Ponyshock

by Strelet9

Rating: teen
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Crossover, Human, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other, Thriller, Trixie
Length: 13162

After the event's of "Equestria Girls", Twilight is ready to seattle down in her home at Ponyville. But, a magical comet tranports her to a world where one has built the impossible: the underwater city of Rapture.

"We all make choices. But, in the end, our choices make us."
-Andrew Ryan

After her adventure in the "mirror world", Princess Twilight is ready to settle down in her home in Ponyville. She and her friends prepare for the passing of Astra's Comet, a celestial body that increases the magical powers of every unicorn in Equestria. But, as the comet passes, Twilight uses her new found alicorn powers and opens a portal to another world. Out of this portal, metal giants, called "Big Daddies", emerge and attack the residents of Ponyville! During the chaos, Twilight is knocked into the portal and transported to a world where one man, Andrew Ryan, has built the impossible: the underwater city of Rapture.
While exploring the soaring heights of Rapture, Twilight encounters many enigmatic characters and uncovers dark secrets that will, forever, change her life.
The question is: will her choices affect those around her and will they be her undoing?

Published 2014-04-17 14:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-07 03:39:51 UTC

Chapter 1

"We all make choices. But, in the end, our choices make us".
-Andrew Ryan

Twilight was in a daze. All around her, she can see ponies running to and fro across Ponyville's town square. She can hear their screams of terror rising high into the midnight sky. As Twilight regained her senses, she turned around and saw her friend, Rarity; unconscious and bleeding. Then, she started to remember the events that lead to this calamity. "An explosion, yes, there was a large explosion that knocked both of us out. But what caused...?" Suddenly, she remembered! "Those metal monsters!" One of them threw a bomb at them and that's how they ended up in this state of peril. Twilight can still see the metal clad creatures running rampant across town; sowing chaos and destruction as they charged through in a blind rage. One of them was big, round, and bulky and was armed with a drill, which was implanted in its left arm. The other was slightly taller than its counterpart; but still as bulky. This one carried some sort of construction tool that shot out deadly projectiles into the fleeing crowd; inflicting casualties. Both wore old diving equipment and had a horrible smell that couldn't be described. As Twilight gazed at the carnage, she couldn't help but look at the bright, pulsing, light at the center of the square. She turned away; tears streaming down her face. As she looked upon Rarity's bloodied brow, she quietly sobbed; trying hard to fight back the tears.
"What have I done?" the young princess wondered aloud. "What have I done?!"

The sun shined brightly over the little town of Ponyville. Spring is in full swing; with flowers blooming and birds chirping their sweet songs through the warm, spring air. But, every pony is much too busy to enjoy the scenery. Some were hanging banners, while others were setting up booths and venders; the whole town was covered with festive decorations. In the center of this maelstrom of activity, a young, purple alicorn goes through a check list with her small dragon companion.
"Okay! Now that I have the check list, we should start our inspection on the north side."
She turned to her number one assistant.
"Are you ready, Spike?"
The little dragon replied with a confused look on his face.
"Uh, yeah, sure...But, remind me again why we're doing this, Twilight?"
Twilight was rather annoyed by his question.

, she thought. Nonetheless, she felt like making her point crystal clear, despite her friend's ignorance to the significance of the situation. She took a deep breath and let out a slightly exasperating sigh.
"I keep telling you! We're making sure everything is ready for the ' Great Comet Ceremony'."
Spike continued to stare wearily at his mentor as she continued to speak.
"This festival is supposed to mark the arrival of Astra's Comet; a celestial body that comes only once every 200 years."
"So?” Spike questioned bluntly.
"So! Seeing it is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
Spike quickly noticed Twilight's excited expression; a sign that meant that she took this event very seriously. He also knew that she had a temper and that temper can quickly go out of hoof, if it wasn't properly controlled. So, he shrugged his shoulders in compliance.
"Aright, aright! I get it!"
Twilight started to calm down when she heard his response. But, that suddenly changed when Spike continued to talk.
"But, I still can't see why you're getting so worked up over a flying space rock."
When Spike realized his mistake, it was too late! He started to shake when he saw Twilight give him a piercing glare. But, he stopped when he noticed her closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Twilight, for her part, realized that it was useless to yell at Spike for making a stupid comment. Besides, she is a princess and that is not how a princess behaves. So, she calmed herself down and replied.
"It's more than just a 'flying space rock'."
Using her magic, Twilight pulled out an old, leather bound book out of her nap sack and flipped the pages until she reached she found the one she was looking for. She, then, turned the book around and showed it to Spike. This particular page contained an old manuscript that had a drawing of a flaming purple comet, streaking through the sky. Under it, were a group of unicorns gazing upon it, with halos surrounding their heads. Spike stared at it with wonder.
"Whoa", he exclaimed. Spike couldn't help being impressed. Beaming with pride, Twilight smiled and started to explain.
"According to legend, Astra's Comet is supposed to increase the magical abilities of every unicorn in Equestria."
"Just unicorns?” Spike asked.
"Afraid so", replied Twilight; her smile slowly fading.
For the moment, they were both silent. They knew that this festival was something only unicorns can enjoy; which left the other ponies out. But, Twilight soon regained her optimism and, finally, broke the silence.
"That's why I decided to make the main theme of this festival to be, 'Magical Charity: using your magic to help others'."
"That's sounds great!” Spike exclaimed. "I also can't wait to see what Rarity will do with her magic". The little dragon's cheeks began to blush when he thought about his crush on the beautiful, unicorn mare.
Spike, suddenly, regained his sense when he heard Twilight giggle. But, the alicorn was sympathetic.
"We'll find out soon enough."
Twilight used her magic to place her things in the nap sack and pulled out the list. She turned to Spike.
"Number one assistant! Let's start the inspection!"
The little dragon snapped to attention and gave a hearty salute. "Aye, ma'am!” he replied.

