake-up call. If it weren't for the sore spot on his side, he'd be amused by the role reversal, considering how many late nights she spent on her adventures with her friends.

His eyes fluttered open as he rolled himself onto his hooves, examining his surroundings beyond the orange and yellow blob that he assumed was his sister. He was out in the barn. He'd fallen asleep against a hay bale after that craziness with the comic books. He became more lucid as he remembered the two comic books stashed away in his tool chest. Taking a moment to gather himself, he could even feel in his personal 'pocket dimension' that he had a piece of metal, roughly the size of a medium length blade, stored inside.

Applejack pulled him from his concentration, waving a hoof in front of his face. "Just where in Tartarus were you last night!"

He gave his sister a shrug and confused expression, hoping she'd buy it.

"Now don't you gimme none o' that 'I dunno' business! Ya' ain't no li'l colt stayin' out at a friend's house on no social calls. Yer a grown stallion, and ya' should act like it. Now, get yer flank in gear. It's almost noon, and Twilight's called a town meeting." Even as his sister walked away, it'd been ages since he'd last seen her so mad at him. Still, a town meeting called by Princess Twilight was surely some kind of big news. Or vague premonitions of 'doom' in the future due to time travel.

=====================================================================

Wednesday March 4th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Afternoon

Mac trotted to town hall by himself, caught at the back of a rather large crowd around the usual stage. Mayor Mare seemed to be finishing up an address to the public before introducing Princess Twilight. Mac didn't like getting involved in politics, but Mayor Mare certainly had kept the town in working order despite the seemingly weekly disorder and chaos that blew through town. He'd certainly vote for her again, not that she had much opposition.

His ears perked up as he saw the recently transformed princess take the stage. He'd always liked that Twilight girl. While she was a bit neurotic, she was also skilled with magic, and she used to be Princess Celestia's student to boot. It didn't surprise the apple farmer much that she'd eventually be a princess too. He glanced about the crowd for a moment while Princess Twilight was preparing herself. There was an odd lack of a few ponies he knew.

"Citizens of Ponyville," the young alicorn began in a somber tone, "I'm here to inform you all of a number of occurrences. Before I begin, I want you all to remain calm. No stampeding, no running for your lives, and most certainly no screaming in terror." She glanced over to the local florists, before looking about the crowd once more. "A number of ponies have gone missing."

The crowd erupted into a series of murmurs, only to be silenced as she cleared her throat. "The list is incomplete, but two ponies whom we do know are missing for more than twenty four hours are Bulk Biceps and Berry Punch. If anyone has any information on their last whereabouts, please bring it forward at your earliest convenience. On a more personal note, my assistant, Spike, has been missing since last night as well." She barely managed her final sentence, before clearing her throat and sorting through the stack of papers at the podium once more.

"I also have come to report that Princess Celestia is currently taking a temporary permanent leave of office. She has left instructions to direct all inquiries to Princess Luna in the meantime. A personal statement from her desk has stated that she is not abandoning her ponies, but is taking a vacation so that she may recover from the recent trials of her office." Twilight Sparkle read off with a sullen expression, before stating to her audience once more, "Any and all concerns may be directed to me at the Ponyville Library."

As soon as the princess walked off in a rather uncharacteristically sad gait, the crowd dispersed, the many murmurs from before becoming full-blown conversations. Mac had little doubt that the local rumor mill would have a heyday with the current situation. He couldn't help but think of the night before. Between the scream, the comic book, and the broken flashlight, he knew what he had to do.

Instead of walking back home, he turned toward the library. Mac hesitated for a moment as he reached the front door. He knocked his forehoof against it a few times to announce his presence. Upon opening the door, he found Princess Twilight poring over a pair of books, surrounded by what one could only dub as a 'book fort'. There was that neurotic behavior Ponyville knew and loved. She hadn't quite noticed him yet. He held the back of his hoof up to his mouth, clearing his throat to catch her attention.

Her ears perked up, barely pulling herself from the books. "Yes?" She glanced over to Mac, her worried expression softening, "Oh. Big Mac. It's nice to see you here. Did Applejack send you?"

"Nnnope." He gestured toward what seemed to be a newly added bulletin board in the library. On it were several pieces of paper, each one showing a missing pony. He gestured toward the one of Spike, hoping she'd understand.

Her eyes lit up with joy, her wings fluttering uncontrollably. She lost her page, but didn't mind as she bounded over the desk and in front of Mac. "You've seen him?"

He gave her a sad smile, before letting it fall. He simply shook his head to the question. "Ah can't rightly say Ah have. But, Princess Twilight, Ah promise that Ah'll find him, no matter what it takes."

The alicorn's smile left her face, but a long, stern expression of contemplation. Mac found himself feeling rather nervous under her examining eyes. He asked himself if this was her default thinking face, or if perhaps she was irrationally angry at him over it? Twilight nodded to herself before trotting away to the other side of the library. Her horn lit up as a plethora of books were encased in her telekinesis, each tome floating around her. After a moment, each of them dropped to the floor in neat stacks, save for one she still held up.

"I've been waiting a long time to use this spell. I was going to use it back when I was in the academy on myself if I would've stayed there rather than coming to Ponyville, but this is a bit more important." She opened the book to what seemed to be a set of complex magical diagrams. Mac often wondered to himself if it was simply gibberish written on the pages, or if unicorns genuinely needed pages upon pages of instructions just to make a piece of fabric a different color or turn an apple into an orange.

Twilight held the book close to her before she approached Mac, her expression equal parts concerned and desperate. "Mac, I need to know if you're serious about finding Spike. He's- well- like a brother to me. He's family. You have to understand how important it is to me that he returns safe and sound." She pleaded with the workhorse, her expression faltering to one of worry. Her eyes met with the floor, as Mac presumed she went over every worst case scenario in her head.

He lifted her chin with his hoof, giving her a confident smile, "Ah'm as serious as can be."

With his assurance, Twilight's horn light up brightly as she pulled away from his touch. "Thanks, Mac. With this spell, you will find him. It may be a bit strong for the situation, but things will be made so that you do."

Before Mac could say anything more, the entire library was alight in a bright, purple flash of magic. A familiar magical burning sensation spread across his flank, roughly in the shape of an apple. The one on his hindquarters, in particular. As soon as the magic flare went down, he glanced to his cutie mark. It had changed. The detail on it had grown significantly. Whereas before it was a caricature of an apple, it was now highly detailed, and sparkled in the sunlight even more.

Whatever Princess Twilight had done, it had altered something about his cutie mark on a fundamental level, that much was certain. He didn't question it much. Magic was beyond him, after all. Twilight spoke once more, "Thank you, Mac. Just try to bring him back to me safely."

Mac gave her a nod before turning to the door. The moment he walked outside, though, another of those blue butterflies appeared before him. It drifted purposefully, as if beckoning him to follow. He walked through Ponyville, as vacant as it had become from the frightening news of disappearances and Celestia leaving her throne, following the butterfly. It hovered in an alleyway, behind it a solid blue door of the perfect shade.

It was too perfect to be real. It stood alone, not attached to the wall behind it in any way whatsoever. Mac walked up to it, touching it with his hoof. Once more, his vision went dark, and when it returned, he was once more inside the Velvet Room. This time, however, as he looked over himself, he was dressed in what appeared to be a pinstripe suit. Igor sat across from Mac, in the large sitting room chair that had been vacant for much of the stallion's previous visit.

"Welcome, welcome!" Igor greeted, his face as creepy and cheerful as it was before. "You have visited us once more, only in your waking mind. It seems you have entered into a genuine contract now. Remember this, though: We of the Velvet Room are here to assist you, but only if you take responsibility for your own actions." The human explained as motioned toward Luna, "My companion has something to show you, however."

Princess Luna held in her magic, a vast blue tome, of the same color as the rest of the Velvet Room's theme. "This is the Persona Compendium. As you gain power through your relationships with others, known as Social Links, this book will record your trials and the strength you gain from them. Within holds the most intimate details of every Persona you create from your friendships and other relations."

Mac found himself simply listening to the princess, not a single question on his mind as she explained the concept.

"Whenever you need to call upon a Persona from your past, all you need to do is inquire, and I shall state the price for summoning it once more." The lunar princess bowed her head back toward Igor, allowing the human to continue.

The odd looking creature grinned all the more to his guest, "My job here, similar to Luna's, is to help you unlock the true power of the Wild Card, whose power will be based upon your Social Links, the relationships my companion explained."

"In your world, this form of magic is called 'Harmony'. However, Social Links are just as powerful, and should not be taken lightly." Igor firmly stated, before he glanced over the stallion. "There seem to be other things you must attend to before you can use our services. Until next time, then."

Once the human stopped speaking, Mac realized he was standing before the door again. So much for all of this being restricted to just 'Tuesday weirdness'. He heaved out a sigh and turned back around to head home. The same old streets of Ponyville awaited him, though somewhat more lively. He presumed that his sister's friends had talked to some of the townsfolk.

On the way home, he could clearly see Trixie's wagon. He hesitated for a moment as he walked by it. His thoughts drifted to the night before. After giving up on any serious work for the day after his rough start, he turned to walk up the steps to the wagon's door. With the knock of his hoof, the stable door's top half opened.

"Who is in need of assistance from the Great and Powerful-" the mare began as mystical purple smoke billowed out from around her, "Oh. It's you, Macintosh."

"Jus' Mac." He corrected her for a moment.

Trixie blushed for a moment before opening the bottom half of the door. "I suppose you're here to discuss last night?"

"Eeyup."

"By all means, come in." She stated as her horn lit up with her magic. Mac took note that she was setting on a teapot to boil. "I've done a bit of work on this whole 'Persona' thing, and it seems that when I summon what's-her-face, a card just appears. It just stays there, suspended wherever I decide I want it, and then I have this compulsion to break it. And the moment I do, my Persona appears."

Trixie took a few steps back from her company as she motioned to one of the chairs nearby. "Persona! Circe!" She called out, as a levitating blue card appeared before her face. Her magic reached out around it, the glow surrounding the card quite visible. As the glow pulled the card in on itself, it shattered as if made of glass.

With a blaze of azure flame behind her, Circe burned into existence. "You know, it's getting rather frustrating to just get called by you for just a few minutes at a time."

"Hush, you. The Great and Powerful Summoner Trixie was just showing our guest what she'd learned about calling you." The unicorn flourished her hoof, giving a slight bow to her audience.

Mac, now sitting in one of Trixie's few chairs, clapped his hooves a few times from the display. He calmed himself as he called out, "Persona! Apsaras!" He stomped his forehoof on the seat of the chair, calling his into existence.

The blue skinned woman stood beside him, as calm and unfettered as ever. She still held the same sheer blue scarf as she had before, waiting for her User's commands.

Circe spoke up first between the two Personae, "Blue unicorn thing, perhaps it'd be best to figure out why your little 'book' tried to attack you?" The creature prodded the mare's hindquarters with her caduceus, receiving a harsh glare from the mare.

"Actually, that is a very good question. You see, Mac, I bought the comic from that new comic shop here in Ponyville. It's part of the Canterlot Enchanting Comics Emporium. Their selling point are magical comics that let you live out the story. Some times as a main character, some times watching and assisting them," Trixie began explaining as she pulled the now whistling teapot off of the burner with her magic. She filled her cup before motioning toward her guest.

Mac shook his head politely, simply observing as she prepared a swirling mixture of purple and amber. He assumed from the tiny tea infuser inside the cup that she made her own. Or at least had loose tea sitting around somewhere. That much certainly wasn't expected from her previously haughty demeanor. Though, he tried not to take the Alicorn Amulet incident at face value.

After mixing in several spoonfuls of honey, the mare dropped her magic entirely once the concoction was stirred. She gripped the cup with her hooves, staring into the now murky water, "What's been bothering me is, well, everything about last night." She quickly glanced up to Mac, only to look back down at her drink with the same speed. "You probably already know the content of the comic, but Trixie was using it for predominantly recreational activities. She didn't expect the Shadows or Persona thing at all."

"Did anything odd happen before you used the book?" Apsaras interjected politely, remaining at Mac's side loyally.

The stage performer thought rather hard for a few moments before answering, "Yes, actually. Trixie was rereading it, since only the final page is enchanted, and, honestly, she fell asleep" Mac couldn't help but grin at the rather cute blush that came across the unicorn's cheeks. "Next thing I knew, I was at the start of the 'interactive' portion of the story." That blush only grew deeper, and her expression several shades more embarrassed.

"Is it possible someone opened the comic to the last page to force you inside?" Circe inquired this time, her tone as mocking as ever, despite the legitimacy of her concern.

"No? Maybe. The Great and- I mean, I don't know if anypony in Ponyville would honestly break in to do that." Trixie stared at her tea for a long while before taking a sip from it, never making eye contact with her guest or his Persona.

Mac cleared his throat after the long, heavy pause. "We should investigate then."

