Twisted Metal: Equestria

by Lab Matt

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Crossover, Main 6, Discord, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Princess Luna
Length: 73994

Discord is free once again. And he brought back a game he created over a millennium ago, before his imprisonment.

"I am Discord, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Over one thousand years ago, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna defeated Discord in his own malefic game where ponies had to hurt and even kill each other in order to get a wish fulfilled. Discord is back, and so is his evil game.
Now it's up to the wielders of the Elements of Harmony to stop him one more time. But in a tournament where the prize is only limited by your imagination, the original reason to be there can easily be left aside!

Published 2014-05-22 00:00:03 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-17 16:00:23 UTC

2. Twisted Metal Begins

There were only a few minutes left before sunrise. Five vehicles were outside Ponyville, each one with their driver inside.

"Everypony ready?" Twilight asked while adjusting her rearview mirror.

"I was born ready!" Rainbow Dash said, revving the engine.

"How could you have been born ready if you only learned how to drive this a few weeks ago, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked, turning on the music of her ice cream truck.

"R-Ready..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Wait a second." Rarity said, looking around. "Where's Applejack?"

Rarity was right; Applejack was nowhere to be found. Suddenly they heard a horn. Looking back, they saw the red truck with a mounted gun above it approaching. Applejack was driving it, waving at her friends. On the back of the farm truck was her older brother, Big Macintosh, and lots of apples.

"Sorry, Ah'm late." she said, stopping her truck beside Fluttershy's Buggy. "We were workin' on the orchard an' completely lost track of time! Didn't even had the time to leave those here home."

"You've been using your car to work on the farm?" Twilight asked. "That's ingenious!"

"Ah know! With this beauty here, we've been pickin' three time more apples. The situation on the farm has never been better!"

"And what is your brother doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He wouldn't let me participate without him. He's overprotective like that!"

"Eeyup!" he said.

Fluttershy was looking at him without saying anything. The stallion looked down at her at smiled. She only looked away, blushing like mad.

"So, when are we goin' to the tournament?"

"Right now!" said a new voice. Princess Luna had teleported in front of them. Her horn lit up and, after a flash of light, they were gone from Ponyville, reappearing right outside the labyrinth in the Canterlot Gardens. There were a few cars standing in there.

"Welcome, little Elements!" Discord's disembodied voice said. "The timing could've been a little better, but at least you're here. I was just finishing my explanations on how to drive their cars, but since you already have yours, I think you already know how they work. Oh, Princess Luna, you're here as well! Are you going to compete again?"

"There's no need for Us to compete." she said. "They will make sure thou will wish to have never escaped thy sepulcher!"

"We'll see about that."

"There aren't many ponies around here." Fluttershy said, looking around.

"I can recognize a few of them." Rarity said, looking around. "Specially--" she gasped loudly. "SWEETIE BELLE?!"

"With me on the steering wheel, Apple Bloom on the acceleration and Sweetie Belle on the brake, nothing will stop us!" Scootaloo said, sitting with her friends on the orange roof of the yellow car with white doors and hood and trunk.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CAR DRIVERS, YAY!" the three fillies shouted at the same time.

"An' what in tarnation are y'all doin' here?" Applejack asked, approaching their car.

"We're going to participate, o' course!" Apple Bloom explained.

"Over mah dead body!" Applejack said, stomping on the ground with her left forehoof.

"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh agreed, stomping on the ground with his right forehoof.

"Sweetie Belle, you get out of here right now!" Rarity said. "This is no place for little fillies!"

"I'm not a little filly!" Sweetie Belle said. "And I'm gonna show you by winning this Tricked Metal tournament!"

"You are going home right now. All of you!" Rarity started levitating the trio, but suddenly they fell down on the car again. Rarity started screaming.

"Wha-What happened, Rarity?" Applejack asked.

"M-M-My horn. It's gone!"

They all looked at Rarity's forehead; her horn it was indeed gone. Discord's voice chuckled.

"Now wait a second, beautiful Rarity. I have yet to explain the rules! Rule number one: once a contestant joins Twisted Metal, you can't quit until the game is over. And that includes your little sisters!"

"Discord, you monster!" Twilight shouted. "How can you allow little fillies to take part in this horrid tournament?"

"Rule number two: everyone can participate. And I mean everyone! Ponies, Zebras, Griffins, Minotaurs, Diamond Dogs, Chimeras, everyone. The age doesn't matter! Rule number three: one winner can only be decided once all other contestants are incapable of keep competing."

"That's the rule the Princess mentioned." Rainbow Dash said.

"Those are all the rules! Once the sun rises, the arena will be opened and Twisted Metal starts!"

Princess Luna looked at the horizon, where Celestia's sun was rising. Discord laughed as the wall of the labyrinth in front of the cars disappeared.

"Good luck, everypony!" he shouted.

Applejack and Big Macintosh ran back to their truck.

"Ah'll keep an eye on y'all fillies!" Applejack shouted.

"Ok, thanks!" Scootaloo said while the Cutie Mark Crusaders entered their car.

The six driver mares entered their cars and drived into the arena. Once they were all in, the wall reappeared, closing the arena one more time.

"Good luck, my little ponies."

* * *

Both Applejack and Rarity followed the Cutie Mark Crusaders' car, which had "Cutie Mark Crossroader" written on the license plate.

"I won't let anythin' happen to ya, lil' sis!" Applejack said.

"Eeyup!"

"No ruffian shall touch my dear Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said.

They didn't noticed a massive truck approaching them from behind, but Big Mac noticed.

"Uh, Applejack?"

"What is it, Big Mac?"

"Big problem!"

Applejack checked her rearview mirror. Her eyes widened. "Very big. Hey, Rarity!"

"What?"

"Ya keep an eye on the fillies. Ah'll deal with our lil' friend here!"

"What little fr--" she looked at the mirror and screamed. "Where did that thing came from?! And it's definitely not little!"

"Ah have no idea, but Ah'll deal with it." Applejack braked her truck and turned it around. "Big Mac, do it!"

"Eeyup!"