The pair began their inspection of the town square. As they walk up and down town square, every booth, souvenir, and food item was inspected to see if it's in "tip-top shape" (as Twilight would say). During the inspection, the young alicorn couldn't help taking in the festive scenery. The streets were lined with stands that displayed everything from party horns to candy apples. Princess Twilight gazed at the streamers and banners that hung over the town square, fluttering in the breeze, as she walked through the busy crowd. "Everything seems to be in order", she thought. Then, she spotted someone familiar in the mist of the square. An orange earth pony with a golden mane and a cowboy hat was setting up her wagon; loaded with apple pies. Twilight trotted over to the wagon; her face beaming with gladness.
"Hi Applejack!"
The orange earth pony turned around and replied, with a smile.
"Howdy Twi!"
Howdy Spike!"
Both walked towards each other, until they were at a good talking distance. Applejack greeted them, promptly.
"How are ya'll doin'?"
"We're doing fine.” Twilight replied. "Spike and I were just checking up on the preparations. Making sure everything's in 'tip top shape'."
A loud, growling, noise interrupted the conversation. Twilight was embarrassed when she realized that was her stomach that growled. She felt rather sheepish. But, Applejack just chuckled.
"Seems like you worked yerself up an appetite, sugar cube."
"Sorry about that", said Twilight, sheepishly. "I was so eager to get this festival set up, that I forget to eat breakfast."
Spike couldn't help rolling his eyes. "You're telling me", he muttered. He still remembered the tiredness he felt when Twilight woke him up at six in the morning and made him rush downstairs; without as much as a bite to eat. It wasn't long before he heard his stomach growl. After that, there was an awkward silence, which was quickly broken by laughter from Twilight and Applejack.
"Well, in that case...” Applejack said, after catching her breath from all that laughing. She reached into her wagon and pulled out an apple pie. She, then, proceeded to cut two slices from it and served it to her friends.
"Ya'll can have these, on the house."
Twilight uses her magic to levitate the two slices from the wagon's make-shift table and gave one of them to Spike, who was eager to gobble it up.
"Thank you, Applejack!” said Twilight. "But, you didn't have to do that."
Applejack replied, with a smile.
"Hey! That's what friends are for, right?"
Twilight thought about what she said. Applejack has always been known for her honesty; that statement was testament to that. Even though she is a princess, that didn't change the status of their friendship. That was enough to make her happy. Before she can dwell on that thought, an energetic voice rang out.
"Oh! Can I have a slice?!"
The trio turned to see a happy, pink earth pony bounding towards them. They can obviously see that she was very excited today (this was nothing new, since she was like that all the time).
"Well, 'hi' to you too, Pinkie", Twilight said sarcastically.
"Oh! Hey Twilight!” Pinkie Pie replied, oblivious to her sarcasm. Her focus was on the apple pies. But, Applejack will have none of that. She knew Pinkie was a glutton for sweets.
"Uh, Pinkie", she asked, "didn't you eat breakfast?"
Pinkie Pie thought about it for a second. "Well, yeah", she said reluctantly. She felt disappointed that she wouldn't be able to have a slice of the Apple family's famous pies. But, Applejack warmed up to Pinkie.
"Don't you worry, sugar cube, there will be plenty of pies for the festival tonight."
With that, Pinkie's smile grew wider, as she thought about the festival; she was practically bouncing with joy (for she loved to make and take part in parties of any kind).
"Oh! I'm really really really really really really really excited right now!"
"For the comet?” Twilight asked.
"No, silly", she giggled, "for the super-duper festival, tonight."
"Oh", Twilight said flatly. It seemed like every pony is looking forward to this big festival, without realizing what it's really about. She was a little depressed that no pony was taking this as seriously as she is. Pinkie was keen to Twilight's change of mood. So, she resorted to doing what she did best: cheering her up.
"But, this comet will be a really neat thing to see, too."
Twilight smiled. She was glad to have a friend like her. Pinkie was always there to make others happy; no matter kind of mood they were in. No matter what, Pinkie Pie would always find a way to bring out a smile. Twilight wanted to thank her. But, before she could speak, another voice chimed in.
"It most certainly is."
A beautiful white unicorn, with an elegantly flowing, purple mane approached the little group; carrying new fabrics and sewing threads in her bag. She always had a talent for making stylish clothing and her latest trip from the fabric merchant was, all and all, routine. But, the conversation between her friends caught her interest.
"Hi Rarity!” Twilight said.
"Howdy!” said Applejack.
"What's shaking?” chimed Pinkie Pie.
Spike was in a love-struck daze before he answered with a meager "hello".
"Good day to you all", Rarity replied, in a musical tone.
Now, their little group was getting bigger. But, Twilight didn't mind; she was happy to be with all of her friends. And, she was sure every pony else felt the same.
"So, what brings you out here, Rarity?” asked Applejack.
"Well", Rarity replied, " I was on my way home from one of my shopping trips, buying some new fabric, you see, when I couldn't help but notice all of you talking about the Comet."
Twilight was puzzled. "How do you know about Astra's Comet?"
"Twilight, daring!” Rarity said coyly, "Every unicorn knows that every 200 years, the Comet increases our magic by tenfold! Why, I heard from the nobles in Canterlot how their ancestors used the Comet's power to do extraordinary things."

Pinkie was especially impressed. "I didn't know it could do that!" The other ponies just rolled their eyes in amusement.
"Oh! I just realized something!” Pinkie exclaimed. "Twilight's an alicorn!" Every pony raised their eyebrows. "Yeah, we all know that.” Spike said dryly, "This is nothing new." But Pinkie Pie raised her front hoof and shook it around; a gesture that tells the others to 'hold on a minute.'
"Wait, wait, wait, and hear me out!" Her friends stood patiently as she started to explain: "The Comet is supposed to increase a unicorn's magic right?" They nodded. "And the alicorns have more power than any unicorn on the planet, right?" Again, they nodded (but, they were confused as to where Pinkie's explanation was going). "Well", Pinkie continued to say, "now that Twilight is an alicorn, she should be able to use the comet's power to make some really awesome spells!" The others were stunned! They knew Pinkie Pie to be bubbly and a little bit random, at times, but, this time, she made an excellent point.
"That's right!” exclaimed Rarity. "You can use your magic to do something extraordinary. And, if I might be bold, you can even surpass the Princesses!" (She was referring to Celestia and Luna).
"Holy Celestia!” Applejack gasped. She turned to Twilight and asked: "Can you do that?"
The young princess was hesitant to answer. She knew her magic as at an advanced level. But, she never thought of herself as powerful as Princess Luna; let alone be as powerful as her mentor, Princess Celestia. The very thought of surpassing them was unthinkable! Twilight struggled to come up with an answer.
"Well, I..."
"Incoming!"
A familiar voice cried out to the ponies below. They quickly moved aside as a blue streak came zooming into the square. It came to a screening stop in front of Applejack's wagon; kicking up a cloud of dust. The group coughed and gasped, as the dust cloud engulf them. The cloud dispersed to reveal a cyan pony with a bright rainbow mane. The young pegasus mare was beaming with confidence.
"Did you guys see that?! That was a pretty sweet landing!"
The others were still in shock from her sudden entrance. Rarity, on the other hand, was not amused.
"I swear, Rainbow Dash," she said, shaking the dust from her mane, “the day you start kicking up dust is the day I use a better brush."
Rainbow Dash wasn't fazed by her fancy friend's brash declaration. "Oh, come on, Rarity. I didn't kick up that much dust. Besides, if I wanted make a bigger cloud, I would have dive in at steeper angle."
She, then, walked over to Applejack's pie wagon.
"So, A.J, you got any spare pies? I'm famished!"
Applejack was more than happy to oblige. "Comin' right up!"
"So, I take it you finished setting up the banners?” Twilight asked.
"Yep!” the proud pegasus replied. "And I cleared all the rain clouds from the Ponyville area. This place is going to have clear skies tonight."
"That's good to hear.” resounded Applejack, who was serving a slice of pie to Rainbow Dash. "And, by the way, don't you mind Rarity. That was one heck of a landin'!"
The two bumped their hoofs together.
"Is every pony alright?” asked a soft, tender voice.
It came from a yellow pegasus mare, who was gently gliding down to join her friends. She had a worried look on her face. It was the fear that her friend, Rainbow Dash, may have caused harm to herself and every pony else from that stunt she pulled. But, the others gave her warm, reassuring smiles.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy.” assured Twilight, "We're alright?"
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."
"I tried to tell Rainbow Dash that diving at such a steep angle was dangerous."
Rainbow, still eating her pie, turned to reassure her easily frightened friend. "Don't sweat it, Fluttershy. I told you it would work and it did." With that out of the way, she quickly changed the subject.
"So, what are you guys talking about?"
Pinkie Pie was the first to respond: "We were talking about how the comet is going to make Twilight more powerful than Princess Celestia!"
Twilight, once again, felt uncomfortable. She thought Rainbow Dash's stunt would distract everyone and they would move on. Seems like it didn't work. Now, she was worried that Dash would ask the same question as Applejack. But, to her surprise, the reaction was quite different. Twilight watched as Rainbow Dash went from chuckling to laughing out loud!
She laughed so hard, she was at the point of tears. In the mist of her wild cackling, Rainbow managed to catch her breath and replied.
"Oh my gosh! That's the funniest thing I ever heard!" She turned to Twilight; tears still streaming down her face. "I mean, you're pretty good with magic. But...*pfft*...to be better than...*hee*...Princess Celestia?!" Barely able to contain herself, Rainbow laughed out loud again. Twilight, for her part was not amused. She pretended to scowl at her. But, deep down, she knew Rainbow Dash was right. Despite her status as an alicorn princess, Twilight never thought she could be better than her mentor. Even if she studied every spell known to pony kind, she still wouldn't be a match for the Royal Sisters. Twilight took a deep breath and sighed.
"You're right. I'm not as good as Celestia. In fact, I don't want to be."
Her friends were baffled.
Twilight hung her head low with shame as she continued. "The truth is, I don't know what I'm capable of. Ever since I became an alicorn, I had to struggle to cope with my new responsibilities. I want to use my magic to help others! But, sometimes, I'm afraid of misusing them in a way that can put ponies in danger." A tear start to trickle down her cheek. "Sometimes I wish I could give it all up!"
Her friends were moved by her confession. They all could feel the pain Twilight was going through; even Rainbow Dash felt guilty for laughing at her. But, none of them knew what to say. But, then, Fluttershy boldly took the first step. She put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"Twilight...we all feel your pain. But, I want you to know that we will be here for you." The sad princess shifted her eyes towards Fluttershy's warm smile. Then, Applejack came to her side. "We've been through hard times before and you always helped us through every one of them." She, too, placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "We're here for ya, Twi!"
Twilight slowly raised her head and smiled. Rarity came close to her, as well. "If it makes you feel any better," she said, “I've decided to use my magic to repair every piece of fabric in Ponyville for the Comet festival, tonight." Then, Pinkie Pie chimed in.
"Don't feel bad, Twilight. You might not be good at magic as Princess Celestia. But, you're really super-great at being a friend!" She gave a beaming smile, as Twilight regained her posture. Finally, Rainbow Dash, approached her, sheepishly. She felt bad about what she had done. "Twilight...” she stammered, "I'm...really sorry for laughing at you." She made her way to the friend circle. "I want you to know that I'm here for ya, too." Twilight looked around at all her friends. Their faces shown with sympathy and care. Then, she looked down at Spike, whose eyes were sympathetic, but determined. He nodded.
It was then that the alicorn princess realized that friendship truly is a wonderful thing. She remembered the days where she was alone; without a friend in the world. She remembered the first day she came to Ponyville, when she felt really annoyed by Celestia's request to make friends. Now, she was glad that she took her mentor's advice. The thought of the dangers, perils, and mishaps they've endure; while, all the time, learning about the meaning of friendship, brought tears of joy to young princess' face. Twilight turned to her friends.
"Thank you." She said softly.
They all joined in a warm embrace. At that moment, they swore to keep their friendship alive; no matter what happens. After they were done, Twilight turned her attention to the town square, where all the booths were set and the streamers waving high over their heads and loudly proclaimed.
"Come on, girls! Let's make this a night to remember!"