Trixie looked up from her table, her eyes with a shine mac had never seen before. Her lips slowly formed a wide, maniacal grin, and her horn lit up to place her wizard hat on her head and her cloak on her body. "Investigating an unknown kind of magic that nopony has seen before and stopping some malevolent force while Twilight Sparkle is buried in paperwork?" With a flash of magical sparks from her horn, her attire quickly changed to that of a deer stalker and a pea coat. "This sounds like a job for the brilliant expertise of the Sly and Deductive Trixie!"

Mac gave her a long, frustrated stare. After a few moments, the mare gave a shy chuckle as her horn lit up again. "Perhaps we should solve this mystery together then?" She suggested, trying to recover from her outburst.

Mac nodded, extending a hoof to shake with her on it. The moment hers wrapped around his, he found the world slowing once more around him. That eerily familiar voice rang out in his head as he stared at Trixie and her Persona. A card appeared within his vision. It depicted a human dressed in what seemed to be a straw hat dancing while he carried a bindle. At his side was a dog, and before the human's face was a blue butterfly.

Thou art I. And I am thou.

Thou hast established a new bond.

May this bond bring thee closer to the truth.

Thou shalt have our blessing when crafting Personae of the Fool Arcana.

Time resumed its normal pace as Mac pulled his hoof away politely. "While you two are getting all friendly, I'll be scrying." Circe stated with the utmost vitriol, her vial and caduceus no longer in her hands. Instead, she held a crystal ball, her face staring into its murky depths.

"Scrying? Inform Trixie what you're scrying for." The unicorn demanded, stomping a hoof at her Persona.

The woman held a palm out to quiet her User, staring into the orb for a while longer. Her eyes started glowing a fierce, bright purple as she started talking. "Candy. Store window. Ribbons. Three days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes." The Persona's eyes returned to their usual appearance as she let go of the crystal ball, the sphere disappearing entirely. "The next victim will be attacked in three days, twelve hours, and twenty two minutes. Unless I'm getting rusty, which I assure you I am not."

Trixie remained silent for a few moments. "Just like that?"

"Just like what?" Circe retorted, her scathing tone dripping from every word.

"You expect us to go out and find whoever the victim is just over some cryptic clues you spout?"

The Persona leaned down to her user, tapping her horn with the caduceus, "I don't expect you to do anything. I was trying to be useful to your little 'investigation club'."

Mac glanced up to Circe, inquiring firmly as an expression of determination spread over his face, "Is that time accurate, ma'am?"

"Yes. Down to the minute. Whatever you two decide to do, it's none of my business." She waved her staff, trying to seem as stoic as possible.

The stallion gave Trixie a nod, as if to assure her. "F-Fine. The Great and Powerful Trixie will trust your information for now, Circe." She relented with a grimace, her horn lighting up as she cleaned the tea cup while she spoke. The unicorn dismissed her Persona almost immediately afterward, her eyes shifting to meet with Mac's.

"Well, we should see what we can find out about the enchanted comic shop, then those clues."

=====================================================================

Wednesday March 4th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Afternoon

Mac stood before a brand new comic store. The glass was so clean it reflected the sun into his eyes. In the window, he could see posters of all kinds of comic books, and just as many cardboard cutouts of characters. He recognized a few from his foalhood. The Timber-Wolverine, some of the other X-Manes, the Scarlet Wither, Captain Equestria, Supermare, and, from recent events in town, the Mare-Do-Well.

Trixie blushed as she looked inside. Mac followed her eyes to a curtain that read 'adults only'. He felt his cheeks understandably heat up as well. The stallion cleared his throat as he motioned his partner to take the lead.

"Y-Yes. Of course Trixie will go first. It's only polite, after all." The unicorn went in with her head down low, as if she didn't want anyone to see her.

Mac followed after her, his steps dainty and awkward. He felt rather inadequate in such a place. By his reckoning comic books and silly things like that were for kids. He tried to act as if he were shopping for one while Trixie talked to the clerk. As he tried perusing through one of the displays, his eyes wandered over to the counter. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the pony at the register.

It was a unicorn mare, no older than Applejack or Pinkie Pie, give or take a couple of years, but she was well beyond what Mac would qualify as just 'attractive'. She was something else entirely. Between the half-shaved mane style, the eyebrow and lip piercings, and the tattoos showing past her fur, he couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated. A pretty mare with a sense of style that clearly screamed out against social norms. He could feel his face growing redder and his heart beating ever faster.

He tried to calm himself down as he analyzed the situation. Was that the same reaction mares had to him when they met him, he thought. Of course, barring her style, and getting down to the more basic traits of beauty and attractiveness, he corrected himself. And unlike those mares that always fumbled over their attempts at flirting with him, he was going to calm down and just talk to her like a respectable pony, rather than some prize to be won.

Just as soon as he could get his legs to start working again. He approached the counter once Trixie was talking to her, trying to listen in on the conversation.

"If you don't mind, could you tell Trixie if anypony from a sweet shop or a really lonely mare has bought any of your enchanted comics, present company withstanding." The showmare tried to politely inquire, her old tone remaining as she spoke, though slightly restrained.

The inky blue unicorn leaned against the counter with her elbows to rest her chin on her hoof. "Lessee... There's that Pinkie chick who keeps buying up a ton of regular comics. Then there's Bon Bon, who only comes in here when her weird marefriend drags her."

The punk looking mare shifted her legs, resting her cheek in her other hoof as the first tapped at the register, "And as far as lonely mares? Isn't that everpony in town?" The clerk let out a perverse chuckle before extending her hoof out to both Mac and Trixie. "Name's Fantasy Ink. Moved in with the store about a month ago."

Trixie idly shook with the tip of her hoof, trying not to seem too terribly excited by someone not knowing who she was. "I am the Great and-", the mare began as she prepared her horn and to bound back onto her hind legs, before looking over her shoulder to Mac, "I mean- I'm Trixie Lulamoon. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"My associate here is Big Macintosh Apple. He's the brother of that apple farmer, Applesack."

"Applejack." Mac corrected quietly, trying to seem as casual as possible.

"As Trixie said, Applejack." Trixie stated before looking back over the other unicorn. "So, you're from where, exactly?"

Fantasy Ink looked up from the comic she'd been leafing through for the mare's introduction, as if coming to out of a trance, "Huh? Oh. Right." She slid the item in question down a ways on the counter away from her. "Canterlot. I used to be one of the interns back at the main Emporium."

"I see. Well, thank you for helping us with that question." Trixie politely thanked the clerk after nudging Mac with a hoof. He gave a simple nod in response, unable to think of why he couldn't compose himself.

The punk unicorn grinned, "No probs. I know how hard it is to find someone to geek out over comics with in a backwoods place like this."

"Y-Yes. Well, we'll be on our way then." The showmare started pulling Mac by her magic as subtly as possible, not stopping until they were well outside of the shop. She turned toward her partner, giving him a hard glare. "For being so strong and wise, you act like a schoolcolt with a crush around mares like her."

Mac gave an innocent shrug, trying to save himself from the unicorn's frustrations. "Anyway, you did hear the ponies she listed off, right? Bon Bon and Pinkie Pie have come in recently, and they both work at sweet shops." She gained only a doubtful grimace from Mac in response. With a huff, Trixie continued, "We can naturally assume from Circe's 'omens' that the mixture of the terms candy, store window, and ribbon mean that the next victim has to be someone who works at a confectionery."

The two walked back to her wagon, saying very little to each other on the way. "Thank you, Mac. I- I honestly don't know what would've happened if you didn't help me with that other me inside my comic." She pulled her hat and cloak off, setting them inside her mobile home. "So, no matter what, we're going to save whoever gets thrown into these enchanted comics, no matter what happens!"

Mac nodded in response, with the same determined expression on his face, the two knocking their hooves together in agreement.

=====================================================================

Save Data?

>Yes

-No

=====================================================================

Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

2/10 Understanding

1/10 Knowledge

2/10 Courage

2/10 Expression

1/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Trixie's Questionable Comic

Power Ponies Vol. 4

Equipment:

Weapon: Gladius

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

=====================================================================

Save Complete

Sour Sugar: Level 1

Thursday March 5th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Morning

Mac woke up, as usual, to the crowing of the rooster outside. The stallion went through his usual routine of brushing his mane, putting on his yoke, and heading outside. The weather ponies said the day would be clear. Two days until someone else was kidnapped or attacked, or whatever it was the comic books did to them. Mac decided not to dwell on it quite yet, opting to think only of work.

He glanced about the house as he crept downstairs. Applejack and Apple Bloom were already out and about doing whatever it was they normally did, and Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair, as usual. He let out a relieved sigh once he got to the door. He remembered a very long lecture from his sister about 'keeping Tuesday Weirdness to yourself'.

Though, that was after she and her friends uncovered some sort of ancient artifact of unforeseeable power, and a few misspoken words on her part caused the orchard to turn into treants- on the same day that Apple Bloom's potion making turned her friend Sweetie Belle into a rampaging giant. The combined 'solution' left the orchard bare for months.

The whole family agreed once it was all over with to not speak a word of their individual Tuesday Weirdness to one another if they could help it.

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Thursday March 5th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Afternoon

The day passed rather quickly as he finished his workload in what felt like record time. Mac trudged back into the house, glancing at Granny Smith's favorite Cuckoo Clock. It was only a few minutes past noon. Having nothing else to do, he decided to visit his newest associate. After all, it seemed like she enjoyed the company.

The walk to Trixie's wagon was a short one. Mac stood before it just a little while after heading out. Perhaps she'd moved it yesterday after he'd gone home? It wouldn't seem too out of character for a lonely pony to do just that. He shrugged as he approached the door, tapping on it a few times. Inside, he heard some kind of a rustling. The desperate sort he knew from Applejack when she was trying to hide something.

As the door opened, he noticed several things off about Trixie. The mare before him was breathing heavily, as if she'd been through some form of rigorous activity. Her cheeks were flushed. There was a distinctive smell in the air, the likes of which he'd been familiar with since puberty. He spoke plainly as he looked down to her with a frank, slightly embarrassed expression, "Um, would another time be better?"

"N-No. Now's fine. I was just," she hesitated for a moment, long enough for Mac to look inside. His eyes strayed over her bed, catching a creepily smiling face, with two plastic, dark purple eyes staring back at him. What appeared to be a life-sized doll was half-covered by her quilt. The unicorn under the covers appeared to be a facsimile of Princess Twilight Sparkle, down to the awkwardly stiff wings.

Mac felt himself start to grow a bit nervous. He noticed Trixie's horn light up, forcing the bedding over the item in question. As it lifted up, he noticed a second, which appeared to be a doll of herself. "I was just cleaning. Cleaning my horseshoes. Vigorously." Her muzzle scrunched once she was finished, her eyes darting to the sides suspiciously.

Mac gave her a rather unconvinced expression as he turned to walk toward town. "W-Wait! Don't tell anyone of Trixie! Not even a word!" He could hear her slam the door and lock it with her magic, before catching up to him. He was a bit surprised as she only wore her signature hat, instead of the full ensemble. "Trixie is a respectable pony, who will not be talked about only through rumors and hearsay! I will not have you accusing me of-"

Mac slowly tuned her out as he walked toward town, letting out the occasional 'Eeyup' or 'Nnope' to keep her distracted. He grinned as the unicorn continued to spout more and more incriminating things about herself and the pony plush toys. The image of the dolls in his head forced a shiver down to his spine. The duo finally made it into town, Mac raising a hoof to silence the mare as she tried to continue her spiel about her plush toys.

"Supplies." He nodded to her, the unicorn finally calming down.

She gave him a nod as she examined several shops as they passed, "You would think that a city plagued by weekly oddities would have a weapon shop of some kind."

Mac hummed in response as he stopped at the post office. Trixie tripped over a rogue plant root next to him, letting out a frustrated groan at it before standing. Her eyes went between Mac and the office. "Why are we here? This hardly seems like the kind of place that Trixie would qualify as having the items necessary to fight off a horde of monsters."

She went silent as he started walking into the alleyway beside the shop. "As if we'll find anything of value from their garbage." Trixie gave a deadpanned stare at the alleyway for a few moments, hardly able to comprehend the stallion's reasoning.

"Welcome to my shop!" Upon hearing someone greet her friend, Trixie quickly walked over to the source of the noise. She stared for a few moments as he saw Mac examining what appeared to be several bottles filled to the brim with magic elixirs, as if weighing the merits of each. Her eyes turned to the shopkeeper. She was a grey pegasus with golden eyes and a blond mane and tail. The wall-eyed pony was the local mailmare with seven bubbles on her flank.

"Wait. Mac. You're buying from her?" The great and incredulous Trixie was by far flabbergasted by the prospect, before turning her attention back to the pegasus, "How do you even have these things?" She pointed to the small table holding a selection of various potions labeled such strange and often simple things as 'Medicine', 'Mouthwash', 'Amrita Soda', and 'Royal Jelly'.

"I just have some overstock medicine lying around. The Doctor- I mean Time Turner- has been telling me to clean up, so I decided to make some money off of my extra stuff. I can guarantee all of these are still good!" The bubbly mailmare cheered, her face lit up by an absurdly bright smile.