The red stallion wrapped his forelegs around the handles of the machine gun mounted on top of the truck and aimed at the wheels os the bigger, black truck. He then proceeded to shoot at them while his sister drove the truck backwards. Unfortunately the road was a dirt road and the ride was bumpy, so Big Mac wasn't able to deliver a single bullet to the targets.

"Sorry, Applejack!"

"It's ok, Big Mac. It's only the start!"

"Out of the way, pony!" a voice shouted from within the big truck, through loudspeakers. "Dog wants other pony!"

"That voice." Rarity said. "That annoying, raspy voice!"

The window on the side of the driver was opened, revealing a gray canine wearing a red jacket with colorful gems on the pocket and a spiky black leather collar around his neck.

"Dog will flatten pony and prissy pony car, whiny pony!" he shouted, pointing his finger at the white Mustang. He then closed the window once again and honked the loud horn. The Diamond Dog accelerated, missing Applejack's truck by mere inches, but taking the rearview mirror on the side of the passenger with him.

"Rarity, look out!"

"Watch the girls for me, Applejack, dear!"

Rarity turned right into a smaller road of the labyrinth. The Diamond Dog followed her; even though the road was narrow, the truck could squeeze through it. The fashionista pressed a button behind the steering wheel. The trunk of the car opened, revealing several pipes. One of them started shooting sharp gems at the truck, but aside from a few of them getting stuck on it, they weren't very effective.

"Darn it!"

"Dog will make pony suffer!"

* * *

Together, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash pressed their cars against a stallion's car. He tried accelerating and breaking, but he was trapped by the two mares. When they were extremely close to a sole lamppost, the cars moved away, making the stallion hit it, smashing his car's engine.

"This is actually kind of fun!" Pinkie Pie said while driving side by side with Rainbow Dash. The pegasus mare arched an eyebrow, staring at the chuckling mare.

"Pinkie are... Are you ok?"

"Ok? I'm fantastic!"

"You do realize that ponies die in this tournament, right?"

"Yup-yup!"

"And you still think this is fun?!"

"Nopony died yet, Dashie!"

"Well, you're right, but--"

"The past is in the past, Dashie! Let's have fun today. After all, life is a party!"

For some reason, Rainbow Dash cringed at those words, but remained silent. "Just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie... Right?" she thought.

"Lookie-look! Another one right over there." Pinkie Pie turned her ice cream truck. Rainbow Dash sighed and followed her.

"Don't you think you're enjoying this a little bit too much, Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie Pie slammed her truck against the car at full speed, making it tumble away and land upside down. The mare inside it was still alive, but hurt and confused. "Did you said something, Dashie?"

"Pinkie Pie!" she shouted. "I know we're supposed to win this, but why the hay did you do that for?!"

"She was frowning. So I turned her frowny upside-downy!"

"Pinkie Pie, you are so random, and this is kind of cool, but this time you're being too random, and it's kind of scary..." Pinkie Pie giggled and accelerated her ice cream truck. "Wait, come back here, I wasn't done!" she shouted.

"Will have to catch me fiiiiiirst~!" Pinkie Pie shouted back.

Rainbow Dash pressed a button on the panel and the exhaust of her car began shooting a seven-colored flame. Her speed was doubled and she hit the back of Pinkie's truck, making the pink Earth Pony incapable of controlling her vehicle.

"Dashie, what are you doing?"

Rainbow Dash made Pinkie Pie's truck hit a different lamppost, crushing her engine.

"Sorry, Pinkie Pie, but that was for your own good."

"But now I can't play with everypony else!"

"'Play'? You think this is a game?"

"Discord said it was a game!"

Rainbow Dash groaned before driving away from the area.

* * *

"Stay by my side, Fluttershy." Twilight said while slowly driving her Corvette. "We don't know where the other divers are hiding, so be careful."

"O-Okay..." she whispered, looking left and right while driving her Buggy. "But, Twilight, do you think--"

"Look out!" Twilight shouted, but it was too late and a blue and white car hit Fluttershy's Sand Buggy from behind. She screamed in terror as she was dragged away. "Fluttershy!" Twilight groaned and accelerated, chasing her friend and her friend's captor.

"Oh, Flootershy, fancy meeting you here!" the driver said with a thick Germane accent.

"Ph-Photo Finish?!"

"Ja, zat's me!" she said with a smile. "Sorry for bumping into you like zat. How are you?"

"S-Scared..."

"I'm so very sorry, Flootershy, but our host can give me something zat I absolutely need!"

"A-And what is that?"

"An unicorn horn, of course! Zhink of all ze improvement my art can have if I can actually use ZE MAGICKS!" she said, raising her hoof to add emphasis to the word.

The side of a lavender car hit the side of Photo Finish's car, pushing her away from Fluttershy's.

"Vhat ze...?!"

"You stay away from my friends!" Twilight said, hitting the side of Photo Finish's car once more.

"I'm sorry, fräulein, but I won't let anypony stay between me and vhat I desire!"

Twilight pushed Photo Finish into a smaller road, leaving Fluttershy alone. Too afraid to follow them, Fluttershy did the only thing she could: keep driving. She stopped when she almost got hit by a diamond-encrusted white car. The driver, her friend Rarity, didn't seems to notice her.

She saw another car going toward her. The driver's huge grin made Fluttershy's heart skip a beat. The pony got closer and closer. It was about to hit her when he dodged it, revealing another car right behind his; a cyan one being driven by a pegasus, who screamed when she saw the stopped yellow Buggy on her way. She tried dodging it, but she was too fast and too close. Thankfully she managed to reduce the speed enough for the damage to not be too serious.

"Are you ok, Fluttershy?"

"Y-Yes! Yes I a--"

The Sand Buggy was then hit by a large black truck, seding her and her vehicle flying. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and her heart stopped for a couple of seconds.

"FLUTTERSHY!"

She drove to where the buggy had landed. Its side was smashed and Fluttershy was still inside it, unconscious, but still breathing. Rainbow Dash got out of her car as fast as possible and forced the other door - which was surprisingly still intact - open. She then carrried her friend to her own car, placed her on the passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy, that jerk will not go unpunished!"