Author's Note

Hey guys! So...this is my first FiM story. I can see that you guys liked it, so far. Here, I tried to stay true to the character's personalities and the show's premise on friendship. I know you want to see more "Bioshock" stuff in this story. But, that's coming up later.

I especially like the part where Twilight confesses her shortcomings and all of her friends comfort her in her hour of need. I liked it because, its something you would see on the show: no matter what the challenge, you can always count on your friends to help you stand up and face the challenge; again and again.

Well, there's more to come. So, stay tuned.

Next chapter: MAGIC PARTY!!!!

Chapter 2

The night of the festival was finally here! Fireworks shot out into the starry sky and illuminated the land with color and sparkles. The town, itself, was dimly lit with lanterns and light stands. All of them gave out a bright spectacle, with their many colors and shades. Sounds of cheer and laughter rose high into air and could be heard from afar. Such was the sight that befell a certain blue unicorn mare, who sported a star-studded cape and hat. She stopped at the top of the hill and gazed at the town below, while pulling her brand new gypsy cart. She grinned.

"Look out Ponyville! Your number one magician is back!"

Ponyville's town square was especially crowed. Many ponies came from far and wide to see the great spectacle that is Astra's Comet (and to enjoy the games and fried food). The whole place was talking about their Princess' latest announcement. This "magical charity" business was a really great idea! It was good to know that the unicorns will their newly found powers to help every pony. Two prominent unicorns have, already, announced their intentions to follow Princess Twilight's proposal to the letter. One of them was the popular DJ, Vinyl Scratch, who said she was planning "something big", but gave no further details. The other was Rarity, who, true to her word, called upon the townsfolk to gather all their damaged clothes and fabrics and bring them to the "Boutique Vender", on the left corner of the square. They responded promptly by giving her piles of worn shirts and dresses. One of them, a grey earth pony mare with a black mane and pink bow-tie, even, brought an exquisite Arabian rug! As she placed it on the pile of fabrics, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Are you sure you're up for the challenge?"
Rarity placed her hoof on the worried mare's shoulders and replied.
"Octavia, dearest", Rarity said sweetly, relying on her natural charm, "you can rest assure that the 'Boutique' prides itself on the quality of its work."
"But, isn't it just you?" Octavia asked.
Rarity completely blanked for a moment, before, quickly recovering her composition.
"Well, you get the idea."
Octavia was still concerned. Rarity sensed this and made a promise.
"I guarantee", she said with confidence, "your Arabian rug will be fixed with the utter-most care."
"Well, if you're sure?" Octavia said, reluctantly.
"I'm absolutely positive!" Rarity replied, with a wink.
With that, the grey mare walked away assured that all will be well. Rarity, for her part, realized that the rug will be a challenge. The rug, itself, was beautifully hoof made; stitched together by the finest silk-weavers in the East. But, she dealt with tough assignments before and the fashionista felt confident she can deal with this most delicate of rugs. Before, Rarity can ponder any further, she heard a familiar voice pipe up from behind her.
"Rarity?”
She turned around to see a small unicorn filly with a curly pink and violet mane, with a tired expression on her face. The little filly started to moan.
"Are we done yet?"
Rarity gazed at the little filly with sympathetic eyes. She couldn't blame her little sister for being so bored with just standing around and sorting out fabrics. In fact, Rarity was starting to think that it was time to take a break. She looked down at her sister and smiled.
"I’m almost done, Sweetie Belle, dear!” Rarity turned the few remaining ponies that stood in front of the vender. "Alright, every pony!" she exclaimed, as she raised her left hoof. "Those who have shirts, place them on this pile." She raised her right hoof and said, "And those with blankets and quilts; place in that pile over there." The other ponies were confused; nonetheless, they did as Rarity said. With that out of the way, Rarity turned to her weary sister.
"Now, we can leave."
Sweetie Belle couldn't contain her excitement. “Finally!” She said, bounding with joy. At long last, they can finally enjoy the festival! As the two sisters walked along the bustling, cobblestone square, the unicorn filly felt rather anxious.
"I hope we find the others in time."

Her older sister called for patience. "Don't worry, darling", she said with assurance. "We’ll find them soon enough."
They were, of course, talking about Sweetie Belle's friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo, who are with their sisters at the festival. While they made their way through the crowd, the curious filly asked her big sister a question.
"So, what's Twilight going to do for the festival?"
Rarity pondered it for a second.
"Well," she responded, "I remember her saying something about helping the mayor."
Sweetie Belle was puzzled. "What kind of help does the mayor need?"
"Sorting paperwork, of course." replied Rarity."
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. "Really?" To the little filly, that doesn't sound like much fun.
"I thought she do something really amazing." she said, in disappointment. Rarity, suddenly, remembered what Twilight had said earlier and how she felt about being an alicorn princess. She remembered how her friend was less than enthralled with her new abilities. The young unicorn mare began to wonder what would happen if her alicorn friend did decide to use all of her powers during the Comet's passing. “Perhaps, she'll..."
"Look! There they are!" Sweetie Belle's sudden outburst interrupted Rarity's thoughts.
At the corner of her eye, she saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash at a dart throwing booth. Besides then, were two fillies? One was an earth pony, who wore a pink bow on her rosy red mane. The other was an orange pegasus, who's eyes were fixated on Rainbow Dash. Rarity felt her sister tugging on her hoof; her face beaming with excitement!
"C'mon Rarity!" she exclaimed. "Let's go!"
"Alright! Alright!" her older sister said. "You don't need to rush."

