Shadows of a Silent Pony

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Save Data?

>Yes

-No

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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

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