* * *

"I told you to brake, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo, who was sitting on the driver seat, said, looking down at the fillies on the pedals.

"But Apple Bloom keeps accelerating!" Sweetie Belle said while pressing the brake pedal with both forelegs.

"She told ya to brake, not me to stop!" Apple Bloom replied while pressing the accelerator pedal with both forelegs as well.

"If I need to brake, then you need to stop!"

"Not until Scoots tell me to stop!"

"Just what in tarnation are those three doin'?" Applejack said while looking at the tricolor car that was slowing and accelerating drastically in irregular intervals.

"No idea!" Big Macintosh said.

They heard a loud honk before the black truck from before appeared between Applejack's Bad Apple and the Cutie Mark Crusaders' Cutie Mark Crossroader.

"Where is pony?" the driver asked through a loudspeaker. "Where did pony go?"

"Hey, ugly!" Rainbow Dash angrily said, her car appearing from another road, this one behind Applejack's truck. She stopped beside Bad Apple. "If it's a pony you're looking for, I can fill the part!"

"Pony not whiny pony Discord promised dog. Dog wants whiny pony!"

"Well, too bad. You hurt my friend Fluttershy, and you're going to pay! AND YOU'RE GOING TO PAY NOW!"

Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof on a button on the panel of her car, opening the trunk of her car; there was a missile launcher in it, which was aimed at the truck.

"Pony cannot kill dog. Pony car too weak, dog car too strong!" the Diamond Dog then started maneuvering the truck so he could charge at Bad Apple and Rainboom.

"But I can hurt you pretty bad. Just like you did to my friend here!"

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Applejack shouted, sounding desperate. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, Applejack, but justice must be served!"

"Ya don't understand, yer gonna--"

"Get a load of this!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pressing another button. Her car shot a rocket at the truck but, even though she was almost blinded by rage, she couldn't bring herself to kill another living creature, so she aimed the shot at the wheels of the truck. The explosion sent the black truck tumbling backwards.

"What was that sound, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Are Rainbow Dash an' that other guy still arguin'?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Girls?" Scootaloo called while looking at the massive vehicle falling toward them.

"Yes, Scoots?" they asked at the same time.

"I love you girls!"

"Why are ya suddenly--" the truck fell on its side and on top of the Cutie Mark Crossroader before Apple Bloom could finish her question.

Applejack's heart stopped for a moment. Big Macintosh fainted. Rainbow Dash's rage faded completely, being replaced by several other different emotions. Her face assumed an expression of despair. After a few moments of silence, she started hyperventilating while tears streamed from her eyes.

"I... I... I killed... No, this... This can't be true! This can't be! No no no no no no no, I'm dreaming. I-I must be dreaming!"

"Rainbow Dash, how could ya?!" Applejack shouted, jumping out of her truck. "Ah warned ya to not do that!" She slowly approached at the fallen truck on top of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' car. "And now mah sister is... She's..." Applejack closed her eyes, fighting back her tears.

"Ap... Ple... Jack..."

She opened her eyes once again.

"A-Apple Bloom? Is that you?"

"He... Help... Me... Us..."

"They're still alive!" she said, her heart being filled with hope. She then started to kick the black truck, trying to move it away. "Rainbow, a lil' help here?"

"I killed them... There's no use denying it... I killed them..."

"Rainbow, help me here!"

"I'm a murderer... A cold-blooded murderer who kills fillies..."

"RAINBOW!" Applejack groaned before she began to kick the truck once again. "Forget it."

* * *

"This tournament has to end!" Twilight said before slamming her car against Photo Finish's. "This is a bloodshed. Nothing comes out of it except pain!"

"Ever since Flootershy broke the contract, my career went downhill. I broke contracts vith several other models because I vanted to dedicate all my time to Flootershy! Mein assistants and employees left me and ze only vay to go back to ze top is doing several zhings at ze same time. I need to be an unicorn! Ze magicks vill save mein career!" she slammed her car against Twilight's. "And just because you're ze Princess's protégé, doesn't mean I vill allow you to crush mein dreams."

Twilight looked at the road again and gasped; there was a cyan on the way with a cyan pegasus in it, neither of them moving. "Photo Finish, look out!" she shouted before moving her own car out of the way.

"Look out vith what?" she looked at the road, but it was too late and she hit the other car with maximum speed. Both cars tumbled away and crashed against one of the walls of the labyrinth.

"Rain... Bow..." Applejack said. Her legs failed her and her and she fell on the ground, losing consciousness just like her brother.

Twilight wanted to brake her car, but she was too afraid to discover that neither of them survived, so she kept driving away from that part of the arena, her face stained with tears.

"Twilight!" Rarity called from behind her. She accelerated her car and caught up with her friend, then began driving side by side with her. "It's so good to see you! I was beginning to lose hope of seeing my friends again, specially after that very shady-looking pony attacked me a while ago! Thankfully I had a little trick up my sleeve."

"And we're down to only two contestants!" Discord's voice said. "Good luck to both of you. I look forward to see who's gonna be the winner! And what she's gonna wish, of course."

"Looks like it's only the two of us." Rarity said.

"I don't want to battle you, Rarity."

"I don't want to battle you either, darling. But don't worry, I'm sure we can figure something out."

Twilight and Rarity were too busy talking to each other to notice that they were going straight to the place where Pinkie Pie defeated one of the contestants. The mare was long gone, but the car was still in place. Rarity noticed the obstacle on the corner of the vision in the last second.

"Darling, look out!" she said, turning the steering wheel and slamming her car against Twilight's, throwing her out of the collision course, but sacrificing her own car in the process.

"RARITY!" Twilight shouted as she watched Rare Gem tumble and crash through a wall.

* * *

Twilight reappeared in a dark, empty room. The only thing in there was a throne being illuminated from above by a single hanging lamp. Sitting on the throne was some kind of chimera with the head of a pony and the body of several other creatures.

"You're... Discord?"

"Guilty as charged!"