Meanwhile, at the city hall, Twilight is sorting out piles of papers; some of which were concentrated into high stacks. She used her magic to place each document on to each carefully categorized stack. Spike, despite his grumbling, helped out as best as he could by carrying each stack from one end of the room to the other. Twilight, sweating from the strain of sorting out hundreds of documents, was satisfied with the work she had accomplished so far. After she had filed the last stack of papers, she scanned through the forest of official paperwork; looking for her dragon companion.
“Spike? Where are you?”
“Over here!” he replied; waving his claw over the mass of paper stacks. Always quick to find a solution, Twilight lit up her horn and parted the mounds of paper with her magic. With those out of the way, Spike was able to make his way to Twilight. When he finally reached her position, Twilight asked: “Did you sort out all the piles; like I asked?”
Spike let out an exasperating sigh. “Yes.” He moaned.
Twilight smiled with satisfaction. “Good! That should wrap things up.”
Her scaly friend breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally!”
But, Twilight had further plans, much to Spike’s dismay. “Now all we have to do is carry all of this to the center stage.” She said to her stunned assistant. The little dragon groaned, as he collapsed onto the floor. Twilight just rolled her eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just use my magic to transport half of these papers to the stage myself.”
“Why are we doing this?!” groaned Spike.
“I told you!” replied Twilight. “We’re helping the mayor fill out her paperwork. Lately she’s been swamped with so much tax files, complaints, and such that she asked me to help her out.” The young princess began to grin. “Besides”, she said, “It’s a great way to practice for my royal duties. And, with the Comet coming up, I might be able to sign all of these in half the time it would normally take.”
Twilight was more excited than ever. The Comet was coming in at about 45 minutes and she can, finally, experience this amazing event. She dreamt about it; ever since she was a filly. Best of all, she was using her magic to help her friends. The alicorn couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Oooh! I can hardly wait! This is going to be so magical!!”
At that moment, Spike felt a bit uneasy. There was something he had to tell Twilight. The little dragon fidgeted with his tail and started to stammer. “Yeah…speaking of magic...” The young princess turned to her assistant and noticed his timidity. At this point, she grew concerned about him. “Is there something wrong, Spike?” She asked. Her assistant looked at his mentor’s puzzled face and hesitated. He felt ashamed about what he was about to do. But, he had to tell her the truth! So, taking a deep breath, he bleached out a green flame, which swirled and magically turned into a parchment scroll; with the royal seal stamped upon it. Twilight picked it up and began to read.
“It’s from Princess Celestia.” She said fearfully.
Spike continued to fidget with his tail and stare at the ground, as Twilight read on. As she did, her eyes began to grow wider and, as she read further, her jaw started to drop! Then, her face twisted to show both her anger and confusion.
“Why?” she ranted. “Why would Princess Celestia send me something like this?!”
Spike stood silent as she continued with her ranting.
“I can’t believe this! I thought she trusted me! Now she’s telling me not to use my…UGH!!!” She turned to Spike; even more frantic than she usually gets. “When did you receive this message?” Spike gulped and stuttered out the first words that came out of his mouth.
“T-this morning, a-a-actually.”
Twilight blanked! Her face, riddled with shock, stared at Spike; which made him very nervous. He knew that he was in trouble and would get the punishment of a lifetime. But, what Twilight said next, shook him to the core.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!!!”
Spike was shocked by his friend’s outburst! He stammered, as he try to recover from the shock. “I-I’m sorry Twilight!” he stuttered. “I-I wanted t-to tell you. B-but, you were so excited about the Comet ceremony that I…”
“But, this is a message from Princess Celestia!” Twilight blasted back. “You don’t WITHHOLD this kind of information!!”
Spike was mortified! He knew that withholding letters from Princess Celestia isn’t something that he would normally do. But, he cared about Twilight so much that he (after reading the message) kept it a secret for most of the day. He never counted on his guilt being so strong. He tried to explain his actions further. But Twilight had enough. She took a deep breath and turned away; as to hide her tears from her trusted companion.
“I just need to be alone for a while.”
With that, she used her magic to transport herself and the rest of the papers outside the city hall, leaving Spike alone in the empty building.