Trixie raised her hoof to say something, but only dropped it back to the ground as she closed her mouth once more. "Do you have anything for a unicorn?" She gave in, browsing the odd selection.

The grey pony squeaked with joy as she bounded back into what appeared to be a blue closet door. The two Persona Users waited for a few moments, before hearing a massive crash come from inside. After what sounded like the mare struggling her way out of an avalanche, the shopkeeper returned once more walking on her hindlegs. In her forehooves were a plethora of new bottles.

Instead of being filled with liquid, each one held at their center a small sphere of ghostly light. Trixie pulled one before her using her magic, reading the label. "What in Equestria is a 'Soul Drop'?"

The mailmare set them down on the table, standing still as her face scrunched, "Oh, you know a partially created consciousness made by the Daleks to try to imitate unicorn magic to power the latest in a series of reality bomb level plans to destroy the multiverse." She tried to quickly utter under her breath, only to cover her tracks thereafter. "You know, just some stuff I found lying around that Princess Sparkle said would help unicorns." Her voice quickly changed back to being as boisterous and childish as ever to match her appearance. Or at least, what most ponies expected her to act like between her clumsiness and odd wall-eyes.

"Trixie will take five of these 'Soul Drops', five 'Medicines', and one 'Royal Jelly'." The mare shoved a hoof full of bits from her pocket dimension at the salespony, quickly pocketing the items she requested in kind.

The pegasus gave a gasp of joy at the sale, quickly throwing the bits into the closet door. "Please come again!" She happily called out to the two as they started walking away.

"What an odd pony. Though, these supplies should assist us when we go into whatever comic world next time, I guess." Trixie grinned as she continued on, though she paused for a moment, stopping once she was in front of the post office. "I suppose I have a few personal things to take care of. I suppose I'll find you a bit later, Mac."

The stallion shrugged to himself as his partner wandered off in the general direction of the town library. Another shiver went down his spine as he remembered not more than an hour before. He shook his head as he started walking toward Sugarcube Corner. It wasn't any of his business what Trixie did outside of the investigation, he figured.

He halted, however, as a pair of voices rose from the back of the shop. Mac didn't see himself as a nosy pony, but he couldn't very well leave a potentially hurt pony to their own devices. He wandered around the back of the gingerbread house, catching the last few heated words from what sounded like a very upset Mrs. Cake.

"You're going to get rid of those stupid 'art pieces' of yours, Carrot! We can't have Pumpkin and Pound getting into them! And you'll move all of it out of the house, or you'll be sleeping on the basement floor, mister!"

Mac slunk back behind the corner he'd almost rounded, waiting for the door to slam before he continued on. He felt bad for Mr. Cake. He wasn't too terribly close to the proprietor of the shop, but he could at least relate to having a mare (or three) nagging him. He let out a cough as he rounded the corner of the building again, calling the attention of the rather forlorn baker.

"Wh- Hey, Mac. Heard all that, did ya?" The older stallion tried his best to smile to the usual customer, only to glance back down at the boxes before him.

Mac motioned toward them, as if asking what they were. Carrot's eyebrows quirked as he looked between the farmhand and the containers. "These? They're old collector's items I got when I was in college." He pulled the top open to one of them, revealing a plethora of extravagantly designed blades. Each one appeared to be razor sharp, and of somewhat sturdy quality, if Mac's assessment of them was correct.

"The wife says I can't have these on display any more with the foals around. I'm going to toss them in the cellar, though. Maybe I can keep 'em a bit longer if I do." Mr. Cake sighed, glancing back at the double doors leading to the shop's storage. The moment he turned around his eyes went wide in awe. Macintosh Apple, the farmer, held in his hoof a bag full of bits.

"You- you want to buy one of them?" His throat felt dry as the other stallion nodded. A sly grin appeared as the earth pony baker quickly began writing on one of the boxes, turning it around to face his customer. "Why didn't you say so? Welcome to Carrot's Armaments and Armor." He revealed the rather hackneyed sales motto on the box. "Just what are you looking for, Mac?" The baker's temperament turned around completely, excited to sell his collection rather than throw it away.

Mac grinned to himself a bit as he took in the rather varied selection of weapons, examining each one as thoroughly as possible. He'd made a few selections, throwing everything he bought into his hammer space.

=====================================================================

Friday March 6th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Afternoon

Big Macintosh stood before his foe, hefting an over-sized warhammer across his shoulders as he stood on his hind legs. The Persona User let out a calm, steady breath. His eyes looked over his opponent a few times before he tried dashing at them once more. He didn't see how some ponies could move so quickly on just their back legs. The earth pony tried to keep his balance, using his front hooves to smash the target before him with his hammer.

However, instead of hitting the mannequine he'd crafted out of a barrel and a few brooms, his eyes looked upon a gaping hole in one of the barn's support beams. Mac pulled in an embarrassed breath through his gritted teeth. He glanced about before moving a pair of hay bales to cover the partially broken support beam. He pushed the mannequine out of the way as quickly as possible using the flat of his snout. He swiftly decided that, along with the mace, morningstar, glaive, and scythe he'd bought, that the warhammer wasn't the type of weapon he could use effectively in combat. The assessment came from the other hay bales covering up other nicks and cuts and holes he'd made in the barn's other support beams. Applejack would have his hide if she knew about any of them.

He didn't dare think how bad things would go with the crossbow. He took his time to dismantle the target he'd made to practice with. The stallion paused for a moment, looking around the barn a few times. He could've sworn that there was a conspicuously filly-shaped yellow shadow at the edge of his vision. Mac kept his eyes peeled, though he knew that Apple Bloom wouldn't sell him out.

He stared down at the bristles of the broom he'd fashioned into a head for the target. The workhorse let out a chuckle, thinking over his exceedingly weird behavior that week. He felt tired, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Between Celestia disappearing, ponies going missing, and the whole 'world inside of comic books' thing, he couldn't help but laugh at how weird things were getting. His somewhat simple little world was turned on its head over one silly little comic book out in the barn.

Mac's ears perked up as he heard a pair of bells sound off in the distance. The sound was quite clearly townhall's emergency bells. Throwing the broom aside, the stallion made his way toward town in a swift gallop.

=====================================================================

Friday March 6th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Evening

Big Macintosh followed the sound of the bells, chasing after the sound on hoof. He looked up and down every street as he made it into town in the orange glow of dusk. He noticed a small crowd of ponies gathered around Berry Punch's house, his thoughts turning toward the worst. He pushed past the crowd, trying to make his way to the front. A set of guards stood before the house's open door, keeping the curious townsfolk at bay.

Mac peered into the dark home, squinting to get a better view, though he didn't try to push past the guards. His heart raced in his chest. It felt as if it was beating against his ribs. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He tried to raise a shaking hoof to wipe it away, but found himself paralyzed as his eyes finally adjusted to see inside. Fresh blood. The scent of alcohol.

He found himself reeling as he walked away from the scene, unsteadily propping himself up against another building's wall. He tried to go over the image again in his head. It couldn't be real. It just couldn't. But, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, it was Berry's half-mutilated body on the floor.

The normally masculine stallion felt his chest hitch, a mixture of tears and the urge to vomit coming over him. He pressed it all down, trying to steady himself. He held back as best he could. Mac took in many deep breaths, though he couldn't make his heart stop pounding. She was alive just a few days ago, he thought to himself. A few tears streamed down his cheeks, even as he grit his teeth to try to stop them.

He didn't want to admit it for the life of him. She couldn't be dead. No one got murdered in Ponyville. Tuesdays were full of chaos and peril, but never death. It was always just inconvenience or property damage. Not out and out killing. Especially not someone he cared about. He didn't get the opportunity to tell the mare that he liked her as more than just a drinking buddy. The last time he saw her he was drunkenly giggling about her feeble attempts to jokingly seduce Rainbow Dash. What kind of a last memory was that for somepony?

The bells were still ringing. Those damned bells. Mac made it back onto his hooves after a good few minutes of his attempt to calm his breathing. Despite his shaky steps, he managed to slowly walk toward town hall, seeking some kind of answer. Princess Twilight had to have something to fix it. She was always good with magic, right? She could just magic all of this away.

=====================================================================

Friday March 6th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Night

Mac lay awake in his bed for hours. When he got home, he didn't say anything to Granny Smith or Applejack. He didn't even see Apple Bloom. His door was locked for the first time in years. He stared at the ceiling, trying to hold back everything he'd just went through. Berry and Bulk.

He looked at his hoof, willing the card to materialize. After he felt it appear, he gripped it as hard as possible between both hooves, shattering it. Blue flames erupted around him as Apsaras joined him in the pitch black room. Everypony else was asleep, or at least he assumed that they were.

He looked up to the human creature, his eyes cast upon her consoling expression as he sat up. "Those two were-" he started, his breath hitching before he could continue. Big Macintosh took a moment to regain his composure before he spoke, "Those two were pulled into the comics, weren't they?" Apsaras didn't speak, but her long glance toward the window, toward town, told him all he needed.

"Why? Why them?" He demanded of her, his voice filled with desperation. Berry Punch and Bulk Biceps were both murdered. Princess Sparkle said that they were 'killed under dubious circumstances'. Killed. Not murdered, but killed. As if it were an accident. There was a comic next to both bodies, both different, but both from the same manufacturer. Even if there was an 'official investigation', he really wondered if it'd get any results.

"Why me?" His voice grew quiet, the robust, masculine tone receding. He was given the power to use Personae. But why did he have it if he couldn't save others? Why would somepony use those comics to kill? Why wouldn't that 'Lord Philemon' intervene if he was more powerful than Luna? Why wouldn't even Luna get involved if she knew of this?

Mac felt confused and angry, unable to process why he of all ponies was chosen for being a Persona User. He continued to look up to his Persona, who said nothing. He couldn't blame her or Perseus. How were they to know where Berry and Bulk were? Those two had gone missing days before he even knew of the world in the comic books or of Personae. He dismissed Apsaras after a few moments, laying back down onto his back. He locked eyes with the ceiling, listening to the rhythm of his clock's second hand ticking away.

=====================================================================

Saturday March 7th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Rainy

Morning

Mac awoke in his bed, feeling rather fatigued. He stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity, unable to compel himself to get up. The date weighed on his mind. The Seventh. Somepony else might die that evening if he didn't do anything. He thoroughly remembered Trixie's Persona as she'd spoken two days prior:

'Candy. Store window. Ribbons.'

'Three days, twelve hours, and twenty two minutes.'

He'd burned each word into his memory from Circe's scrying. There was no way he was going to let another pony die because of those comic books. Bulk and Berry didn't deserve to have that done to them. It made his stomach churn to even think of what had become of them. He forced himself to get up, sitting up in his bed as he thought about them both.

Helplessness. That was a strange word to the stallion. There were very few times he'd ever felt it in his easy-going life. But the idea had swallowed him whole. He couldn't do anything to fix any of it now, as much as he wanted to. He pressed his hooves to his face, trying to keep himself from weeping again. He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, no matter how useless it was. No matter how much he wanted to scream, or for it to all to go away and fix itself, he knew that the world just didn't work that way. He panted as he took in a deep, cold breath.

He couldn't ignore it. He couldn't ignore the fact that Bulk and Berry were taken by the comic worlds. The guard wouldn't know what to do with the books, let alone know what to do inside of them. They would be useless inside them, unlike himself and Trixie. He glanced out of his window, and the dreary weather told him the day's chores were cut down to the quick and easy indoor work. A couple hours of barn maintenance would be enough to clear his head, he thought. If he could clear his head, he couldn't help but add.

Every minute felt like an eternity as his thoughts drifted to the consequences of failure. One slip-up in whoever's comic book, and he'd be just as responsible for their deaths as who- or whatever was killing other ponies. Killing his friends. Mac tried his hardest to think of something else, but no matter what came to mind, he just couldn't focus on it. As soon as he finished and came inside, he marched to the family bathroom.

Ignoring all else, he climbed into the shower, turning it up as hot as possible. He wasn't one for taking his time on the niceties of excessive hygiene, but he let the hot water on his back attempt to melt away his thoughts for a long while. Mac breathed in the vapor around him, letting his whole body soak. The cold rain outside was merciless, comparatively.

While staring down the oddly colored patch of tile on the shower floor, he slowly forced himself through each thought of doubt and worry and sorrow. With each one, he grit his teeth and found new determination. He was going to save anypony that fell into those books. He was going to find Spike. And, above all else, he most certainly was going to bring the perpetrator to justice and avenge Berry Punch and Bulk Biceps.

Once he turned the faucet off, he let out a heavy, jagged sigh. Mac pulled his towel across his body, leaving his coat as clean as ever. He brushed his mane quickly, leaving it fairly messy. The stallion stood as tall as he could at the top of the stairs, even as he marched back downs them and put on his tattered grey raincoat and worn galoshes. As soon as he was downstairs, he left a note to his sister on the table next to the door. Maybe she'd be less apt to scold him if he left one, he thought to himself.