"You monster!" she shouted. "Thanks to you, my friends are hurt, and maybe even dead! You ruined everypony's lives!"

"Oh, little Twilight Sparkle, why don't you look at the bright side?"

"There's no bright side!"

"Oh, there's one: it was super fun!"

"Fun? FUN? HOW DARE YOU SAY THIS WAS FUN?"

"I never said it was fun for you."

"This is all your fault!"

"I disagree with you. You know who you're supposed to blame? Your ruler, Princess Celestia!"

"What does she have to do with this?"

"Oh, Twilight, you really can't see? Remember how she sent you and your little friends to my domains instead of doing it herself?"

"Because we're the Elements of Harmony! She is no longer connected to them, we are. We're the only ones who can stop you!"

"That may be true, but remember how she is the almighty ruler of Equestria, who can do basically anything? She could have easily brought you to where we are, but instead she let you agree to my terms! Even I as surprised. I mean, Celestia herself nodding to my request? One chance in a trillion!"

"I... She..."

"Do you realize now?" Discord said, pressing an index finger against her horn. Her coat slowly started turning gray. "She is not fit to be a ruler. And neither is her sister! What Equestria needs is a new ruler, one who knows how to treat her subjects correctly, one who isn't a senile granny and bound to the old ways of Equestria! Are you getting the picture, Twilight Sparkle?"

She slowly nodded after he moved his finger away, her coat turning completely gray.

"Hear me, Discord, for I have a wish!"

"And I'd love to hear it."

"Discord, Mad God and creator of Twisted Metal. Make me, Twilight Sparkle... A Princess!"

Discord grinned evilly.

"Your wish is granted! I am Discord, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Author's Note

Wow, I loved writing this one! Can't wait for the next. And remember, in this fanfic, I don't do things for no reason (during most of the time). Trust the Phoenix Writer, things will get awesome!

And remember, kids: no talking when driving!

3. The Aftermath

"How are the three, doctor?" Applejack asked.

"Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have a few severe injuries, but none of them life threatening. Fortunately, our medicine and healing spells will be able to cure their injuries them in no time!" Dr. Stable explained. "Can't say the same about your friend Rainbw Dash's wing, though..."

"Ah see..."

"Wait a moment!" Rarity said - her horn was still missing. "You didn't said anything about Scootaloo. How is she?"

Dr. Stable sighed and levitated his glasses away from his face. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but... Scootaloo... She did not survived."

The four mares gasped. Fluttershy almost fainted, but she managed to stay awake.

"I'm so, so sorry! We did everything we could, but her injuries were far more serious than her friends'. Besides, she was on full display in that... 'Car', isn't it? She was on full display while her friends were hidden under that panel, and that's the reason they survived!"

"And how's Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked.

"You can visit her if you want."

The four mares looked at each other and nodded. Dr. Stable then led them to a room with two beds; one was empty, and there was a cyan pony lying on the other, her back turned to the door, showing the stub where her left wing used to be.

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity called. "Are you ok, darling?"

No response.

"Don't worry, RD!" Applejack said with a smile, trying to cheer her friend up. "Ya'll be out of here in no time. Ah know how ya hate to be still!"

Still no response.

"I know what will cheer her up!" Pinkie said. "A part--"

"No, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash finally said. "No parties. I just want to... To be in peace..."

The pink pony looked down with a sad expression. Fluttershy slowly approached her; she couldn't look away from the stub on Rainbow Dash's back.

"Does... Does it hurt?"

"I can't feel pain on a part of my body that doesn't exist. But it's only fair! I took her under my wing, I killed her and my wing was taken." she sighed. "Only fair... Anyway, has anypony found Twilight yet?"

"Sadly, no!" Rarity said. "Nopony has seen her since that dreadful tournament. I wonder what happened..."

"Ah'm sure that Discord feller did somethin' to her! Ah mean, she won the whole thing, and suddenly she disappears? There's definitely a connection!"

"Connection or not, I will find out." Rainbow Dash said, sitting on the bed and looking at her friends. "I'm going back there, I'm winning Discord's crazy game and he will tell me what happened to Twilight!"

"You can't possibly be considering that, darling!" Rarity said. "I'm sure I'm not coming back there! Not after he took my horn! And gave me something else..." she then rubbed her cheek, which had a very big scar. Her makeup did a good job hiding it, but if somepony looked closer, they would notice.

"We promised the Princesses we would put an end to his tournament. If you want to break your promise, be my guest, but I'm loyal to my word!"

"Ah'm with RD on this one!" Applejack said. "We really promised the Princesses we would stop this Twisted Metal thing!"

Fluttershy looked at Rarity, who looked back at her and sighed.

"Yes, we did promised them, didn't we?" she said.

"If... If Rarity is going... Then I'm going as well..."

"You don't need to go just because I'm going, darling!"

"Bu-But we promised the Princesses. And a promise is a promise."

"Good to see you're all learning the importance of a promise!" Pinkie Pie said with a smile while patting Rarity and Fluttershy on the back.

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie with an arched eyebrow. There was something different with her since the tournament, but she couldn't point her hoof at what it was.

"How are Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?" Rainbow asked.

"They're getting better, miss Dash!" Dr. Stable said. "They will be here for a while, but they are no longer in danger."

"Well, that's a relief. At least I didn't killed all of them!"

"For the hundredth time, Rainbow Dash, it wasn't your fault!" Rarity said. "If you want to blame somepony, blame Discord! He started this, it's all his fault."

All Rainbow Dash did was sigh. She didn't agreed with Rarity, but if she told her she would say all kinds of things to prove her wrong, and Rainbow Dash wasn't in the mood for that. Suddenly, she remembered something:

"What about Spike? With Twilight gone, there's nopony to take care of him!"

"He's in Canterlot with the Princesses." Fluttershy explained. "Rarity wanted to take care of him, but Princess Celestia insisted. And I can understand why!"

Applejack nodded. "The lil' guy would probably try to escape an' join the contest to save Twi. With Celestia, Luna and a whole lotta guards around watchin' him, he's safe! Twisted Metal is no place for young'uns..."