Every pony from across town gathered in front of city hall for the main event. Anticipation was high as they waited for official start of the ceremony. In the front row stood Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity with their filly companions. Each had an assortment of prizes that had won at various booth and all six were hyped about tonight’s events. As they waited for the ceremony to start, the little fillies started to talk about the games they and their older sisters played.
“Ah can believe Rarity got a bull’s eye on da target at that dart booth!” Applebloom said, with a baffled look. Applejack was equally as confused. “Yeah”, she replied, “who da thought she had a good eye!” Rarity responded with cheerful glee. “Well, I do have an eye for detail.” Rainbow Dash was not impressed. “Detail, my hoof! That was a lucky shot!” She was especially cross, because she won the second prize at dart throwing. But Sweetie Belle, beaming with pride, took it a step further. “Are you kidding?” she retorted. “Rarity is the only pony I know that would find a needle in a haystack!” Rarity, on the hoof, did not share her sister’s enthusiasm. In fact, she felt rather embarrassed. “I’m not that good”, she said meekly. But the others found the perfect opportunity to tease her a bit. Scootaloo was the first to start.
“Oh no!” she said, in a mockingly distressed tone. “I just remembered that I’ve lost a bolt to my scooter. I think it might be in a haystack somewhere. Can you help me find it, Rarity?” The others chuckled; but Rarity just rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha!” she said dryly, “very funny.” Then, Applejack just thought of something. “Hey Rarity!” she asked. “Ain’t ya supposed to be on stage right now?” Suddenly, the fashionista remembered that she had a pile of fabrics behind stage. “Oh, that’s right!” she exclaimed. “I have to up there to perform my task!” She hurried through the crowd at break neck speeds. As she disappeared from view, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie arrived and joined the rest of their friends at the front row. “My goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Where’s Rarity heading off to in such a hurry?”
“Oh, she’s just headin’ back stage to join the others.” Applejack replied. Pinkie Pie, who was next to Fluttershy, couldn’t contain her excitement. “Ooooh! I’m so excited!” She shouted with glee. “This so exciting! I’ve never been so excited! Well, expect for the time I threw a party for the Baby Cake’s first birthday and that one that time that I…” Applejack interrupted her monologue. “Uh, we get the idea, sugar cube.” Just then, they see an elderly tan earth pony walk over to a podium on the center of the stage. “Look!” One of the ponies called out. “It’s the mayor!” To every pony, this meant one thing: it was time for the main event. A hush fell over the crowd, as the mayor began to speak.
“Good evening, every pony! And welcome to the ‘Great Comet Ceremony!’”
All the ponies responded with resounding cheers and wild applause. The mayor raised her hoof, to calm them down and the crowd began to quiet down. Then, she continued to speak.
“As all of you know, this is a momentous event! After 200 years, Astra’s Comet is, once again, ready to grace the skies of Equestria with its beauty. Not only that…” The mayor began drone on and on, as her speech dragged on for minutes on end. Rainbow Dash gave out a heavy sigh. “This is going to take a while.” She muttered.
From back stage, Twilight watched as the mayor continued to speak (endlessly, she thought). But, she didn’t mind it that much. Instead, her mind was on something else. She remember the meltdown she had with Spike at city hall, earlier this evening. She started to regret what she had done. “I didn’t mean to yell at Spike.” She thought bitterly. “I felt so upset about Celestia’s message that I…” At that moment, she hung her head down in shame. The young alicorn wondered if her assistant will ever forgive her.
“Twilight?” A familiar voice piped up from behind her.
She turned around to see her dragon friend approach her slowly. “Spike?” She said softly. Spike took a deep breath. “Twilight”, he said, “I’m really sorry for holding that letter from you. I know how important that was to you.” The little dragon looked up and spoke from his heart. “I just wanted you to be happy.” Twilight was moved by his apology. But, she knew, she must make her own apology. “Actually, Spike, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.” Spike was confused by her statement. “I never should have yelled at you like that.” Twilight continued. “I was just so angry when Princess Celestia ordered me not to use my magic that I lashed out at you. Can you forgive..?” Spike intervened. “Let’s forgive each other, okay?” Twilight smiled. “Okay.” She said softly. Both friends embraced each other, knowing that all was forgiven. But Spike, suddenly realized something. “Wait!” He said. “What about Princess Celestia’s orders?” Twilight realized that too. But, she already agreed to help the mayor. So, she calmly replied to Spike’s question. “I know that I’ll be violating her orders by using my magic. But, I made a promise and I plan on fulfilling it. Once this is over, I will talk to Celestia and explain my actions.” She, then, gave Spike a warm smile. “I’m sure she’ll understand.” Then, Twilight’s ears perked up. She could hear the mayor wrapping up her long speech. “That’s my queue!” She turned to Spike. “Wish me luck!”
As Twilight approached the podium, the mayor proclaimed her arrival. “Now, without further or do, I would like to introduce our very own, Princess Twilight!” Every pony rose and gave resounding cheers that shook the whole town! Twilight, herself, was overwhelmed by the affection that was shown by her new subjects. But, she recovered quickly and began her speech.
“Good evening every pony! I want to thank you all for coming to the ceremony. I want to remind each and every one of you that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Before, this has been a time where only unicorns could enjoy the Comet’s power. But, tonight, that power will be used for benefit of every pony! Every unicorn present shall use this extra boost of magic to help those in need.” She pointed to a large timer on the right corner of the stage. “I must remind you that the Comet will be here for three hours. So, make every minute count!” The other ponies nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a voice rang out through the crowd.
“Oh, don’t worry! Every minute will count!”
Every pony turned around fast and saw a brightly colored gypsy cart unfold its built in stage; smoke spewing out into the square. Out of the haze, a blue unicorn mare appeared; her cape flapping in the wind. She presented, to the crowd, a smug, confident grin. She trumpeted her arrival with style and flare.
“For the great and powerful Trixie shall put on a show; the likes of which has never been seen before by any pony!”
The spectators were shocked! They knew her well! She had been well known for her performances and spell-binding magic tricks. But, her visits to Ponyville and her magic duels with Twilight were more than infamous (to say the least). It had been a long time since the flamboyant magician came to town and some were not too happy to see her. Twilight, herself, was equally surprised!
“Trixie?!” The stunned princess said; mouth hanging wide open.
The magician fixed her eyes upon her former opponent. “Ah!” She exclaimed. “If isn’t the most illustrious princess, Twilight Sparkle!” She lit up her horn and, in a flash, teleported herself from the cart to the stage. There, both mares stood face to face. For a moment, Twilight was impressed. “Looks like she did learn a thing or two since our last encounter.” She thought. But, she realized there are some questions that needed to be answered.
“So…” Twilight said awkwardly, “What brings you here?”
“Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie said with a gasp. “That’s Princess Twilight Sparkle, to you!” The alicorn mare was quick to correct the brash magician. Trixie, for her part, was quick to apologize. “Yes, of course.” Then, she resumed with her statement. “But, you, of all ponies, should know why I’m here?” It didn’t take Twilight to come up with an answer. “You’re here for another rematch, right?” At the moment, Trixie was caught off guard. She had not expected her opponent to guess that quickly! “Why….yes…exactly.” Every pony groaned. “Does this pony ever give up”, they wondered. Even Twilight didn’t like the sound of that. “Look Trixie,” she explained, “this festival was made so that the unicorns will use their magic to help others. So, I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this.” Disappointed, Trixie hung her head down low and sighed. “All Trixie wanted to do was show every pony the new spells that Trixie has learned. And, what better way to do that then have a friendly bout with some pony who’s as equally skilled as Trixie.” Twilight was baffled! She was moved by Trixie’s plight. But, she was even more confused by her actions. “Trixie hasn’t acted like this before.” She thought. “It’s almost as if she’s a different pony!” As Trixie turned to leave, Twilight’s conscience was in turmoil! She saw how Trixie had changed since their last encounter and was curious about the new spells that she learned. But, on the other hoof, she realized that, by dueling Trixie, she would disobey Princess Celestia’s orders not to use her full magic during the comet’s passing. A sense of guilt came over Twilight, as she saw Trixie slowly walk away. The princess took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, Celestia.”
“Wait!” Twilight called out. Trixie stopped and slowly turned her head; her eyes conveying a somber look. “When I’m with filling out all of these papers for the mayor”, Twilight said with a smile, “I would like to see those new spells of yours.” At that moment, Trixie’s face lit up with joy! She rushed over the, now, stunned princess, as she gave her a big hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank y-“The magician, suddenly, realized that every pony was watching her act like a giddy foal in a candy store. So, to maintain her appearance, she quickly let go of Twilight and regained her confident smugness. “*ahem* Trixie accepts your challenge!” Twilight shook her head with amusement. “Still the same old Trixie.” She, then, turned to the clock and, as luck would have it, the comet was seconds away! “Alright, every pony!” Twilight shouted to the crowd. “Begin the countdown!” Every pony joined in, as the seconds ticked away.
“10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1”
And, right on time, a bright streak of light appeared over the night sky. Its tail showed a beautiful purple haze, as it sailed across the stars. The comet was so large and so bright, that it lit up the valley for miles around. But, what energy the comet gave off! Within an instant, every unicorn felt a surge of cosmic energy flow through their bodies; their horns giving off a glow, brighter than any pony has ever seen! Within seconds, the unicorns put this new magical boost to the test. Some began repairing homes, others cleaned up parts of town (pulling weeds, magically disposing trash, etc.) All the while, helping those in need. But, other ponies were spell bound by what Twilight, Vinyl and Rarity were doing. They watched as Rarity carefully sow an Arabian rug; while sowing dozens of shirts and blankets simultaneously! Twilight signed hundreds of documents, with incredible speed. And, Vinyl presented the brightest, most awesome light show and dance number of all time! Even Trixie did her part, by using her increased magic to entertain the fillies and colts. When Twilight and Rarity completed their tasks, (which took an incredible 15 minutes!), she and Trixie prepare to face each other in the middle of town square. Every pony gather to see yet another duel between these two skill magic users. Pinkie Pie stood in-between them and laid out the ground rules.
“Remember, you too, there will no zapping, no smacking, no spiting, no name calling, no newt changing no…”
“GET ON WITH IT!” The other ponies said impatiently. “Alight, Alight.” Pinkie said reluctantly. She went straight to the point.
“Ready…set…GO!”
Trixie stated first, by placing a batch of feathers into her hat. At first, the other ponies were confused. “Feathers?” Rainbow Dash heckled “Really?!” But, Trixie lit up her horn and gave her hat a good zap! Then, she threw into the air and revealed a flock of doves! Every pony was impressed. Now, they turned to Twilight, wondering what she will do. The young alicorn thought for a moment. Surely, there was spell that knew that could out do Trixie’s? She threw in some feathers and…” Wait a minute?” She exclaimed silently. “That’s it!” She remembered learning a spell that can manipulate fire! And she knew exactly how to use it. “Spike!” Twilight called out. “Bring me a match.” The little dragon obeyed and brought her a box of matches. She, then, levitated a single match and struck it against the ground. As the flame flickered, Twilight used her magic to control the wave patterns of the flame and, then, she was able to manipulate it; swirling it around in every direction. Finally, she hoisted the flame into the air, condensed it into a ball, and, foosh! The flames burst forth and revealed an aberration of a phoenix!
Every pony gazed in awe of the spectacle. Amidst the crowd, Twilight could hear her friends cheering her on; boosting her confidence. “Not bad.” Trixie said. “But, can you do this?” In a flash, fireworks burst forth from her cart! Using her magic, the unicorn magician controlled the rockets; combining them to form a flaming dragon! Every pony panicked, as this frightening aberration came flying towards them! They ducked for cover as it passed over them. Then, it went straight into the air and exploded into a halo of brightly lit sparks! The townsfolk stood still for a moment and, finally, cheered wildly. Even Princess Twilight was impressed. “So”, Trixie grinned, “can you top that?!” Twilight thought about it what to do next. “How can I top something like that?” As she pondered, she heard the other ponies calling her out to do something. At this, she became more frantic! She concentrated as hard as she could; trying to come up with spell that can outdo Trixie’s. Her horn grew brighter. Then, suddenly, Twilight strained out of thought as she felt the Comet’s energy pulsing through her body! Every pony stood in mesmerized horror, as they saw their princess engulfed in a torrent of magical energy. Amidst the bright, swirling mass, they soon spotted a sliver of light, forming out of thin air over the town square. This sliver grew wider and wider; as if it was being torn apart by an invisible force. As the ponies stood and gazed, in fearful awe, the spectacle climaxed as a powerful surge of energy burst forth and knocked everyone off their hoofs! After that, the swirling magic dissipated, leaving Twilight in a daze.
As she regained her senses, the young alicorn saw the other ponies (especially Trixie) with frightened looks on their faces. “What happened?” She asked. Trixie slowly rose her shaking hoof, as she pointed towards whatever was behind Twilight’s back. Confused, she turned around and saw it! A bright, pulsing circle hovering over the square! This was not like any she’d ever seen. There was nothing to indicate that there was something behind the light that supported it; as if it was suspended in midair. But, for strange reason, this looked familiar. “I remember seeing something like this before.” She thought precariously. “But…where?” Her friends joined her in gazing at this miracle of magic. They were so stunned, they didn’t know what to say. But, Rainbow Dash, knew exactly what to say.
“That…was…AWESOME!!!”
After that, the others chimed in.
“Yeah!” Exclaimed Spike, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Simply marvelous!” Rarity said gleefully. Applejack chuckled. “*heh* Yeah, that’ll give ol’ Trixie a heart attack.” (In fact, Trixie was still paralyzed with shock; her mouth hanging wide open.)
Fluttershy was still in shock. But, nonetheless, impressed. “I-I had no idea you had this kind of power!” Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, was excited. “THIS IS SO AMAZING!” She said, shouting at the top of her lungs. But, then, she paused for a moment, as she stared at the light. “What is it?” She asked, turning to Twilight. “I-I don’t know.” The alicorn princess said in confusion. She didn’t remember learning this kind of spell. In fact, she still couldn’t figure out what it was! Then, she remembered the one night we went to the Crystal Empire for her first royal summit. She recalled the time she had to follow Sunset Shimmer through the Palace’s magic mirror and into the human world. This beam of light, standing in front of her, looked exactly like it! The significance of the moment suddenly dawned on her.
“I think I just created a portal!”
When Twilight said that, it soon dawned on her friends that she might be more powerful than they actually thought! They knew Twilight was good at magic; but, this was unexpected! Maybe the Comet was more powerful than they gave it credit for. Before they could fully dwell on the situation, one of ponies pointed at the portal and shouted. “Look! Something’s coming through!” At that moment, every pony gazed at the opening, as a dark silhouette moved towards them. It grew larger and larger, until at last, it stepped out of the portal and revealed itself. Every pony gasped! Standing before them was a creature, none of which they had ever seen before! This frightening beast stood on two legs and was cladded in rusted armor (some pointed out that it was some sort of diving suit). Frightening still, was its massive drill; implanted in its left arm. One savage blow, they thought, can knock a group of ponies off their hoofs or rip a poor soul to ribbons! But, it was the smell that abhorred every pony present. For some reason, they couldn’t describe it. But, it was so repulsive that it could make the strongest pony feel sick! As they stared at the creature, it let out a deep, resounding moan that shook them all with fear! Twilight stood in absolute awe of this foul creature.
“I got a bad feeling about this.” She whispered.