Mac trotted through the dismal weather, his eyes occasionally glancing up to the bleak grey skies. He could quite easily tell that Trixie's wagon was getting closer to the farm today, though she kept a respectable distance away from it. She certainly wasn't being too terribly subtle at this point.

After the previous day's blunder, he approached it with trepidation. His ears were perked in the direction of the door, more than prepared for certain noises. What he didn't expect to hear was a fairly polite one-sided conversation over what smelled like the tea she'd made a few nights before. Mac was willing to venture a gamble again, steeling himself as he knocked on the door. He heard the same rushed shoving of objects, along with the clatter of dishware. The scent of tea grew more prominent as Trixie approached the door, heatedly answering.

"H-Hello, Mac. What brings you to this part of the road so early?"

Mac could easily tell that she was lying or at least hiding something. She was about as easy to read as his sister now that he'd taken the time to get to know her. The scrunchy face and the wayward gaze told him all he needed to know. She was playing with her dolls again. He said nothing of it, and didn't look around in her wagon, keeping his eyes fixed on the unicorn.

"Tonight." Mac answered plainly.

Trixie's eyes traced over his face, taking in the bags beneath his eyes. His lips were creased into a rather deep frown, tensed on one side. She hoped that he was aware that he was biting down on his lip. The unicorn calmed herself after the long examination of him. She pulled her black cloak onto her back, pulling the hood over her head.

"Well, we do have two ponies to monitor, don't we?" She conceded as she pushed past him into the rain, closing up her wagon with her magic.

Trixie matched Mac's pace as the two walked on the muddy road to Ponyville. Mac was polite enough to allow her around any large puddles. Though his slow step was starting to get to the unicorn. She held her first response back, biting her lip. The mare started listing a few things off to her partner, trying to distract from whatever it was that was on his mind.

"Given that we know the mares who've bought comics, we can assume that either Pinkie Pie or Bon Bon is the next," Trixie began, using her magic to levitate a small gem into the stallion's field of view, "and since they live across town from each other, given my research, we can communicate with these. Voice Crystals."

The unicorn waited for him to take it by his hoof, after which he put it away in his hammer space. "Just a tap on the biggest face of it, and we can speak for a few moments. I never thought I'd use these little antiques of my grandfather's." The mare cooed wistfully as she took a walk down memory lane. Before she could begin regaling Mac with her childhood, her body hitched as her face was struck.

Mud was slung across her fur and mane, the wooden rod connected to her muzzle quite clearly a garden rake. Trixie slowly used her magic to wipe the grime from her eyes, her now dour expression only increasing as she heard Mac let out a manly giggle. She glanced to the now slightly smiling earth pony, letting the accident go as her body relaxed and her expression became friendly once more.

"I'll go monitor Bon Bon. I happen to have a few bits I owe her, so I can take care of it all in one go without seeming too suspicious." She pulled a bag of bits from under her cloak, flashing a smile to Mac. "Have fun dealing with Pinkie Pie." The mare dashed off rather quickly, her haughty chuckling easily heard for a short while.

Mac's face quickly hardened into a slight frown, knowing full well that Pinkie was more than a hoof-ful for most ponies. Let alone those who didn't know her well. Applejack couldn't keep up with her. Better yet, Apple Bloom couldn't keep up with her some times. Taking his part of the work in dignified silence, Big Macintosh trotted toward Sugarcube Corner.

Perhaps it was a boon that Trixie picked Bon Bon to watch over. He knew of few other ponies that so readily carried a cannon on them, even if it were full of confetti and party favors.

=====================================================================

Saturday March 7th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Evening

Mac had somehow managed to keep his 'mission' under wraps, implying he was spending the day off around Sugarcube Corner to talk with Mr. Cake. He glanced at the clock in the bakery, taking note of the nine hours' worth of Carrot going on and on about the differences of the blades and weapons Mac had purchased. When the wife wasn't listening, of course. He could only guess that Mr. Cake hadn't yet told the missus about his back-alley weapon shop quite yet.

As soon as the shop was closed, Mac made his way to a nearby park bench outside. He sat there, trying to form a plan to monitor Pinkie until 1 a.m., the time Circe stated would be the moment she (or Bon Bon) would be abducted. The stallion kept watch over the sweet shop, trying his best to seem casual about it.

=====================================================================

Saturday March 7th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Night

"Any change in position or status?" Trixie's voice called out, echoing into the open air.

Mac held onto the Voice Crystal, staring down at the dimly glowing gem before looking back up to the bakery. "Nnnnope." He could plainly tell that Pinkie Pie was doing something. She kept passing by her bedroom window constantly, though she didn't care to look outside. She seemed to be talking to someone. The stallion presumed that it was her pet alligator.

"I've got Bon Bon and Lyra under observation under the guise of a 'girls' night out'. I've summoned Circe outside on the roof. Worst case scenario, she'll be able to act immediately. You should probably do the same for your Personae." The unicorn blathered on, her tone of voice uncharacteristically calm and serious despite her child-like, overt use of 'professional' terms.

Mac grinned at the change of behavior in the mare, amused by how quick she was to act when needed. He tapped the gem once more once she was done talking, observing how the magical glow of it dwindled into darkness. Taking a look around at the homes and businesses, all of whom had long since put out their lights, magical or otherwise, he stood from the bench. He tapped his hoof on the ground, letting the brilliant blue flames erupt around him.

Perseus was silent as he appeared, awaiting commands. Mac motioned toward the roof of Sugarcube Corner with his hoof. He quickly found himself hoisted up by the Persona, so easily lifted by the creature that had sworn service to him. Mac found himself amazed as the human's feet remained silent as he moved up to the structure. The Persona steeled himself, sword and shield at the ready.

Mac managed to remain quiet as well, glancing into Pinkie Pie's bedroom window. She was lying on her bed, reading one of the comic books he'd seen at the Emporium. His eyes shifted to the pink, cupcake-shaped clock on her nightstand. Five minutes left. He quickly pushed the window open, running inside the mare's room. The stallion barreled past the mountain of party favors that littered the floor, snatching the comic out of Pinkie's hoof.

"Hey! I was reading that!" Pinkie pouted as she looked at the intruder. She took a moment to process his arrival before pulling the comic off of the floor, "If you wanted to borrow it, at least let me finish reading, Mac."

Big Macintosh found himself puzzled by the mare's response. He decided that he didn't want to know why she was fine with a stallion bursting in through her window in the middle of the night, let alone why she was so intent on reading the comic. He remembered his purpose the moment she turned the book to the last page, reaching out to snatch it with a hoof as the clock struck One.

He braced himself, his eyes shut tightly as he awaited the Shadows. A minute passed, with no sound but Pinkie rustling through something. He opened his eyes back up to see Pinkie Pie neatly organizing her comic books into a proper stack and gingerly shoving them under her bed.

"Now that I'm done, you can borrow one if you want!" The cheery mare stated plainly with her typical wide smile. "It's awfully silly, sneaking into somepony's home so late at night just to borrow a comic book. I didn't know you were into them! But if you're sneaking, you don't want anypony to know, so you must be secretly a huge comic buff who can't show his secret because you think it's embarrassing or something, like Rainbow Dash when she broke into the hospital! I don't see why you would be embarrassed. It's a bit geeky, but comics aren't just for kids. They're for everypony! I remember the first time I-"

"Bu- I-" He stopped talking entirely as he was interrupted left and right by the party pony. He felt a change in his hammer space after a few moments. He swiftly shushed the mare with a hoof before he walked back toward the window as he pulled his Voice Crystal out. He listened as Trixie quickly called him.

"Mac! There's been no change in Lyra or Bon Bon! Neither are even remotely close to a comic book. What about Pinkie Pie? Is she alright?" The mare sounded absolutely desperate, as if she were running outside.

Mac glanced back to his sister's friend, who had appeared beside him unnervingly quickly. He was rather surprised by the pink mare's silent steps. Usually she pronked everywhere with an odd spring noise. "Eeeyup." He added nervously as Pinkie leaned over, toward the gem in his hooves, absolutely amazed by the object.

From the open window, the two of them heard a very familiar scream. A feminine, womanly, desperate cry for help.

Pinkie Pie moved first, dashing to the edge of the roof outside of her window. "Rarity!" She clambered down from the bakery with the most agility that Mac had ever seen in a pony.

He tapped the crystal as Trixie began speaking again. "I heard a scream. It sounds like it came from Carousel Boutique, Mac!"

"Eeyup." He affirmed as he motioned toward Perseus, who in turn grabbed his master and began bounding from roof to roof. Mac had never felt more odd than when his Persona manhandled him.

=====================================================================

Saturday March 7th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Night

Big Macintosh and Perseus stood before the entrance to the fashion boutique, observing the doorway. The doors had hoof prints on them, curved downward. Mac touched the dented wood before peering inside the shop. Inside, he spied a number of Ink Stallions, once more gathered in a semi-circle around something. It was just as before in the barn.

The Ink Stallions were different this time, though. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light of the closed store. The ones who surrounded the lounge chaise inside fit the architecture. They were all mares, made of the same shifting, changing ink of the stallions that surrounded them. Through the center of their back and chest, a twisted pole ran down. Its length was barely suspended above the ground below. Instead of the featureless faces of the stallions, they sported a pair of eyes, with makeup caked onto their skin. Below their eyelids, red fluid dripped down. It ran like wet mascara, though its flow never ceased.

Mac shivered as he realized what they were supposed to be. 'Gallopers'. He'd only heard tales of them from the ghost stories about carousels. The cursed objects would play endearing, childish music to lull their victims into a sense of security, seemingly decorated as an homage to ponykind. The poles were made of the most precious of metals, so fine in their creation, that the average pony would be compelled to lay a hoof on them. Ponies who touched the lustrous golden poles would find themselves drawn in, their bodies molding around the pole until they grew still and lifeless, like marble statues. He tried his best to stand before the monstrosities, resisting the urge to flee.

He reminded himself of who was in peril. One of the nation's heroes. A mare who'd helped save Equestria multiple times. He shook his head as he realized his mistake. Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity were in danger of becoming victims. Hoof beats sound off behind him. A bright pink beam of magic shot toward one of the Shadows, leaving the air thick with the scent of plasma.

"It seems as though the Great and Powerful Trixie is late to the party." The mare grinned as she stood beside Mac, lifting a staff with her magic aura. It appeared to be a long, wooden walking stick, with a large gem at the end. The end of the staff branched around it, as if it were from a tree limb that had grown around the jewel. "Rarity's already in the book?"

Big Macintosh grunted a bit as he hefted his sword between his teeth, barely able to state, "Pinkie too."

Trixie furrowed her brow, her hooves shaking as she looked on at the group of Shadows, and the stain that had once been one of their ilk. "Then let's make quick work of them." She turned to Circe, who levitated behind her. "Circe! Maragi!"

The witch Persona nodded her head as she held her caduceus out, flames bursting from the tip. The fires burned through many of the Ink Stallions, each of them melting quickly. The Gallopers, however, shrugged off the attack, beginning a slow, steady march toward the duo.

"Apsaras. Bufu!" Mac called out as he was wreathed in blue flames, his Persona changing rapidly into the woman. She held out her hand, for a moment before one of the carousel creatures was surrounded by ice entirely, frozen in place. Apsaras continued to change targets, repeatedly casting the spell.

Mac glared each of them down, running at the beasts with the gladius. He struck through each of the blocks of ice, causing them to shatter. Each Galloper wailed out in pain before slowly melting into a pile of sparkling ink and disappearing in magic flames. Before his eyes, several cards appeared. Mac reached out for what seemed to be a small imp carrying a burning spoon.

After taking a moment to recover, the two Persona Users galloped inside. Both of them approached the comic book with more than a bit of caution. Mac avoided touching the item for now, focused solely on the task at hand. Trixie lifted it with her magic, keeping her body away from the item.

"So, how do we get in?" She inquired, her mouth creased in worry. She observed the book, looking over the cover. It seemed to be a romance of some sort. Unlike hers, it appeared to be far more tame.

Big Macintosh held a hoof out to it, pressing it against the comic's surface. Slowly, he reached out to grab Trixie's hoof as well, touching hers to it as well. Slowly, the magical book pulled their hooves in, before all went dark once more for the duo. Once the two opened their eyes, they found themselves thrust into a castle of some sort. Mac looked around a few times before he stood from his spot on the ground. At least this time it was a modern one.

The two were surrounded by Gallopers once more. Mac called out to Apsaras once more, "Bufu!" Within moments, many of them were frozen as well. The ice shattered on its own after a moment, each of the Shadows bursting into the same magic flames that signified their end.

"Ok. So, we're now in another comic." Trixie stood with a bit of trepidation, her vision cast every way she could manage in a quick scan of the chamber.