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but visiting hours are almost over!" Dr. Stable said.

"Alright, doc. We'll see ya tomorrow, RD!"

"Right. See you tomorrow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie!"

"Goodbye, darlin'!"

"Hope you get beter soon, Rainbow Dash."

"And when you get better..." Pinkie Pie said while tying three balloons - two blue ones and an yellow one - to her bed. "...I'm totally throwing you a party!"

"Thanks, Pinkie Pie..."

"Maybe it really was just my imagination! Pinkie Pie is still the same."

* * *

One month later. Canterlot Castle. There were five mares, a stallion, two Princesses and a baby dragon in the Throne Room. There were also five cars.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to go back?" Celestia asked with a lot of concern is her eyes.

The five mares and the stallions nodded with a lot of determination in their eyes.

Luna's horn began to glow and the five cars they used on the last tournament reappeared right in front of them.

"Please, bring Twilight back!" Spike said.

"Don't worry, Spike!" Pinkie Pie said, patting his head. "Detective Pinkie and her assistants are on the case!"

Spike smiled. The six contestants entered their vehicles, which were teleported away once again by Princess Luna.

"Do you think they will be ok, Princess?" the baby dragon asked.

"Of course they will, Spike!" she said with a smile. "You heard her, 'Detective Pinkie and her assistants are on the case'! Now run along, child. Go have fun!"

Spike nodded. "Alright! I'll go see if Shining Armor wants to play Oubliettes And Ogres."

The moment Spike left the Throne Room, Celestia's smile disappeared.

"We have a bad feeling, Sister!"

"So do I, Luna! So do I..."

Author's Note

Short chapter, I know, sorry. But, as the title says, it's just the aftermath of the first Twisted Metal. The main focus and most of the key points of the story will happen in the tournament itself, but the in-between chapters will probably get longer as the story progresses!

Trust the Phoenix Writer!

5. Reunion

Spike was hugging Twilight as tightly as he could. She had a foreleg wrapped around her number one assistant while she talked with her friends and the Princesses.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused." she said while looking down.

"It wasn't your fault, Twilight!" Celestia said, making her student look at her. "Discord is a trickster. I should have seen this coming!"

"But I was weak!" she almost shouted. "He did the same thing to Rainbow Dash, but it didn't worked because she was strong enough to resist temptation. And I wasn't..."

"Maybe we should stop worryng about the mistakes of the past..." with a smile, Celestia placed a foreleg on Twilight's shoulder. "...and focus on introduce to the Equestrian citizens their newest Princess, Twilight Spar--"

"NO!" Twilight shouted for real this time, startling everyone in the room. "Those wings are a gift-- No, a curse given to my by Discord. I am not a Princess, I don't deserve to be called one! I am just a traitor with a weak mind..."

"Don't be so harsh with yerself, sugarcube." Applejack said, wrapping a foreleg around the young alicorn's neck. "Nopony would ever think less of ya just because a freak o' nature brainwashed that pretty mind o' yours. There was nothin' ya could do! Let's just be glad that we're all together again."

"Now that thou mentioned it..." Luna said while looking around. "Where art fair Rarity and fair Pinkamena Pie?"

The four mares looked down and sighed.

"Rarity..." Twilight started. "She... She she fell off the arena and..." Twilight closed her eyes while the tears rolled free.

"Tw-Twilight..." Spike called. "What... What happened to Rarity?"

"I'm so sorry!" she hugged the baby dragon. "There's nothing I could've done to save her. I wasn't... Myself!"

"An' we did all we could." Applejack said. "But we didn't expected the glass to break."

"What happened to Rarity?" Spike asked again, now panicking.

"SHE FELL!" Fluttershy shouted before falling on the floor and crying on her forelegs.

"She... She..." Spike's breath quickened. He started looking around at his friends, trying to find some lie in their eyes, but he couldn't.

"Ah'm sorry, Spike."

The baby dragon fainted on Twilight's forelegs.

"That's horrible!" Celestia said, covering her mouth with a hoof.

"DAMMIT!" Rainbow Dash shouted, slamming her hoof on the floor. "What the hay is wrong with you, Pinkie Pie? You changed so much!"

"And what happened to her?"

"We have no idea!" Applejack said while rubbing the back of the crying Twilight. "She simply started actin' all weird an' disappeared after the tournament!"

"Scootaloo disappeared as well." Rainbow Dash said. "But, unlike Pinkie Pie, I know where she probably is."

"And where is that?"

* * *

"D-Don't come any closer!" Sweetie Belle said, sitting on a corner of the tree house while hugging her friend Apple Bloom.

"We're not looking for trouble, Mister Ghost!" Apple Bloom said.

"Girls, it's me!" the grey pegasus filly said with its distorted voice that sounded like several males and females were talking at the same time. "Don't your remember your friend Scootaloo anymore?"

"S-Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Is that really you? Bu-But what happened to your coat? Your mane? And-And your voice?"

"An' Ah thought ya had died!" Apple Bloom said. "Did they lied to us?"

"No, Apple Bloom, they did not lied." the ghost explained. "I am truly dead. But I was brought back from the other side to compete on Twisted Metal. My mind was a mess then, but now everything is clear and I'm free to do whatever I want."

"You sound... Different!"

"It's because a pony's voice comes from the vocal cords, which are part of the body. Since I have no body, I speak with the voice of my soul."

"Good to know, Scoots, but Ah think Sweetie Belle meant the way ya speak. Ya sound so calm an' fancy an' stuff. What happened to ya?"

Scootaloo chuckled. "The afterlife is a beautiful place that changes a pony. You will understand when you see it!"

"Question!" Sweetie Belle asked, raising her foreleg. "If you're free from whatever was locking you, then why are you still here?"

Scootaloo stopped smiling and sighed. "Because I'm tainted."

"'Tainted'?" both fillies asked at the same time.

"The afterlife is a realm of purity and innocence. By coming here and playing Twisted Metal, even if it was against my will, I got tainted by its perversity and wickedness. If I return to the afterlife, the taint would spread and ruin the peace. Souls would return to the world of the living, bringing chaos, disorder and destruction! I cannot allow that to happen."