Author's Note

Now, things are getting good!

To those of you, who read this previously, You can see that I made some changes to both chapters. This also includes these notes. (If there's any sense of confusion or, maybe, you like these changes, just comment below).

I thought I would add Trixie in as a way to get the plot moving. I also plan on using her for a more...sinister purpose. MUHAHAHAHA!
But, seriously, I thought that magic duel was pretty awesome!
I noticed that some of you are saying that "Big Daddy" should have a reason for attacking these scared little ponies. To you I say: "I'm getting to that!" :P

Next Chapter: Ponies....meet Big Daddy!

Chapter 3

In the evening skies above Ponyville, Astra’s Comet was the most prominent of all the celestial bodies. It shined brightly as it sailed across the heavens; outshining even the moon and stars. But, to the ponies below, the comet’s brilliance was lost to them. For another light shined from the center of town. This one was of an unnatural sort. Suspended in midair and hovering inches above the ground, this radiant aberration was a sight to behold. But, most frightening of all, was what came out of that translucent rift

. Standing before them was a creature too terrible to describe; a beast cladded in iron and leather. Every pony present was terrified of this imposing creature that came from realms unknown. Even Princess Twilight was mortified by the events that had transpired. Minutes before, she was in the midst of a duel with a friendly rival. Now, she was beholding the results of her new found powers with anxiety and regret. As she stared at the other-worldly creature, Twilight noticed that it’s multiple “eyes” (which were actually viewing ports) gave off a sickly yellow glow, which chilled her to the bone. What is this creature and what was is it doing here? That was the question that was every pony’s mind. Although they could not find the answer, they all knew one thing: the monster must not be disturbed; Celestia only knew what would happen if it was enraged by the slightest misstep. No one better understood the precariousness of the situation than Princess Twilight Sparkle.
“No pony move a muscle.” She whispered to the ponies nearby.
The crowd stood still and held their breath. Silence filled the air. They all waited to see what the creature would do. Then, to everyone’s surprise, it grunted and lumbered forward; oblivious to its surroundings. As it did so, the ponies in front of the iron behemoth quickly and quietly stepped out of its way. Even though they were still frighten by this hideous beast, a sense of confusion came over the crowd.
“W-w-w-what is that thing?!” Fluttershy whimpered; her knees quaking with fear.
“Whatever it is”, Rarity replied with disgust, “It’s horrid!”
Applejack, ever rational, was wondering about something else. “The better question is:” she asked, “What in tarnation is it doin’ here?”
“Maybe, he’s looking for something.” Pinkie Pie replied, in a hushed tone.
Applejack disagreed. “Ah don’t think so, sugar cube. Besides, what in the blue blazes would he be lookin’ fer ‘round here?”
“Um…guys?!” The four mares turned to Rainbow Dash, who had a panicked look on her face. What disturbed them more was the fact that the usually confident Pegasus was getting pale. “Don’t look now. But, I think it found what it was looking for!” It wasn’t long before they too saw what Rainbow was referring to. For, in the middle of the monster’s path, a yellow earth pony filly was standing as stiff as a board. Then, to everyone’s horror, the metal creature stopped right in front of her! The poor filly was mortified. But, she didn’t move or yell for help. In fact, she stood there; like a mouse being cornered by a cat. Every pony present stood helplessly, unable to lift a hoof to save her. Lest, they disturb the monster and put the whole town in trouble. But, a certain orange mare was not about to sit idly by and watch her little sister get hurt.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack screamed at the top of her lungs. Her face twisted with anger. Unable to restrain herself, she built up tension in her legs; ready to make a mad dash towards Apple Bloom and put that “thing” in its place. But, just as she was about to set out, two of her friends, Twilight and Rainbow Dash, rushed in to hold her back! The country mare tried to shake them off, but soon, the rest of her friends joined in the effort. Rarity and Pinkie Pie warped their hooves around her barrel and Fluttershy grabbed and tugged at Applejack’s tail with her teeth. Applejack struggled hard to get loose; huffing and growling with rage. Now, she was more determined to save her sister.
“Let! Me! Go!” Applejack demanded.
“No can do!” Rainbow Dash retorted. “Do you know what that thing will do to ya?” Despite the rhetoric, the cerulean mare knew this wasn’t enough to dissuade Applejack. When she put her mind into doing something, there’s nothing that can stop the stubborn country pony. Especially, when it came to her kin, one of whom was in mortal danger.
“Ah don’t care!” She snorted. “That over- grown- tin- can ain’t gonna lay a paw on mah sister!”
Besides, Applejack thought, if no pony’s gonna help her, then Ah will! She still couldn’t believe that no one else was doing anything about this. Don’t they realize that a little filly’s life is in danger? Are they just gonna stand there an’ watch?! Even her friends were holding her back, which was more than she can take. Applejack gritted her teeth, as she tried to hold back the tears that were welding up in her eyes. She now knew, it’s now or never! Nothing else seemed to matter to the angry mare, as she struggled to break free. She growled at her friends: “Don’t me buck y’all in the…”
“Applejack!”
The orange mare stopped and froze at the sound of her name. She turned to her right and saw that it was Twilight that called her out. She saw the lavender alicorn casting a stern frown on her over-hyped friend; the kind of frown that turned out to be an angry glare. Applejack was taken aback by this and realized what she just said. Ah didn’t mean to say that! She was so caught up in the moment that she came dangerously close to hurting her friends. The very thought of it dawned on her and the country mare’s heart sank! Applejack continued to stare at Twilight, whose frown began to dissolve and revealed an expression of pity and compassion. After that, she quickly stared at ground; no longer able to look at her friend straight in the eye.
“Look”, Twilight said, “we all want to help Applebloom. But, we can’t go into this sort of situation without considering the risks. If you went out there, you would most certainly be killed! I’m sorry that it has to be this way, but I don’t want to lose two of my close friends.”
Applejack’s eyes began to water. She now knew that Twilight and the rest of her friends had her best interest at heart and wasn’t going to stand idly back, while her little sister was at the mercy of that monster. But still, she felt that the others weren’t doing enough to help her. That metal clad monster was not like any other creature that have ever faced and there was the off chance that the beast in question will maim, or possibly, kill any pony that crosses its path. Logic was telling her not to go out there and face the creature. But, her gut instinct was telling her to save Applebloom; screw the consequences! Unable to overcome her internal conflict, Applejack looked her alicorn friend with an anxious expression that surprised even Fluttershy. “Then, what’re we supposed to do?” She asked with a quivered lip. Now, it was Twilight’s turn to be taken aback. The young princess was at a loss for words. Up until now, everything had been planned out; the festival, the various activates, even the way the unicorns used their magic. Now, she was sitting on a ticking time bomb that can go off with one false move. She took her gaze off Applejack and began to think furiously a plan to help Applebloom. Her mind raced to find a solution to this delicate, and possibly, dangerous problem. Beads of sweat streamed down her forehead as her pondering became more and more fruitless. Then, her concentration was broken by an exclamation from Pinkie Pie.
“Hey! Isn’t that Spike?!” She said, pointing out to the clearing in front of them.
They turned to where the pink mare was pointing to and, sure enough, a small, purple and green scaled dragon was running to where Applebloom and the monster were now standing. Everyone was stunned! (Rarity, herself, fainted at the sight of her “Spikey Wikey”* taking this kind of risk). Out of all the shocked ponies, Twilight was the most frantic. The heart starting to pound faster with each beat; sweat now pouring from her brow as she watched the closest thing she has to a younger brother run straight into the danger zone.
“Oh no!” She gasped.
~
Staring up at the iron giant, Applebloom couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her mouth gaped open, as she watched the massive, rust covered creature loom over her in an ominous sort of way. She stared at the creature’s face and gazed at its glowing, yellow eyes. A shiver went down the little filly’s spine, as it moaned softly and started to move its leather hand to her. Ah gotta run! She thought, franticly. But, for some strange reason, she couldn’t move her legs! All she could feel was the uncontrollable shaking in her knees, which wasn’t a very good sign. Plus, the odor that thing gave off was so overpowering, she began to feel a bit faint. As the monster slowly reached out for the frightened filly, Applebloom felt her heart beat heavily and her breath quicken. She couldn’t run and her throat was so dry, she couldn’t speak. All she could do now was to stand still and accept her fate.Ah guess this is it. Applebloom resigned. Ah’m finally goin’ to that Great Orchard in da sky. She closed her eyes and flinched, as the monster’s hand came closer. A tear rolled down her cheek.
Goodbye every pony. Applebloom said quietly. She stood still for a few second and, suddenly, realized that nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw the monster’s hand was outstretched; as if it was reaching out to her. Now the little filly was confused. Scared, but confused. She couldn’t help but wonder what this monster wants with her. She was so immersed with her predicament that she couldn’t hear her friends crying out to her.
~