The entryway to the castle they seemed to be in was decorated with gold leaf on nearly every object that wasn't a brilliant white or red. At the center of the room, she noticed Mac poking at what appeared to be a pair of mechanical mannequines. The two ponies, dressed in older Canterlot attire, had a solid metal connector attaching them both to several grooves in the floor. The mare had cast herself into the stallion's hooves, the back her hoof held on her forehead dramatically. The grooves in the floor led deeper inside, slithering underneath the door to the next room.

The pair nodded to each other as they passed through the doors, their Personae following quickly behind. Inside the next room a horde of Gallopers and Ink Stallions, positioned to guard the entrance to the third chamber. A blue butterfly came into Mac's vision as he paused for a moment. He grinned past the sword in his mouth as he rushed at the Shadows before him.

=====================================================================

Save Data?

>Yes

-No

=====================================================================

Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

2/10 Understanding

1/10 Knowledge

3/10 Courage

2/10 Expression

2/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Trixie's Questionable Comic

Power Ponies Vol. 4

Equipment:

Weapon: Gladius

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

=====================================================================

Save Complete

Sour Sugar: Level 2

=====================================================================

Romance Castle, Floor 1

Saturday March 7th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Night

Hundreds of Gallopers stood before the two Persona Users, both at the center of the fray. The red and blue pair barked out orders to their Personae as they swung their weapons at the Shadows. The platoons of eerie, dancing ponies let out warbling laughter as their horns lit up with the crackle of lightning. A flash of magic erupted from each one, and lightning shot down from the infinite expanse of the ceiling, striking at and around the earth pony and unicorn.

Mac shrugged off the damage, stabbing his blade through the viscous surface of the ink constructs. The seconds felt like hours as he responded to every attack from the carousel horrors. The rain of electricity settled, leaving only the two Persona Users. Mac huffed as he knelt down onto his haunches, his legs shaking all the while.

"Persona! Pixie!" He called forth from his sea of soul, a small, winged humanoid appearing before him. "Dia." The farmer let the order come out as a whisper, before standing up firmly. Refreshed from the Tartarus of combat, he had his Persona cast it upon Trixie as well.

He turned his head to the sixth door. No Pinkie Pie yet. He'd lost track of time in the comic book. Each scene, after the Shadows disappeared, was a giant room. Each one had a pair of constructs at the center, who acted out an old and tired cliche love triangle. Trixie's speculation was that they were in an older comic book. It didn't matter what kind they were in. All that mattered was getting Rarity and Pinkie Pie out safely. He wasn't about to let either of them be taken by the Shadows like Berry and Bulk.

He glanced back to Trixie, who trotted up to him after a few moments. "I'm picking up something beyond this door. It feels like magical static." She touched her hoof to the large door, before Mac joined her as well. Trixie nodded to him, both of them pushing forward to move the oaken doors. Inside, the two found a scene unlike any other.

On either side, there was a single Pinkie Pie. Cotton candy manes. Fluffy, twitchy tails. Eye-gouging bright pink fur. However, one could quickly notice the differences between the two. The one on the left appeared to be pronking in place happily, her smile bright and cheerful, and her eyes a bright, malicious golden color. On the right, the Pinkie watched the other, covering her mouth with the backside of her hoof. Her mane and tail were visibly starting to straighten, and tears started forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Come on now! Don't get sad! A real party pony always turns her frown upside-down! After all, how can you make others happy if you're the one getting sad or lonely or angry or tired? I'm just the real you! The pink party planner who makes everypony happy no matter what. The only thing I'm allowed to feel is joy. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't be sad. I'm the non-stop party machine that keeps Ponyville from being sad." The apparent Shadow spoke as she motioned toward Pinkie, slowly approaching the other mare.

"I'm not like that, you meanie-pants! I can feel sad if I want to." The real one tried to retort, only to get the Shadow's tail under her nose as a faux-mustache.

The obscenely happy, manic construct grinned even wider as she responded rather quickly to the statement, "But you can't. You're supposed to be the prime example of happiness and frivolity. Bearer of the Element of Laughter. Could you really live down being nothing like that?"

Pinkie Pie's mane and tail had deflated entirely, both completely straightened and drooping toward the floor. The earth pony mare was trying to hold back her tears, calling out to her Shadow, "Stop it! I don't think like that. You aren't me!"

Trixie and Mac tried to intervene, both silently dashing for Pinkie's doppleganger. The Shadow took note of them both, quickly stating to the real one, "What was that? I couldn't quite hear you."

"There's no way you're me!" Pinkie cried out as the ground began to shake.

The automatons at the center of the room slowly rattled into naught more than pieces upon the floor. The false Pinkie Pie laughed girlishly as a vile black mist billowed out around her, bursting into a dark haze that sent her two would-be-assailants flying back. "You're right. I'm not you! I'm me now."

ENCOUNTER

Comedy and Tragedy

"I am a Shadow, the True Self!" The golden eyed monstrosity called out in an unnerving, warbling dual voice as she revealed her form. Before the party stood a pair of ponies. A regular sized one sporting a top hat and a comedy theater mask, holding a chain in one hoof and firmly standing on the back of the other. The second was a giant, building-sized, dour looking pink pony, with a tragedy mask bearing helpless, hollow black eyes. Around her neck was a giant collar, held tightly by the chain leading to the smaller one's hoof.

Mac looked away from the Shadow, moving in front of Pinkie Pie's unconscious body to guard her after he clambered to his hooves. He held his sword in his teeth again, clamping down tightly on the handle. Perseus stood beside his User as he brandished his own blade. The pair stood tall as the Shadow soon struck.

Comedy grinned maliciously as she stomped on her partner's back, forcing the weeping giant to act. A howl of pain came from the crying pink pony's mouth while her hooves slammed on the ground, kicking up tiles at the two Persona Users. The smaller pony laughed madly at the scene. She rolled onto her back, held up only by the chain still held in her hoof.

Mac held up a hoof, trying to protect his face and head. He nodded to Perseus before running at the Shadow. He grew closer to the titan of an equine and gripped his blade to ready the impending strike. A laugh came from the side as he was struck onto his back. The wind was pushed from his lungs, the stallion struggling to breathe as he caught Comedy swinging away on the chain out of the corner of his eye.

Trixie's horn lit up as she and Circe began chanting several different spell names. Flames and ice tore across the giant pony's hide, visibly damaging the colossal mare. Mac managed to get back onto his hoove, guarded by Perseus as he did so. He gripped the sword in his mouth once more as he looked up to the Persona. The human nodded as he grabbed Mac by his barrel, spinning once before releasing the stallion.

Mac could really hardly believe that worked. He landed atop Tragedy's head, staring down Comedy. The mare in the top hat bowed for a moment after getting onto her hind legs. She took the top hat off with a hoof, tapping its edge with the chain.

"Garu!" She cooed out maliciously as a gust of wind poured out of the hat to send Mac sprawling backward. His sword fell to the ground as he caught the giant pony's mane with his mouth. He slowly climbed back up, missing his weapon.

Comedy hardly noticed the stallion as she tried to block Trixie's bombardment of spells. Mac panted for a moment, trying not to think of the taste of the hair he'd just had to deal with. After taking only a second or so to gather himself, he charged headlong at the smaller half. His body collided with hers readily, striking Comedy away from the chain that connected to Tragedy's neck.

The malicious pony in the top hat tried to regain her footing, but slowly fell off of the giant. Trixie grinned as she quickly yelled to Circe with a grin very few other ponies could match, "Agilao!"

In the moment that Comedy was incinerated, so too did Tragedy fade into little more than ash. All that remained was the now calmed Shadow, and Pinkie Pie in turn coming to. Mac panted as she recovered from the fray, downing several of the Medicines that he'd purchased. He tried to gather his thoughts and catch his breath as he approached the rather forlorn party pony.

Pinkie Pie rose from her haunches, looking between him and her Shadow. "I-It's not going to attack again, right?"

The shake of Mac's head assured her more than she thought it would. Mac simply stated to her, "Everypony's got somethin' like that in 'em. But it's not all there is to ya'."

Her golden eyed mirror stared at her, unblinking and unmoving. "I guess... I guess being Ponyville's bestest, most awesomest party pony ever makes me feel like that's what I should be. And the Element of Laughter always cements that idea. I know I'm more than just a party machine, but it takes somepony who isn't as super-happy about it to remind me that partying 'til I drop can be pretty not-fun."

The earth pony approached her double, wrapping her hooves around its neck. "You weren't trying to be a meanie pants on purpose. After all, you're a part of me." A few tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping to the floor. The Shadow reciprocated for just a moment before disappearing entirely. The blue, mystical light of the Persona's power manifested itself around Pinkie Pie, engulfing her in its splendor.

A figure appeared before her, rotund and rather humorous looking. It seemed to be a Neighponese styled raccoon-dog with a large gourd of alcohol in one hand and a walking stick in the other, with a bamboo hat on its head.

"My name is Tanuki, and henceforth, I'm your Persona! Care for a drink?" The humanoid creature held out its gourd and an oddly shaped cup, winking to the pony Persona User.

Mac and Trixie both exchanged a somewhat confused glance. By all accounts, the Neighponese creature was completely out of place with the Personae they'd seen thus far. Even Apsaras was closer to the 'human' Personae. The duo approached Pinkie who was eagerly conversing with the raccoon-dog.

"'Sup, Mac? Trix?" She grinned, her dour mood completely vanished after a few crude jokes from her Persona.

Trixie spoke up first as she halted, using a hoof to motion for Circe to patrol, "Pinkie, you should probably get out of here for now. You don't really have much experience fighting Shadows like me and Mac."

"Don't be silly, Trixie! I've fought tons of uglies like these party-poopers. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the changelings, Sombra, parasprites- though that was less of a fight and more of a musical number-," the Element of Laughter took a deep breath to continue, only to find a blue hoof shoved in her mouth.

"Stop!" Trixie stated a bit too eagerly, before giving a sheepish laugh as she slowly pulled her hoof back to the ground, "Trixie- I mean- I understand." She gave a forced laugh, trying to play it off, "But you don't know anything about Personae or what we're doing or-"

Pinkie quickly caught the unicorn with her hooves, holding the other mare by her shoulders, "We're saving Rarity! We won't stop until she's safe at home instead of- where are we anyway?"

Mac spoke this time instead, trying to interrupt the two, "In a comic." He saw Pinkie Pie's face light up brighter than Celestia's sun, "A cheap 980's romance comic."

The hope of fun left her eyes the moment he finished speaking. "Aww..." Pinkie groaned as she let her head tilt backward, "Why couldn't it have been something at least a teensy, tiny, itty-bitty bit less melodramatic?"

"Come on, Miss 'Funaholic'." Trixie's magical aura grabbed the earth pony by her tail, starting to drag her off toward the next door. "We only have one direction to move in: forward." The mare gestured toward the only door leading onward, which Mac was rapidly approaching with his steady gait.

Pinkie followed the two, pronking all the while through the eerily empty rooms. "So," she began, a wide grin on her lips, "Are you two an item now?"

'Item' seemed to be all that was needed to halt Trixie's steps. The normally boisterous magician had a rather firm blush on her face as she began speaking as quickly as possible hardly pausing for breath, "I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about-It's-not-like-I've-asked-Twilight-out-or-anything-Not-that-she'd-be-interested-Would-she-Don't-tell-her-I-asked-that-Unless-you-think-it'd-help-" A visible sheen of nervous sweat appeared on her face as the unicorn was visibly winded by her embarrassed rambling.

"She means us." Mac corrected, before turning his head slightly toward Pinkie Pie, "And nnnnnope." The stallion turned his head back forward, ignoring the complaints of not being able to throw Trixie a hypothetical 'You Were Straight All Along' party.

The scenes of the story played out quite clearly. The lover seemingly lost in travel, the longing, pining widow, the new lover who was both young and brash, the seduction, the return of the husband, and as they clearly observed from their walk through the comic, the duel for the mare's love. Mac ignored Pinkie Pie and Trixie, who were going over the basics of Personae and how to summon them, instead taking in the door before them. He could almost feel the darkness seeping from it.

A blue butterfly flitted about beside the door. He reached out to touch it, letting the creature land upon his hoof. He felt calm, at peace even. Mac knew what stood beyond the door. He turned to Trixie and Pinkie Pie, who had their respective Personae summoned. They both halted their conversation on the logistics of Pinkie using Tanuki for her parties. He motioned his head toward the door, both of the mares returning his expression with a pair of resolute nods.

He pressed on the door, shoving it open with both hooves. Inside, a grand stage stood before the audience of three. On it the three mannequines of the story were battered, broken and tossed to the side of the stage. Taking the center stage were two unicorn mares. One was dressed in a full set of carousel fashion, complete with all the harnesses, bit and bridle, saddle and even a tail wrap that held her tail up provocatively. The other stood tall without clothing, glaring down her counterpart with her steely blue eyes.

The carousel Rarity spoke up as she glared at the other one with her golden eyes, "Ooh! I see we have an audience now, dahling! I can hardly wait to have their eyes on me! Don't you know, I'll be just a worthless, aging unicorn spinster unless I put myself on display for all to see!"