"A-Ah understand..." Apple Bloom said.

Sweetie Belle suddenly jumped. "I have an idea!"

"And what is your idea?" the ghost filly asked.

"First, I need to ask you something: did a tainted soul ever returned to a body?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it, some souls in the afterlife were talking about the return of Twisted Metal and how Discord would probably force pure souls to play it." she blinked and smiled. "Ohhh, I see where this is going!"

"What? What am Ah missin' here?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ah want to know what y'all are talkin' about!"

"One thousand years ago, Discord used to force souls to play his game! Specially souls of deceased players or ponies related to the contestants! A few of those souls were wished back to life and, once they died again several years later, their tainted souls were pure once again. You're a genius, Sweetie Belle! How did you know that?"

The white filly began rubbing her nape. "Well, actually, I was reading one of Rarity's novels and this happened to one of the main characters. I thought it was a good idea!"

Scootaloo giggled. "We could give it a try!"

"Who would've thought that one of yer sister's silly books would be helpful, Sweetie Belle?"

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SOUL CLEANSERS!" they all shouted at the same time before high-hoofing. "YAY!"

* * *

Pinkie Pie was in a dark room of unknown location, sitting on top of her ice cream truck, Sweet Tooth; a few pieces of it were missing, many parts were smashed and the big bobbing head was cracked.

"Oh, look at you, all hurt!" she said while petting the head. "But don't worry, Auntie Pinkie will make it feel better. I wasn't watching the Princesses fix those cars all that time because it was fun, y'know!" from a toolbox, she grabbed a wrench. "It will take a while without all that fancy magic, but who needs them, anyway? They would only try to stop us from having fun, don't you agree? 'Oh, Pinkie, why are you having so much fun with such a cruel game?' they would ask." she approached her face to the bobbing head. "Obviously they don't know how fun it is to play games. Specially games you can play against your friends!" she chuckled. "Oh, but don't get me wrong, I love my friends. The thing is, some competition is always welcome. And while the main purpose of all game is having fun, winning feels great!" she chuckled once again. "Now let's start this surgery. I don't think I need to worry about time, I have plenty left. One month, actually! And then..." her pink, poofy mane, slowly deflated until it was completely flat. "The fun will begin!"

* * *

"I AM NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE!" Fluttershy shouted from within her locked cottage.

"But Fluttershy..." Rainbow Dash called. "the Princesses--"

"I don't care! They said everything would be fine, that we could stop discord. Now my best friend is dead! And not only her, but also the stallion I... I..."

"Fluttershy..."

"Leave her, Rainbow." Applejack said, placing a foreleg on her friend's shoulder. "It's her choice! We can't force her."

"But... But..."

"A pony can only see too many deaths until they snap for good. Fluttershy can't carry on with this! An' Ah understand completely."

"Are you saying that are you going to drop off as well?"

"Hay no! Ah still have a brother an' a best friend to avenge. Ah'm not stoppin' 'til Ah feel like they can rest in peace! That freak messed with the wrong branch o' the wrong tree."

"You have no car!" Rainbow Dash reminded her. "How are you going to--"

"Rarity's."

"What?"

"Ah don't know how to explain that and it might sound a lil' crazy but, Ah took it back to her boutique, 'cause Ah felt that it belonged there an', while Ah was drivin' it, Ah felt like Rarity was there, by mah side, accompanyin' me in one last ride on her Rare Gem."

"Yeah, you were right, sounds crazy!"

Applejack glared at her friend. "Crazy or not, it's the truth! This is why Ah'll be drivin' it next time; so Ah'll have mah good friend Rarity by mah side while I crash through his front door an' wish for him to shove his whole contest where the light of Celestia's sun doesn't shine!"

"Well, we have the same goal! So, it's a promise: if either of us win, that's going to be our wish!" she spat on her hoof and presented it at the farmer. "Deal?"

Suddenly, Applejack's emerald green eyes turned into sapphire blue and she cringed. "Eww, why would you--" she blinked a few times and her eyes turned back green. "Why... Why did Ah do that?"

"I have no idea! Are you feeling well, AJ?"

"O' course! Ah'm healthy as a bull." she spat on her hoof as well and hoof-bumped her friend. "An' it's a deal!"

Rainbow Dash smiled and flapped her wing. "Well, I have things to do and places to go now. Gotta dash! See ya!" she said before galloping away while still flapping her only wing left. Applejack waved goodbye at her friend. Her eyes turned blue once again and she looked at her hoof covered in spit.

"Ew!" she said while cleaning her hoof on the grass. "That uncouth ruffian..."

Author's Note

My vacations are almost here, so I'll have more time to work on Twisted Metal: Equestria. Yay!

6. Like A Wave In The Sea

"An' now, it's perfect!" Applejack said after re-drawing Rarity's cutie mark on the hood of Rare Gem.

"Gee, finally." Rainbow Dash said. She was sitting on the branch of an apple tree with her forelegs crossed. "I never thought somepony would take so long to draw something so simple!"

"Whatever do ya mean, Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "Like hay this was simple! Ah had to make sure the colors would blend well, to make sure the pattern was right, the space between the gems was measured correctly an' don't even get me started on how hard it was to choose the correct shade of blue with only mah memory as reference."

"Are... Are you sure you're ok?" she asked before jumping down from the tree.

"Absolutely! Why do ya ask?"

"It's because I know you since I moved to Ponyville and you were never one to worry about those kind of details. You would just grab a paintbrush, splash paint all over it and say 'job well done' or something like that!"

"Well, maybe Ah just grew fond o' details."

"And since when did you started using that... Refined vocabulary?"

"Ya'll have to be more specific."

"It's just that you--" she stopped talking and blinked a couple of times. "Were your eyes always blue?"

"Since Ah was a filly, why?"

"I don't know, I thought they were... More green!"

"Maybe yer mind is just playin' tricks on ya, Rainbow Dash, darlin'!"