“Come on, Applebloom, get out of there!” Scootaloo shouted as loudly as she could. The orange pegasi filly was very distressed to see her best friend standing there; face to face with the portal monster. She and Sweetie Belle were so caught up in the crowd’s attempt to move out of its way, that they completely forgot about Applebloom. Now, they tried their best to get her attention.
“Run, Applebloom, run!” Sweetie Belle cried out. No luck. Applebloom wasn’t moving an inch. The two friends looked at each other, wondering why she didn’t make any attempt to run. “This isn’t working!” Scootaloo said after a brief pause. Then, she realized that there was only one thing to do. “I’m going out there.” The little Pegasus said, beaming with grim determination. She prepared to dash out towards the monster. But, Sweetie Belle held her back! “What are you, crazy?” The unicorn filly objected. “That beast will squash you like a bug!” Scootaloo turned to her worried friend and frowned. “Well, do you have any better ideas?” She said with indignation. Sweetie Belle hesitated for a moment. She wanted to save Applebloom; but the risks were too great for the two of them to handle. As the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they’ve been in tight spots before and, after facing the consequences of their actions, were able to pull through. But this was something else entirely. Sweetie Belle didn’t know what to do or what to say to Scootaloo. She casted her eyes on the ground and stammered as she tried to come up with an answer.
“I…I…”
Then, something caught her eye. A small figure was approaching from the distance and, as it grew bigger, she was able to see this figure more clearly. Let’s see….it looks like a purple dragon with green scales and a…Sweetie Belle paused. Then, suddenly, her mouth gaped open and her eyes widen in absolute shock! “Spike?!” The unicorn filly gasped. Scootaloo raised her eyebrow at her friend’s random outburst. But, when she turned her head, she too saw the little dragon coming towards the two figures in the middle of the square. Scootaloo felt her jaw drop when she saw this event unfold before her. Then, she uttered the first words that came to mind: “What the hay is he doing?!”
~
In all honesty, Spike didn’t know what he was doing either. He noticed that there was something that stopped the monster dead in its tracks. But, he wasn’t sure what it was. It wasn’t until Applejack called out Applebloom’s name that he realized what was going on. One of his own friend’s sister was right in the crosshairs of the metal beast! Spike braced himself. Watching from the other side of the divided crowd, he had expected the others to come out in full force and save Applebloom before the monster can do any harm. But, much to his surprise, they didn’t. Instead, they were desperately tried to hold back Applejack, who was willing to put her life on the line to save her own kin. The little dragon couldn’t understand why they couldn’t just go out there and face the monster head on. He knew that his six pony friends had faced many dangers from the likes of Nightmare Moon and Discord (heck, they even fought off a whole army of changelings!) But now, they were afraid of going hoof to hoof with this smelly, rusting monster to save some pony they cared about. What surprised him even more is that no one else was lifting a hoof, either. This made the dragon’s blood boil. He clenched his claws and, without even thinking, marched out to the place where the monster stood.
If they aren’t going to help Applebloom, Spike thought, then, I will! As he marched, he noticed that the monster he saw in front of him was getting bigger and it began to dawn on him why it was so threatening. Wow! That thing’s gotta to be five times my size and that drill….Spike shuddered. That drill can turn me into minced meat within seconds! For a brief moment, the young dragon paused as he looked at the monster in question. He knew he couldn’t fight that thing on his own without getting pulverized. Then, he began to wonder why he came out here in the first place. But, when he saw how scared Applebloom was, he regained his senses. “Come on, Spike!” He said, slapping his claw against his face. “Don’t think like that! There’s got to be another way.” Twilight had taught him to always plan ahead and never, ever let your emotions get better of you. Spike realized that he had forgotten that friendly piece of advice and had gone straight into danger without as much as a thought. Now, he couldn’t go back; that would mean he would leave Applebloom to her fate. But, he also couldn’t fight that monster without losing an arm…or worse. Stuck between a rock and a hard place with no…

A rock….That’s it!

Looking at the ground, he saw a rock the size of a baseball and found the break he needed. If I can’t fight that thing…Spike picked it up and casted a sly grin at the monster. Then, maybe, I can distract it long enough for Applebloom to get away. With that, he lifted his arm and took a pitcher’s stance, by pulling it behind his head and took a quick moment to adjust his aim. As Spike prepared to throw his rock, he couldn’t help but to add a bit of bravado. “Hey! Garbage can!” He shouted as he hurled the projectile towards the metal beast. The dragon’s aim proved true. The rock hit the monster straight in the back!

THONK!