"Shut up!" The real Rarity screamed as she looked between Pinkie Pie and the Shadow. "You can hardly be considered anything but a poor imitation of the real thing!"

"Oh? But I'm a 'Rarity Original'." The other unicorn stood on her hind hooves, reaching her forehooves behind her head. She pursed her lips and gave the original a wink, continuing with her statement, "I'm you, after all. All attention should be on me, and me alone! Look at me! Look at my clothes! Look at every little thing I do and give me your attention and undying adoration! Give me your bits, even! As long as you pay attention to me, I don't care what you give me!"

"I'm nothing like that!" Rarity lunged at her other self, trying to tackle the mare to the ground. The two collided in a tangle of legs, causing Mac to stop mid-stride toward the stage as he looked upon the scene with a visible blush even on his own red cheeks. The two mares struggled against each other's grip, the Shadow letting out amused, girlish giggles all the while. "Stop posing and acting like you're me! I don't look like that! I don't make those stupid, lewd faces! I'm not an attention whore! You can't be me! You most certainly aren't me!"

The Shadow Rarity stopped her movements entirely as the room shook. A single shove of her hoof pushed her host off of her, the golden eyed counterpart grinned with her tongue lolling out. "I suppose I'm me now, dahling." The typical petname from the fashionista came out with far more venom than any of the other three had heard before.

The dark vapor that Shadows seemed to be made from coalesced around Rarity's other self, wreathing her in its glory. The vapor extended to the walls and floor and ceiling, covering them entirely as they seamlessly connected to Shadow Rarity's hooves. Rarity panted as she tried to stay awake, glaring up as the mare stood on her hind hooves. The Shadow grasped a pole that jutted forth from the floor, now looking like little more than adult dancer. The Element of Generosity collapsed just as the three Persona Users clambered up onto the stage.

ENCOUNTER

Eye Candy

Only moments after the Shadow's body was wrapped in darkness like macabre, skin-tight clothing, the room's black decor slowly changed. Pursed lines grew on every surface, slowly opening. Inside each and every pore that made itself known, was white, slick flesh. All of them quickly rotated, revealing that the entire room was covered in an innumerable amount of eyes, all directed on Shadow Rarity and the three Persona Users.

"Whoa! This is completely uber-creepy! It's like one of those horror movies where the funny pony dies fir-" Pinkie started rambling excitedly before realizing the implications of her statement.

Trixie stepped forward as she pulled her staff out of her hammer space, levitating it in front of Pinkie. "Don't worry, the Great and Powerful Trixie will protect you." The mare grinned for a few moments before focusing on the threat ahead of them. "Mac. I can't get a reading from Circe on this one's weakness."

Pinkie Pie glanced to the magician for a moment before speaking up, "Wait, what? You can do that?"

"Mildly. Trixie can only detect immediately visible weaknesses."

"Oh, cool! What's mine?"

"Garu spells." Trixie cringed for a moment at the question, watching the Shadow Rarity start to monologue.

"Neat!" Without hesitation, Pinkie Pie pulled her Party Cannon from her mane, setting it on the ground with a loud bang. The room began writhing and moving on its own, walls and pillars jutting up from the floor. "Let's rock this party!" The mare exclaimed happily as she pulled her cannon's cord, blasting through the nearest wall with a blast of confetti.

Mac barreled through the obstacles, thrusting his shoulder first at anything in his path. The room shrieked in pain, the Eye Candy herself letting out a twisted, lewd moan. The stallion tripped on his hooves as it reached his ears, slamming into one of the shifting walls.

"It seems this one needs a mare's touch." Trixie sighed as she gestured toward Pinkie Pie, reading her Persona. "Circe! Agilao!"

The mare in question did the same, cracking the card with only her bare hoof. "Tanuki! Mazio!"

A torrent of fire and lightning flooded the room, bursting at every last eye that covered the ceiling and floor. The core Shadow pulled the darkness that covered the room closer to her, wreathing it around her body as a dress. The unicorn pointed to Trixie, striking a pose before calling out, "Zio!"

The bolt launched from the Eye Candy's hand struck true, knocking Trixie off of her hooves and onto the ground. The mare could only conclude that her own weakness were spells from the Zio family of magics. The magician attempted to climb to her hooves, unable to do much more than watch her last standing ally.

Pinkie Pie continued her gallop toward her friend's twisted dark side, leaping, bounding, and even cartwheeling over her attacks with a smile. She lightly hummed an unknown tune (surely one of her own making) while she pulled her Party Cannon from her mane. With the mouth of the barrel just inches from the not-Rarity's face, the party pony pulled the cord.

The Shadow reeled in pain as the barrel's combustive force shot into her face and mane. She shook her head angrily, trying to dislodge any remnants of confetti and party favors from her hair. Pinkie Pie skidded on her hooves as she started pulling items from her tail to fill the cannon once more, cautiously looking back between the Eye Candy and what she was loading.

Mac stood up once more, shaking any remaining pain from his face. The stallion charged at the monstrosity as she regained her footing, knocking her off of her pole. He wrapped his hooves around her midsection, glancing to Pinkie Pie. He motioned with his head when she noticed him grappling with the Shadow, nodding for an unspoken plan.

Pinkie nodded back, bounding over to the squirming monster as her clothing lashed out toward them both. She pressed the barrel flat against the Eye Candy's stomach, covering one of the eyes on her dress. Mac pushed away from Rarity's Shadow just as Pinkie Pie shot her cannon against the fashionista's dark side.

The black miasma of the Shadow faded into nothingness as the now blankly staring mare faced toward her host. Mac and Pinkie Pie panted, the two earth ponies bumping hooves together once they were able to stand. Trixie soon joined them, keeping closer to Rarity. Each of them let out a relieved sigh, catching their breath from the battle.

Rarity soon roused from unconsciousness, her eyes fluttering open to see the three Persona Users. She opened her mouth to speak, but pushed herself away from them as she noticed her doppleganger. The mare angrily ground her teeth as she nervously took several steps back.

Mac started his approach, only to be stopped by Pinkie Pie. She turned to him and gave a sympathetic smile while she shook her head.

"Rarity," she began softly while walking toward her friend, "It's hard to think that we've all got nasty, dark parts inside that we can't admit to." She stopped as she thought over her very recent encounter with Comedy and Tragedy. "I had to face those kinds of icky things that were inside me on the way here." Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but she was shushed by her friend. "But remember that you've got friends like me and Fluttershy and Twilight and Rainbow and Applejack! Even if those parts you don't like are there, you're still you. You're still one of my best friends."

Rarity's expression softened as she let out a sob, trying to collect herself. She held tightly to Pinkie Pie, before finally letting go. "I'm terribly sorry, darling. I-" She turned her head to the Shadow as she swallowed hard, "I don't ever want an attention whore to be all that I am." She stood tall as she approached her other self. "But it's not all of me, is it? You are a part of me, even if I don't like you."

The Shadow nodded before the blue fire burst around Rarity's hooves and body, a globe of glass encasing her. A tall, spindly humanoid grasped at its edges with four blackened arms, two others held outward. Between the two outstretched hands, fine strands of silk hung loosely. "Thou art I. I am thou. I will be your protector. My name is Arachne." The body of the human was clothed in a fine, pitch black dress, whose bustle bore a vibrant red hourglass on the rear. Her face was covered in a mask made of spider webs, with a pair of black holes for her eyes to peer through.

The Persona disappeared into nothingness as Rarity fell to the floor for a moment. She tried to recover with her hooves, barely doing more than kneeling. "Rarity!" Pinkie Pie called out, trying to assist her friend.

"It's fine, Pinkie. I'm just feeling a tad fatigued." The white unicorn assured, before the earth pony hefted her onto her strong back.

The party pony snorted as she carried her friend, "I'm not having any of that. We need to get you home and in bed, super duper quick."

Mac and Trixie shrugged as they watched the Pinkie Pie march off in a huff, both of them catching up to the other two. "Trix- I'm terribly sorry you had to get involved with this whole thing."

"Trixie? How is it you've come to my rescue? I can understand Pinkie," the alabaster mare glanced to Mac, her eyes fluttering a bit more, "And- ahem- most certainly Big Macintosh." The blush on her cheeks made no attempt to hide her thoughts on the matter. "But you coming to my assistance is bewildering."

"There is nothing bewildering about it!" Trixie defended quickly, before gaining a quick, measured expression from the only stallion among them. "Th-that is to say, the Humble and Pious Trixie came to your rescue out of sympathy. Trixie was recently rescued from her Shadow self as well."

Pinkie Pie continued walking toward the door to exit the comic, opening it quickly with a single hoof. The four were ejected from the comic the moment the door swung, each one landing among Rarity's many mannequines. Safely back in the Carousel Boutique, Mac picked up the comic and shoved it into his hammer space.

"As exciting as all this adventure was, I need my beauty sleep before I can process any of it." Rarity trudged toward her stairs, climbing them slowly to her bedroom. She called down, "And Pinkie, be a dear and take care of the door." The tone was surprisingly calm, though clearly frustrated.

Mac shrugged at the exchange, not questioning the two mares. He made his way to the exit, Trixie following closely. The moment they were out of the building, the door slammed back into its hinge behind them. "SCORE! Knocked it in on the first try!" The two could clearly hear Pinkie Pie cheer, both of them exchanging a worried glance before walking away from the dress shop.

"That makes four then." Trixie laughed dryly to herself as the two parted ways on the dirt road to Sweet Apple Acres. "We should go talk to them both tomorrow about everything that's going on."

Mac nodded back to her as he continued to drag himself to the farmhouse. He looked through the window at the stairs up to his room. He silenced the groan in his throat. He laid himself against one of the hay bales outside. Damning the world for the sake of his slumber, he was out like a light in a matter of moments.

=====================================================================

Save Data?

>Yes

-No

=====================================================================

Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

3/10 Understanding

1/10 Knowledge

4/10 Courage

2/10 Expression

2/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Rarity's Romantic Comic

Trixie's Questionable Comic

Power Ponies Vol. 4

Equipment:

Weapon: n/a

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

=====================================================================

Save Complete

The Magician

=====================================================================

Sunday March 8th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Afternoon

Mac adjusted in his seat at Sugarcube Corner, having only been there the day before to keep an eye on Pinkie Pie. He looked around the table at each of the mares. He nervously tapped a hoof against the wooden floor as he tried to ignore the draft coming from the doorway behind him.

"- And that is the situation thus far." Trixie finally stopped talking after what seemed to be an hour of explanations.

Pinkie Pie appeared to be her normal self again, though perhaps her mane was a tiny bit deflated. Could it have been from fatigue? Talk of murder? Mac couldn't quite pinpoint how exactly her mane worked.

"So," Rarity began as she adjusted her fashionable sunglasses, "this entire, horrible event is due to somepony sabotaging the enchanted comics to..." Rarity took a few moments to swallow the lump in her throat, almost whispering the words as she finished, "-to commit murder?"

"The Sly and Deductive Trixie would have to say so. The only leads me and my lovely assistant," the magician nudged Mac with a hoof, wiggling her eyebrows playfully, "have managed to attain have been through Circe's scrying." The blue unicorn swirled the spoon in her tea a few times as she held her cheek up with a hoof, her former expression growing rather dour. "Though, she's unable to detect anything outside of a limited timespan, it seems."

Rarity rubbed a hoof against her chin, taking in everything the two had told her. "I'd normally say we should tell Twilight or one of the Princesses, but with Princess Celestia missing, Princess Luna pulling a double shift just to keep the courts running and day/night cycle intact, and Twilight bogged down in royal paperwork, it would be difficult to convince the Royal Guard of the situation. At best, they'd only investigate the company that makes the comics in Canterlot, not anypony here who would be capable of such a thing." She paused for a few more moments before she spoke again, tugging her shades down to barely glance over her bloodshot eyes, "And it would be more than a bit troublesome to involve Princess Cadance in another country's internal affairs."

Trixie seemed to be taken aback by the other mare's reasoning, the spoon slipping from her grasp with a loud clink against the bottom of the teacup.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie raised a hoof quickly, as if she were in some sort of class. Trixie regained enough of her composure to point to the eccentric party pony, giving her the floor. "Does this mean we're going to become a super awesome detective team and solve this nasty crime?" She seemed a tad too excited for someone investigating murder, from what Mac supposed, but he couldn't say he knew his sister's friends beyond a select few meetings.

"Essentially, yes." Trixie let out a heavy sigh, her eyes set on her cup as she held it between her hooves. Her somber expression looked almost out of place, from what Pinkie and Rarity remembered of her. "No one will believe that these comic books are anything other than what they're sold as, unless we bring solid evidence of tampering." She nudged Mac again.

Upon her request, he placed all three comic books on the table, though Trixie's in particular was covered up with a plastic jacket. "I've tried every method of magical analysis possible for a normal unicorn. All results come up negative." She scrunched her snout as she took a sip of her drink, barely able to enjoy the overly sweetened tea anymore. "But when I use Circe, I can see not only the magic itself, but the very imprints each of our Shadows have made on them."