"'Darling'? What happened to the so popular 'sugarcube'?"

"Well, Ah just thought 'sugarcube' was waaaay too unprofessional, so Ah decided to adopt a less casual term!"

"Is... Is this some kind of prank, Applejack?"

"Ya know as well as Ah do that a refined mare such as mahself would never go around prankin' ponies, Rainbow Dash!"

"Applejack? Refined?" Rainbow Dash couldn't stop herself from bursting into laughter. "You know, Applejack, just because you'll be driving Rarity's car, it doesn't mean you have to be prissy like her!" the farmer glared at the daredevil. "Anyway, I need to go now. It was nice spending some time with you, but I still need to polish Rainboom. My girl needs to look as awesome as the driver. See ya!" the cyan pegasus then dashed away, leaving the Apple mare alone with the white Mustang, who looked at herself on the side mirror.

"Ah'm not anythin' like Rarity!" she pressed a hoof against her cheek. "But maybe with some makeup, Ah would--" she shook her head. "NO! AH DON'T WEAR NO MAKEUP! AH'M AN ALL NATURAL FARM MARE!" Applejack sighed, crestfallen. "What the hay is wrong with me?"

* * *

Horseshoe Bay. Several cars were standing on the shore, facing the vast ocean. Among them were a lavender Corvette, a white Mustang, a cyan Lamborghini, a car colored with three shades of grey, a blue car with speakers on the outside of the doors and ceiling and a mint-colored Mini-Cooper with a very peculiar driver inside:

"Oh my Celestia, look at this!" Lyra said, pointing at the steering wheel with a huge smile on her face. "Those spaces, they were clearly made to be held by fingers! The fingers of a hand! And the hand of a human! Oh my Celestia, oh my Celestia, oh my Celestia!"

"I'm starting to think I should have tried harder to stop you from participating..." Bon Bon said, standing outside the car, leaning against the door with open window.

"Are you kidding me, woman? This is the best moment of my whole life!"

"Please, don't call me those weird human words!"

"They're not weird, they're cute."

"Anyway, good luck! And be careful." she looked around at the other cars. "I don't trust any of them."

"Oh, but you can totally trust Vinyl!" she pushed Bon Bon out of the way and shouted: "Let's do our best, right, Vinyl?!"

"Aw, yeah!!" the white unicorn mare inside the car with speakers shouted back.

"And who is that?" a grey earth pony mare standing in front of Vinyl's open window asked.

"Lyra Heartstrings, old friend from music school. She's cool!"

"Oh, right. But you should keep an eye on her as well. You never know who might be willing to backstab you in order to get the prize." she sighed. "It's not too late to change your mind, Vinyl! Please, get out of this car, you have no idea what happens in this Twisted Metal tournament. It's really dangerous!"

"Octy, c'mon, you know me. 'Danger' is my middle name and 'Excitement' is my last! Besides, you know nothing and nopony can beat me. That wish is as good as mine!"

"Is it really worth it? To endanger your life like just so you can get a wish granted?"

"'Just'? 'JUST'?! Tavi, are you even listening to what you say? The winner gets a wish granted. Any wish! That's not something that happens often."

"I know, but--"

"Don't worry, Tavi! My wish is worth it."

"And what is your wish, anyway? You never told me."

Vinyl smiled and levitated her sunglasses hanging from her horn, then put it on her face. "You will know once it's granted."

"Welcome one, welcome all, to the third Twisted Metal of the new generation!" Discord said, popping out of nowhere in front of the cars. "I hope you're all ready for another fun tournament. Eye on the prize, everypony! It's to die for."

"Just shut up and start this already!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Oh, I know you're excited for the contest to begin, Rainbow Dash, but I ask you to wait just a little longer."

"I am not excited for this! What are we waiting for, anyway?"

"My Guest of Honor, of course."

"Another one of your brainwashed drones?"

"What makes you think I could brainwash somepony, huh?"

"You already did. Twice!"

"But thanks to you they didn't stick around for long, so it doesn't count. And this one came to me willingly! I'm still not sure how she managed to locate me, though... But the things is, she came to me and asked for my assistance. And who am I to refuse to help somepony in need? Specially one who had friends that couldn't understand her."

"Ah sure hope this 'Guest of Honor' o' his ain't who Ah think it is!" Applejack said.

Suddenly, they all heard a distorted, yet somehow sweet tune. It was very faint at first, but it grew louder, as if the source of it was approaching.

"And there she comes!"

A bright pink ice cream truck with cupcakes, candies and balloons painted all over it and covered in scratches joined the contestants. Above it, the Pinkie Pie head now had black eyes with only red dots in the middle, making the once funny-looking bobblehead something that came out of somepony's nightmares. The driver was a dark pink earth pony with a darker pink straight mane.

"Hello, everypony!" she said with a deeper voice than the one they were all used to hear. "I'm sorry for taking so long, I had a few... Minor setbacks on my way here."

"So you're working with him now, huh, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash said with an angry look on her face.

"Pinkamena." she corrected. "Call me by my name, please. Pin-ka-me-na!"

"Why are ya sidin' with him Pink-- amena?" Applejack asked.

"Because, unlike you, Discord knows what true fun is!"

"I feel the same way about you, Pinkamena." the draconequus said.

"And I'm afraid to ask, but..." Twilight sighed. "What were those 'minor setbacks' you mentioned?"

"Oh, just a couple of guards, nothing much. Wanted me to stop because they thought I 'looked suspicious'! Unfortunately I was in a hurry and couldn't stay for long, but they simply wouldn't let me go and kept asking questions and questions and questions... Until I got fed up and left them. They teleported in front of me, shouting 'HALT!', but this wouldn't work twice against old me, so I didn't stop."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Y-You ran over those guards?!"

"Yeah, I guess I did!"

"Pinkie, how could you?!"

"Eh, it's not like they were important, anyway. There are tons of others to replace those two. And it's Pinkamena! Not Pinkie. And are we here to talk, or are we here to fight?"