The sound of the rock striking the metal could be heard across the silent town. Ponies everywhere were shocked at Spike’s reckless move. They didn’t say anything. But, their jaws slacked open and were gapping at the sight of this little dragon standing up to a giant, metal, thing. Twilight’s jaw was the slackest of all. She quickly slapped her hoop onto to her face. “Oh Spike…” she moaned. Now, we’re in really big trouble! And she was right. Right after Spike’s rock made contact, the iron beast roared so loud, it shook the town and had every pony cowering and covering their ears. But, for Twilight, the worst was yet to come. For, what she saw made her heart sink. The monster’s “eyes”, which were once a dim yellow, turned to bright crimson red! Although, she couldn’t completely understand what that meant, the learned alicorn knew one thing for sure: the monster was REALLY angry! Then, she watched in horror as it charged, at full steam, towards Spike!
I have to act quickly, Twilight thought franticly, before Spike gets trampled! She lit up her horn and prepared to use her telekinesis magic to full effect.
~
Spike stood spellbound as he watches this one ton metal monster charged straight towards him; like a speeding train! He was shocked by how it move so quickly, despite its size. Time slowed down, as the monster came barreling in to his position at high speed. Then, a sudden realization came over the young dragon; one that made him quake with fear.

Holy cow! I’m going to die!

There was nothing he could do now. The monster was moving too quickly for him to make a move. As it came closer, Spike instinctively rose his claws and covered his face; waiting for the inevitable pain that he would receive from the rampaging beast. But then, he felt a slight tingling sensation envelope his body…Strangely, it felt familiar; like he felt it before. Before Spike could figure it out, he was suddenly jerked away and heading at high speed towards safety. For a few brief moments, he could see the monster plow its way into a nearby house! Seconds later, he came face to face with a fuming, lavender alicorn. Twilight glared at him; her face flushed with anger! The little dragon realized he was in big trouble. I would have been better off being pulverized by that monster, Spike thought with remorse. But still, he was grateful to his mentor for saving him from certain death. The mini dragon gave Twilight a sheepish grin, before expressing his gratitude.
“Um…Thanks for saving me, Twilight. I would have been a goner, if it wasn’t for-”

Smack!

Spike felt a sharp sting, as Twilight slapped his face with her fore hoof. He gazed at her, rubbing his brushed left cheek, trying to recover his wits. But, not before being violently shaken around by her magic. All the while, he could hear Twilight screaming at him; rupturing his little dragon ear drums.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!! WERE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLLED?!!!”
As soon as the shaking stopped, Spike was able to recover quickly enough to see Twilight’s eyes water. A few tears began to trickle down her flushed face. Spike could see the anguish in his alicorn friend’s face, hiding behind a mask of a stern mother. But, he could tell she was more worried than angry. He put his own life on the line to save a friend. While at the same time…. He felt the warm embrace of Twilight’s fore legs, as they wrapped around his little dragon body. ”You idiot.” Twilight muttered under her breath. She bit her lip, while trying to hold by the tears that were welding up in her eyes. At this point, Spike was beginning to regret what he had done. Ah, man. He thought. I can’t believe I made Twilight cry again. He knew he had to say something to make things better. But, before he could utter a single word, the sounds of crumbling debris and low grunting caught their attention. They turned around and saw the monster break its way out of the rubble of what remained of the building it crashed into. Every pony stood dumbfounded as the monster walk away from the ruins, completely unfazed, and more enraged.
Then, all of them screamed aloud.
~
What followed was a scene of mass chaos! Ponies ran around in a fevered frenzy. All of them scrambled, pushed, and shoved each other; just to get away from this frightening creature. At this point, it was every pony for themselves. But, for some, it was in vain. For the monster charged into the fleeing crowd and knocked down any pony that stood in its way. Then, to everyone’s stupefied horror, it lifted its fearsome drill and smacked a group of ponies half way across the town square. No one yet knows how many poor souls were injured by this savage attack. Amidst the sea of panic and confusion, Twilight couldn’t believe what she was seeing! She was at an absolute loss! What was supposed to be an exciting event, turned out to be an utter nightmare? For the first time, in a long time, she felt a sense of helplessness.
It’s my fault. She lamented quietly, it’s all my fault!
An overwhelming sense of guilt came over the young princess. She felt responsible for the mess they were in, right now. If only I had listened to Princess Celestia…this wouldn’t have happened and-
“Twilight! Snap out of it!”
The purple alicorn perked her ears up, when she heard a familiar voice. She looked down and saw Spike, with a frown on his face. Suddenly, Twilight remembered that she held him up with magic. But, due to shock, she involuntary dropped the magical aura surrounding him by mistake. Twilight must have wondered if he was mad at her for being dropped by accident. But, to her surprise, the little dragon said something that struck her deeply.
“Look, you can’t blame yourself for what happened. This was something that was beyond your control, anyway. But, you can’t dwell on that now. There are ponies out there that need you right now!”
Spike looked at straight into the eyes of his friend/older sister/boss.
“They need their princess!”
The way Spike uttered that phrase, struck a chord with the young princess. There was nothing she could have done to prevent the events that have unfolded. But, she can face the problem at hoof and set things right.
He’s right! Twilight thought doggedly, I don’t have time to mess around! Then, she realized that she needed a plan of action. Physical combat was completely out of the question and she had exhausted a good deal of her magic reserves by opening up the portal. So, power blasts were ruled out as an option. Then, Twilight remembered the night Trixie first came into town. She remembered how the Ursa Major caused so much chaos that she used her magic to calm it down. If that can work on the Ursa Major, then maybe….
Twilight turned to Spike and all of her friends. A sense of calm came over the Princess of Friendship, as she proceeded to gather them together and present her plan to her closest compatriots. Her friends can see a bit of composer in her pose; an attitude which would have made Princess Celestia proud.
“Spike,” she said to her assistant, “I need you and the others to gather as many ponies as you can and lead to safety.” To Twilight’s friends, this sounded reasonable enough. But, then, a sudden realization came over them.
“Wait! What about you?” Asked Rainbow Dash.
To this, Twilight replied: “I’m going to take out that monster!”
Her friends were obviously shocked! It was bad that their new princess was going to face the abominable creature head on. But, if the monster had its way, they would be losing a dear friend, as well as a ruling figure. Rarity felt that she needed to make that point perfectly clear.
“But Twilight!” She said anxiously. “How can you hope to fight that wretched thing all by yourself…and in your condition?”
The alicorn princess replied with a smile, which perplexed her friends greatly. They never expected Twilight to be so…calm about all this. Maybe she’s got everything under control, they thought. Maybe this plan of hers is so foolproof, that she can’t help but be confident. But, they noticed that she was looking at Rarity in a devious sort of a way, which was making the fashionista a bit uncomfortable.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Rarity.” She finally said, after a brief pause. “Because you’re going to help me.”
The white mare gave her friend the most dumbfounded look any pony had ever seen! A hinge on her jaw seemed to come loose and her eyes shrank to the size of peas. The others were equally as surprised, as they stared at Rarity for what seemed to be an eternity. Despite her extraordinarily gapping mouth, she managed to utter the first words that to her mind.

“I beg your pardon?!”

Rarity wanted to know more, but Twilight interrupted her. “Listen, I don’t have time to explain. Just follow me and keep up!” She, then, turned to her friends. “The rest of you, get the other ponies out of here, as fast as you can.”
“But-“, Fluttershy peeped, trying to voice her concerns.
Twilight turned to the worried pegasus and smiled. “Don’t worry about us. All you need to do is save lives. Now, go!” Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak; but stopped before she could utter a word. She looked into her friend’s eyes and found a measure of confidence within her violet colored pupils. Content, but not fully satisfied, the yellow winged mare turned to join her friends, who had already headed out to fulfill Twilight’s order. But, not before taking one last look at her two close friends.
As she watches Twilight and Rarity run into the fleeing crowd, Fluttershy couldn’t help offer a silent prayer for her friends.
Great Deity, please, hear my prayer. Watch over Twilight and Rarity. Keep them safe from harm and…
“C’mon Fluttershy”, Rainbow Dash shouted, “Let’s go!”
Her brash friend’s timely interruption brought Fluttershy back to reality. She turned and saw Rainbow Dash hovering over the crowd. The usually timid mare took a big gulp and unfurled her wings. She soon join her fellow Pegasus friend and, together, went about completing their daunting task of rescuing the panicked citizens of Ponyville.

Author's Note

*I can't believe I actually said that!

Anyway, here it is, guys: the long-lost third chapter to the MLP/Bioshock sage.

What is Twilight's plan of action? Will our heroes survive Big Daddy's wrath?! And, where is Trixie?
Stay tuned, folks!

Next chapter: Things go from bad to worse.