Mac pulled the three books away, placing them back in his hammer space. He held out a hoof between the three, his eyes slowly meeting with each of theirs. "Ah made a promise to git Spike back to Princess Twilight safe 'n sound. And if he's got mixed up in this business, Ah ain't got a choice but to move forward."

"And the Great and Powerful Trixie simply can't let you make a fool of yourself investigating alone!" The magician placed her hoof on top of his, her smile both soft and mild despite the determination in her eyes.

Rarity daintily placed her hoof atop the other two's, nodding softly to them as she adjusted her sunglasses. "I most certainly do not wish to remain in either of your debt by taking the coward's way out of this situation. I cannot stand idly by while some ruffian tries to harm innocent ponies!"

The three glanced to Pinkie Pie, who, after a brief shrug, placed her hoof on top. "How could I possibly say no to being part of a totally cool detective team!"

Thou art I. And I am thou.

This bond brings thee ever closer to the truth.

Thou shalt have our blessing when crafting Personae of the Fool Arcana.

Trixie pulled away first, clearing her throat before speaking, "Then the Enchanted Comic Book Investigation Team will need a designated meeting place."

"Not here," Pinkie quickly defended as she looked back to her bosses/landlords for a moment. "The Cakes told me that having company over is a lot like sweets, and it should just be a sometimes thing."

Rarity cleared her throat delicately before speaking as well, "The Carousel Boutique is out as well. You'd honestly be surprised how many customers I manage on a good day."

"Trixie's cart is too small, and Applejack doesn't seem to care for my presence." The Great and Powerful stage magician hummed to herself for a few moments. She looked at the other three, before her eyes grew wide. The same expression of realization Mac had noticed days ago when they formed the investigation team was present again. "We'll meet at the comic shop!"

"What ever do you mean, darling?" Rarity inquired as she glanced around, trying not to arouse suspicion from any of the other customers.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the odd response, before catching on, "Then come incognito." She pulled a pair of gems from her hammer space, levitating them both to the other ponies. "And you two should hold on to these. Voice Crystals are hard to come by and very tricky to tune to one another."

"Neat." Pinkie Pie managed between bites of her lunch, which consisted of a monstrosity of baked goods and icing. The voracious party pony placed the crystal into her hammer space, taking a moment to swallow before speaking again. "So, how do we practice with our Personas?" She muttered to herself as she tried to figure out the plural of the word.

Mac held his hoof out to the table, summoning his card. Within it, several different Personae flashed, from Perseus to Apsaras, to Pixie and Ukobach, and even to several others that his friends hadn't yet seen in combat. "Ya' call 'em."

"Privately! You call out to them privately!" Trixie pulled Mac's hoof away from the table, nervously grinning as she tried to play it off as some sort of a joke to the other curious ponies around them. "And you talk to them, if they'll listen." The magician pursed her lips in a pout, looking out of the window of the shop to glance over the street.

"We'll meet again in a week at the comic shop, unless Circe picks up somethin' with her scryin'." Mac suggested, receiving nods from each of the other members of the team.

=====================================================================

Monday March 9th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Afternoon

Sweat. Dirt. Muscle.

Mac strained at the ropes tied to his yoke, pulling tightly against them. The taut cables were wrapped around a stump of an old tree Applejack had cleared out during the previous few weeks, just after Winter Wrap Up. The stallion pulled his hooves forward. One, then the next. A third step, and he felt a very noticeable slackening in the line. He continued to pull himself forward, slowly ripping the stump and its roots from the ground entirely.

+1 Diligence

=====================================================================

Monday March 9th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Evening

Mac leaned back against one of the hay bales next to the farmhouse's porch, watching the sun set out in the distance. He held a mug of cider in one hoof as he sipped away at it idly. Wherever Princess Celestia was, he was sure she was alright. Canterlot was sure in a tizzy about her going missing, but he wasn't the type to doubt the decisions that royalty made. She left a note according to Princess Twilight, so it wasn't anything nefarious like a kidnapping.

He hummed to himself softly before he took another, long sip. He didn't care much for politics, usually. A small, filly sized shadow appeared by his side while he was distracted by his thoughts.

"Hey? Big Mac? Why were ya' over at Sugarcube Corner yesterday?" Apple Bloom cut to the chase quickly, causing the stallion to almost drop his cider. Almost. He raised an eyebrow to his sister, saying nothing for the moment. "Ah mean, you were with that mean ol' Trixie, but also Rarity and Pinkie Pie." The filly paused in deep thought. Mac gave her a few moments, knowing the girl could easily outsmart him and Applejack on a regular day.

"Are ya' tryin' that whole 'speed datin'' thing?"

Once more, Mac had nearly spilled his cider. A blush found its way across his face before he answered with a resounding, "Nnnnnnope."

"Then why were ya' spending so much time with three mares like that?" She laid down the pressure harder, despite maintaining the most innocent expression and voice possible.

He let out a sigh as he finished off his drink and set the mug down. The workhorse gave a quick glance around him, then inside. AJ and Granny were baking. He smirked to himself before leaning down to Apple Bloom's level. "We're investigatin' why Spike's missin'." He looked back up to the window, before leaning back in to his little sister, "S'why Ah'm keepin' it from AJ."

"Yer doin' detective work on the side?" The filly's eyes seemed to widen immensely at the realization, her smile reaching from ear to ear.

"Eeyup." He affirmed, completely readied for her new-found interest in his personal life.

Surprisingly, she remained quite calm, looking up to her brother with a sly grin. "Ah'll do what Ah can to keep Applejack off yer tail fer it!" The Cutie Mark Crusader left her brother with a rather amusing expression of shock and confusion, the stallion unable to comprehend the girl's sudden change in behavior.

=====================================================================

Tuesday March 10th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Afternoon

Mac stood before the door to Trixie's cart, hesitantly knocking on it. "Come in!" The mare called out as the audible warble of magic rang out inside. After opening the door, the workhorse found himself in awe. A large number of schematics and highly detailed plans littered the floor and wall of the small wagon. Mac looked over a number of the papers, trying his best to decipher them.

Trixie finally stopped what she was doing, looking up from her drafting table, "Hey Mac." She casually commented before whirling the many different plans in her magical grasp. The mare had quite a few floating around her, almost forming a parchment sphere. "I need to find a dazzling act. Something to make Ponyville forgive me. Non-profit too. Something amazing." She idly spoke her intentions to the stallion, brushing off his presence as she beamed at one particular plan.

The pieces of paper around her fell, leaving only a crayon drawing of a pair of stick ponies surrounded by a menagerie of childish explosions. One was a tall stallion with a grand mustache, hat, and cape, and the other was a little filly with a matching hat and cape. "Ever since I was a filly, I always loved magic shows. My father was a traveling performer too." The mare set the page down on the table before resuming her search. "It's hard, growing up when your parent's aren't around."

Mac let his face settle into a neutral expression, before sitting down at her dining table. He clenched his teeth, almost hissing out a simple, "Eeyup."

He watched her search for the following hours, assisting her with stacks of blueprints and plans when she passed them over. It didn't take long for him to start grinning over her child-like fascination with the documents.

"Aha!" Trixie finally called out, holding a set of three plans. "The trifecta of a magic show. Pledge, Turn, and Prestige, all right there for the audience." She grew silent for a few moments, before looking up at the fellow Persona User. "I need an assistant." She quietly called his attention. After gaining it, she repeated, "I need a female assistant."

She hung her head back, trying her best to think over her options. "There's nopony around here that could possibly fit the bill." She leaned forward on to her drafting table and pressed her cheek against it.

Mac remained quiet for a moment, before speaking up, "What about me?"

The mare bit her lip, considering the proposal.

=====================================================================

Wednesday March 11th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Afternoon

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Trixie huffed as she watched Mac perform onstage. "You need to be light on your hooves, and disappear before the phantasm is out of sight!"

Mac found it degrading he was in a sequined leotard, but the illusion spell cast on top of it to make him appear female? That was taking it a bit far. Still, he soldiered on, trying his best to follow the 'Fantastic and Amazing' Trixie's plans for the show he was wrangled into helping with.

=====================================================================

Friday March 13th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Evening

A star covered wagon moseyed into town. Everypony in Ponyville had seen it before. Some had the displeasure of seeing it twice. The magical vehicle slowly unfolded into a stage. The citizens were familiar with the owner by this point. The 'Great and Powerful' Trixie. The showmare who had terrorized their town twice before. A small crowd formed, some ready with ripe tomatoes to throw at the unicorn.

A magical mist poured out from the floorboards, remaining over the platform. A mare wandered out. A red earth pony mare in her prime, with a delicately styled orange mane that bore a headband that held a small top hat in place. She greeted the crowd with a heavy bow, quietly adjusting her tie. In her hoof a wand appeared. Simple, but noticeable. It held a star and crescent at its end, and shimmered with a touch of unicorn magic.

She waved it after getting onto her hind hooves, blasting a tongue of fire from its end. The crowd quietly watched at first, entranced by the new magician. She twirled the wand a bit, ceasing the gout of flames. She cast several different spells over herself and the audience: blasts of ice that fell down like gentle snow, illusions of grand monsters that cowered in fear and melted when touched, and even a few images of stars and galaxies were conjured behind her. The townsfolk quietly applauded, nearly forgetting their animosity.

After a brief pause, the magic ceased and she tapped on the curtain, revealing it to be a cleverly disguised box. The mare placed a hoof on its corner, and pushed on it, circling the metal and wooden trunk. The box moved in place, showing its other sides were painted in the same manner as the wagon. In the place of the new mare, Trixie appeared from behind it, walking on her hindlegs and pushing on the box. The magician wore a tuxedo and top hat of her own, though her cape stayed. She halted next to the box, tapping its edge with a hoof. Several vertical slats fell off of it, revealing the other mare inside of it was tied up and otherwise restrained.

Trixie took the wand from her other hoof, and pointed it toward the mare. She blasted a bolt of lightning at the box, causing it to creak and moan from the stress of the magic. The wood and metal snapped and bent, forming the gaping maw of some foul beast. Each board and bar moved on its own, slamming down onto the stage with a heavy thud as it took several steps toward Trixie.

Instead of showing fear, she instead held up her wand and blasted the box-creature with another bolt. Once the dust had settled and the mist on stage had vanished, a smaller box was held within Trixie's hoof, matching the pattern of the original. She motioned to the audience, pointing to the collection of chains and restraints where her 'assistant' had been. She quietly looked around, trying to find the other mare, pointing to the center of the crowd.

Standing tall, as if nothing had happened, the red and orange earth pony grinned once the audience began cheering. She made her way back onto the stage, taking a bow with the other magician. After a few moments, they both stood on their hindlegs and a bright flash went off in front of them. Once everypony's eyes had adjusted again, the wagon was packed back up, and fliers had fallen across the street. Each one bore a picture of Trixie upon it, advertising her newest show.

=====================================================================

"Other than your presentation on the first few spells, I'd say our first show was a resounding success!" Trixie beamed as she opened a bottle of wine she had stored in her wagon.

Holding his own glass up, Mac clinked it against hers while his other hoof tried to brush out the girly curls she'd added to his mane. A loud knock sounded out at the door, with an all too familiar voice calling out, "Trixie! We know you're in there!" It was female, certainly, but it cracked easily and was far too grating to be anyone else.

"Rainbow Dash, was it?" Trixie opened the top half of her door, leaning on the bottom. "What brings you to my door at such an hour?"

The pegasus let herself in, only to notice Mac trying his best to remove the curls. That and the matter that he was still in a one piece mare's leotard. Before she could open her mouth to continue on the tirade, the realization hit her. "Whoa whoa whoa." She held out her hooves, trying to hold back a laugh without much success. "Mac? You're the 'lovely assitant'?" Her voice cracked as Rainbow struggled to hold back, biting her lip before guffawing at the scene.

Mac simply held a slightly irritated expression as she tried to rein in her laughter. Not moments after, the scene repeated as Applejack found herself in the wagon as well, unable to speak before she caught sight of Mac's attire. "Ah was jus' about to ask what you were doin' today, Mac, but I can see you were 'preoccupied'."

"AJ!" Rainbow called between her giggles, trying to get her friend's attention. "This is the most hilarious thing I've seen all week."

Before the two could continue, Mac pulled a rather large bag from his hammerspace. The bag jingled with the sound of gold against gold, quickly piquing the interest of his sister. "What'cha got there, Mac? Is she payin' ya' fer some kinda scam?"

"Nnnope." He replied briefly, opening the bag to scoop out a number of bits.

Trixie sat back down at her drafting table, using an adding machine to quickly count up a stack of her own bits, "I'm almost offended. But the bits you see there are half of the donations received for our act today. The other half is going to me and to funding the next show, which will actually be at a respectable location." The unicorn pulled a green visor down below her horn, working the calculator like nopony's business.

Though Rainbow remained on the floor laughing, Applejack slowly moved to look into the bag in her brother's hoof. Her eyes grew wide as the telltale sparkle of bits glimmered and reflected against them. "And yer sure all of this is legitimate, Mac?"

"Eeyup."

"Well tie mah hooves and call me a sow! We could pay twice over fer a new plow fer the fields with bits like that!" Applejack grinned with a giddiness Mac had rarely seen, though he slowly tied the bag and put it away. "So, Trixie, how'd ya' like to talk business? Iffin' yer around fer it and don't pull any of those old shenanigans, Ah'm pretty sure cider season could bring in quite the audience if ya' place yer stage jus' right."

"Oh? Where exactly could that be? I'd need a relative distance to keep anything from hitting the audience."

The workhorse stripped himself of the leotard behind the changing screen in the wagon. He made his way outside briefly afterward, though he waited by the door. He could clearly see Applejack and Trixie discussing business with the utmost vigor. The unicorn blushed a bit as she noticed his smug smirk, adjusting her hooves before she continued speaking with Applejack. Her horn lit up as a small object floated out of the other window, slowly setting itself down in Mac's hoof as the magical grasp ceased. Mac held onto the practice wand tightly, placing it into a special spot within his hammerspace.

The world paused for a moment as Mac felt a well of power unlock within him. He listened to the voice chorus brightly within his mind.

Thou art I. And I am thou.

This bond brings thee ever closer to the truth.

Thou shalt have our blessing when crafting Personae of the Magician Arcana.

=====================================================================

Monday March 15th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Evening

Mac stood awkwardly between the aisles of the comic book shop, finding himself gathered with three other mares over in one of the corners. Horror comic books. The stallion adjusted his hooves nervously as he shivered. His gaze traced over the grotesque and unnerving forms of the monsters and villains on the covers. He looked over to the other ponies as they discussed the matter at hand.

"... So, I've managed to thoroughly discuss a number of things with my Persona. Arachne is just an absolute peach in conversation!" Rarity waved a hoof delicately, tittering as she recounted her talks with her Persona. "Though," she calmed her voice to become somewhat serious once more, "she hasn't the slightest amount of power for combat. All of her abilities are 'oracle structured', as she put it. The best I can do is hold the comic and relay messages between her and you three. I'm no better than a Voice Crystal when it comes to fighting Shadows."

"The Great and Powerfu-" the blue mare started, catching herself a little too late, "S-Sorry." She tried to collect herself before continuing, "That kind of a function is necessary if we're always diving into comics without knowing what's ahead. At the very least, we need recon if we want to be at our best."

Rarity mused over the idea for a few moments, "But Circe already fills that role, doesn't she?"

"Not as well as you'd think. I can only notice obvious weaknesses or general routes of travel with her. The scrying is invaluable for hints, but she is hardly built for anything but casting spells." Trixie leafed through a comic that seemed a little too familiar for Mac, who instead opted to continue looking around at the nearby shelves. "Pinkie, how has it gone with your Persona?"

"Tanuki is a riot! He's got so many jokes about drinking and partying and even this really cool story about a sun goddess who got so upset over her brother getting all grumpy that she hid in a cave. It took a party girl who threw the best party ever to get her to come out!" The mare laughed a bit to herself as she retold the story poorly, ending it with a quiet, slightly calmed, "But yeah, he's the super duper best at lightning stuff and 'status ailments'. He can get Shadows drunk off his breath!"

Mac tried not to think too hard about Pinkie's statement, looking between her and the others. Trixie had set her comic aside once Pinkie Pie was done. "Rarity, you and I should meet this evening and see if Circe and Arachne can work together at all. I have a theory that needs testing." The magician scratched her chin with her hoof as she pulled a scroll of parchment from her hammerspace. "And Pinkie? Mac? You two should focus on combat and supplies."

"You got it, Trix!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she and Mac both gave a nod, the meeting coming to a close as the group went their separate ways for the moment.

=====================================================================

Save Data?

>Yes

-No

=====================================================================

Player: Big Macintosh Apple

Current stats:

3/10 Understanding

2/10 Knowledge

4/10 Courage

2/10 Expression

3/10 Diligence

Key Items:

Velvet Key

Trixie's Wand

Rarity's Romantic Comic

Trixie's Questionable Comic

Power Ponies Vol. 4

Equipment:

Weapon: n/a

Armor: n/a

Accessory: Work Yoke

=====================================================================

Save Complete

Interlude Part 1

=====================================================================

Sunday March 8th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Sunny

Afternoon

"Your Highness!" A guard trotted quickly down the hallway of the Crystal Empire's castle, his hooves nearly skidding as he made it to the throne room. "Lord Shining Armor!" The crystal pony knelt before the throne, interrupting what appeared to be a meeting between the rulers and some foreign dignitary. The guard quickly tried to backpedal, "If Your Highness would see me after your meeting-"

"No!" Shining stated a bit too quickly, hopping down from his throne to greet the guard. "I mean, no, no, if it's an emergency, I should really attend to it." He calmly tried to seem slightly less interested in the guard's call, shaking his head as he ushered the crystal pony toward the door. "Cadance, can you finish up here, honey?" He managed just before closing the door to the throne room behind him.

"You are a life saver, buddy! I was getting bored to death in there." The former Captain of the Equestrian Guard tapped his hoof against the soldier's armor, happily grinning all the while.

The crystal pony was hardly amused, but rather incredulous at his ruler's disposition, "Y-Your majesty! This is hardly the time for frivolity! There's been a murder within the Empire's capital that reeks of alicorn magic!"

Shining Armor's eyes narrowed, looking the guard up and down. "And you're sure about this, private?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Not a word of this to Cadance. That's an order to you and your superiors." The unicorn firmly commanded, his expression as stern as ever. He approached a small nook tucked away within the castle halls. From it, he retrieved his old armor and spear."I need you to bring me to the crime scene immediately."

=====================================================================

Despite their lack of training in proper modern techniques, Shining found himself at least somewhat proud of how his guards had cordoned off the home. Shining stepped over the warning tape that had been set up, his stern eyes looking for a proper commanding officer. He pointed his hoof to a blue mare with a grey mane and tail. "You there-" he paused as he looked at her uniform, "Lieutenant!"

"Sir!" The crystal pony set down a piece of the evidence, a peculiar comic book, to address her ruler. "What can I say the pleasure of this inspection is, sir?" The mare remained at attention, standing straight before his lordship Shining Armor.

"At ease, lieutenant." He grinned a bit as she relaxed, before quickly inquiring. "I need to know what the situation is with this murder. When I heard Sombra's magic was involved, I did what I could to get here." He pulled his helmet off to set into his saddlebag as he looked over the body. The mangled, broken form could hardly be called a pony any more, though its pelt still shimmered in the midday sun coming from the window. "Do we have an M.O., miss?" He led on, waiting her name.

"Lieutenant Sure Shot, candidate for detective, and marksmare." She introduced before turning back to the crime scene. The pony, presumably male from the shape of his muzzle, was splayed on the floor of a private residence. "We don't have a definitive M.O. until the gals down at the lab come back with the magical analysis. We know for sure that there's some kind of foreign magic at work here that has traces of dark alicorn magic, but so far, we can't detect much more than that."

Shining looked over the evidence. Past the blood caked floor, he noticed only the bloodstained comic book, a number of shelves holding a library of comic books in plastic covers, and a paper bag on the floor next to him. Shining picked up the bag with his magic, and slowly opened it. He took care not to touch it physically or leave his magical signature on it. Within a small sheet of paper rested. He pulled it the best he could without damaging the bloodied bag.

He read over the leaf of paper aloud, "Canterlot Enchanting Comics Emporium. One limited run issue of Captain Equestria, twenty bits." He read it off, before setting the receipt beside the bag. "I need you to run this to evidence, and get a letter out to Canterlot immediately. And be discreet. This whole investigation is now under my personal eye, and not a word of any of this gets to my wife. If Sombra's back on the prowl, or someone like him is trying to hurt my citizens, I'm going to personally see to it that they're dealt with."

=====================================================================

Sunday March 8th, 1002 RC(Reign of Celestia)

Weather: Cloudy

Night

Prince Mi Amore Cadenza sat on her royal bed, staring up at the ceiling. She swirled a glass of wine in her magic's grasp, the scent of the crystal berries within it wafted through the room. "Shiny's late." She huffed for a moment as she splayed out onto her back. She held a hoof over her forehead, trying to soothe the headache she'd managed to accumulate from the meeting with the dignitaries from Saddle Arabia. The exchange they wanted for access to some of their oil was absurd. Four hours of negotiation and little more than a child's argument between her Secretary of Commerce and the ambassadors later, and she was nearly forced to use her magic on all three of them.

The pink alicorn looked between the wall clock and the door, before finally standing up. She opened the door to her chambers and peeked outside to one of the guards. "Do either of you know where my husband is?" The guards fidgeted slightly as she asked. She watched them closely, taking note of their body language. Matchmaking was all about understanding ponies, and she had the two guards down fairly easily.

"M-Ma'am, we aren't sure where he is." The younger of the two answered quickly, perhaps a bit too much so.

"Oh?" Cadance stood in front of him, standing only a slight bit taller. She glared down at the guard, raising a hoof to touch his nose. "And if I were to find out he's up to his little 'secret ops' again, who would I need to see about getting his conspirators a gelding?"

The guard whimpered as his hindlegs pressed together slightly. "He's at the magic lab investigating a murder. One that has alicorn magic involved."

Cadance stared at the guard for a moment, her pupils nothing but pinpricks. "Wh-What did you just say?"

"He's trying to investigate a murder that had alicorn magic involved! Just don't geld me!" The guard was reduced to nothing but tears as he backed up against the wall.

The princess let her gaze move to the floor before quietly stating, "Take the rest of the night off. Both of you." She calmly strode down the stairs, before breaking into a full sprint.

Once she was gone, the senior guard spoke to his junior jokingly, "Gotta love a mare who's got you by the balls, huh?" He let out an uproarious laugh, before returning to standing at attention in front of the door.

"Why are you just standing there? I thought she said to take the night off?"

"No can do. I'm not about to be outdone by the Equestrian Guard his lordship is always bragging about." The older guard huffed as he stood tall at his post.

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Cadance galloped as quick as she could to the unicorn magic lab. The alicorn bucked the doors open to the main lab, finding her husband and a few of their top mages standing around a bloodied comic book of all things. "Hubby, I know you like to play detective and figure out every last crime you can in the Empire, but that is no excuse for keeping something like this from me!" The young princess yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice, shaking the entire building as she approached her husband.

"Honey, calm down. I didn't want you to freak out about this." Shining Armor lifted up the comic book with his magic, taking care not to touch it. "This comic has two kinds of magic on it. Alicorn magic associated with him," he paused for a moment, trying to recover, "and a kind foreign to Equestria altogether."

Princess Cadance let out a breath, trying to calm herself. "What do you mean 'foreign'?" She approached her husband and the mages, her furious glare still apparent.

"Well, Your Highness, we have concluded that this magic is not entirely of our world. The magic structures held within can theoretically alter a pony's very core, and even psychologically harm them. But within the book... The results can be fatal if a pony is weak-willed. At least, that's what our current data projects." A tall, slender pale yellow unicorn stallion stated as he adjusted his lab coat, reading off the chart attached to his clipboard.

Shining Armor nodded to the mage, still holding the comic book. "Thank you, Starfield." The mage bowed deeply before slowly backing out of the conversation. "Honey, as you just heard from our best mage, this isn't something we can tread lightly into. It's an enchanted comic book, like Twily told me about a few months ago. If we touch it, we're forced inside. Whatever is in there, it already killed one of our citizens. And if it is made of alicorn magic, I don't want to risk you getting caught in it." Shining looked up to his wife with a rather concerned, tender glance.

Cadance visibly flinched under his gaze, her hard glare softening quite a bit. She let out a sigh, trying her best to stay calm. "But if it is from him, I need to stop it." She pleaded with him, leaning her neck against his in a quiet, heartfelt embrace.

Shining bit his lip as he finally set the comic book down. "Alright, but we're both setting up shields the moment we get inside."

She gave him a nod as they both reached out their hooves together, bringing them both down to touch the open comic book. "I'm ready when you are. But after we're done with this, you and I are going to have words about trying to keep this from me. Harsh words." Cadance tried to maintain her air of propriety, though her frustration still shone through.

The second they touched the comic, they were sucked into the world within it. A blue butterfly passed Shining Armor's eyes, calming him as he landed in a fictionalized Manehatten with his wife in tow. Several strange creatures began surrounding them. Not quite pony, but not quite anything else he'd ever seen. The former guard shot a spell above his body as his wife did the same. Without hesitating, he drew his spear, mounting it on its rack on his armor. He grinned to himself as his muscles tensed for the coming battle.

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Save Data?

>Yes

-No

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Player: Shining Armor

Current stats:

1/5 Knowledge

2/5 Courage

1/5 Charm

Key Items:

Wedding Ring

Equipment:

Weapon: Captain's Spear

Armor: Royal Armor

Accessory: n/a

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