"Well said, Pinkamena!" Discord said. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Do you really expect us to compete here?" Rainbow Dash asked. "There's not even room to breathe in this beach, how do you expect us to race and battle each other?"

Discord laughed. "Silly Rainbow Dash, this is just the pickup point! The tournament will take place..." he pointed his finger at the ocean. "There!"

"Underwater?" one of the other contestants asked.

"Eh, maybe next time! But no, we're going to a special place that, just like the last one, was created by yours truly! Well, not exactly 'created', I forced the natives to leave then changed the shape a bit, but you got the idea."

He snapped his fingers and all the cars disappeared, leaving two mares behind.

"Do you think they will be ok?" Octavia asked.

"We can only hope they will..." Bon Bon said.

* * *

All the cars appeared in several places of a very large island shaped like Discord's face. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight spawned in the middle of some kind of abandoned village.

"Ah can't belive Pinkie would side with that rotten thug!" Applejack said. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is the, worst, possible, thing!"

Twilight blinked a few times. "Is she ok?"

"I'm not really sure..." Rainbow Dash said.

"We have to save our friend from the claws o' that fiend!" the apple farmer said. "Let's go, everypony!"

She accelerated and was soon followed by her two friends. Not too far away from there, two other cars spawned; one was a mint Mini-Cooper and the other was blue and had speakers.

"Looks like we're together on this one." Lyra said with a smile.

"Aw yeah! Just like in the old times, Ly."

"So, are you ready to kick some B major flank?"

"Oh, how I missed your puns, Ly! Now, like that freaky dude said..." she pressed a button, making all the speakers play Dubstep loudly. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"P0N-3 and Heartstrings are back on stage!"

They accelerated at the same time, looking for another contestant to battle. They soon found it, and it was a pink ice cream truck.

"Hey there, Pinkie Pie!" Vinyl called.

"It's Pinkamena! And hello, Vinyl."

"Haven't seen ya since that fashion show of your friend! And what happened to your mane? Looks pretty badass, but it doesn't really suit you."

"Want me to do the same to yours?"

"Eh, not really, but thanks for the--"

"Too bad, I'm doing it anyway!"

Pinkamena slammed her truck against the DJ's car, making her lose control of it for a few seconds.

"Are you ok, Vinyl?" Lyra asked.

"What the hay, Pinkie?!"

"It's..." she slammed her truck against the car again. "PINKAMENA!"

Lyra slammed her car against Pinkamena's truck from the other side. "You leave her alone!"

"Oh, you want me to battle you, then?" she slammed her ice cream truck against the Mini-Cooper. "Fine by me."

* * *

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders, now driving their new car, Cutie Mark Crossroader V2 - which was very similar to the original but, instead of being yellow, white and orange, it was colored with three shades of grey - were all wearing helmets.

"Are ya sure nopony will recognize us?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I doubt they will." Scootaloo said. "Even Rainbow Dash only recognized me after I lost my helmet. It's a very good disguise!"

"At least you have somepony to recognize you..." Sweetie Belle said before sighing.

"Don't worry, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom patted her friend's back. "We will wish yer sister back to life as well."

"It's a promise." Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle smiled. "Thanks, you girls. You two are true friends."

Scootaloo then looked around. "Enemy from the left. Slow down!"

The earth pony let go of the accelerator and the unicorn slowly pressed the brake. The pegasus turned the car around and the other car that was on their way to slam against the CMC V2 missed it, slamming against a tree.

"Good job, Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"A filly, huh? It goes against my conduct to hurt fillies, but here is either win or lose." the stallion driving the car said before aiming the rocket launcher on the hood at the grey car. "And I'm not about to lose just because I couldn't set my inner gentlecolt aside."

"How did he know Scootaloo is a filly?" Apple Bloom asked.

"We have more important things to worry about now, Apple Bloom." Scootaloo said, looking at the rocket launcher.

He shot a rocket at the CMC V2. The explosion raised a huge cloud of smoke. The stallion smirked.

"And that makes two down!" he said. "Now, off to find my next-- Huh?"

The cloud of smoke dissipated, revealing that the car was still there.

"How... How did we--" Apple Bloom asked, then loked at Sweetie Belle. She wasn't wearing her helmet anymore, her eyes were closed shut and her horn was glowing green. There was also a green bubble of magic surrounding the car.

"Sw-Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo asked, sounding surprised. "Since when you can use magic?"

"I... I can?" she opened her eyes and the shield disappeared.

"That was awesome, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom praised.

"What did I do?"

"Ya just saved our lives. Yer the best!"

"Payback time, mister." Scootaloo said, then pressed a button, making blades come out of the middle of the four wheels. She drove toward the other car, making the blades cut the stallion's tires in half.

"USING MAGIC IS CHEATING!" the stallion shouted as the Cutie Mark Crusaders drove away.

* * *

Lyra and Vinyl were looking around, looking for the ice cream truck in the jungle.

"Wheeere's Pinkamena?" she asked, her voice and the song of her truck echoing throughout the entire area. "Wheeere's Pinkamena?"

"Her car is huge." Lyra said. "How could we miss her?"

"Wheeere's Pinkamena?"

"And it's freaking pink!" Vinyl said angrily. "How the buck is she hiding that humongous thing in a forest?"

Suddenly a missile came from apparently nowhere and exploded in front of them, sending both cars tumbling backwards. Pinkamena's ice cream truck then slammed against Vinyl's car and dragged it away.

"HERE I AM!" the pink pony shouted.

Vinyl was dizzy; after the explosion, she hit her face against the steering wheel and she could feel her horn throbbing. She was so dizzy that she could barely react when Pinkamena threw her car off a cliff and into the ocean.

"This isn't how I pictured my death." she thought. "I always thought I would die of overdose during an awesome party or something like that." she smiled. "Heh. There goes my wish. I'm sorry Octavia. I only wish I wasn't addicted to that crap anymore, so I would be the kind of mare that you could love. I am so... So sorry..." she fainted before seeing a golden flash on the passenger's seat.

* * *

Twilight braked her car when she saw the pink ice cream truck. Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were right behind her, braked as well.

"We meet at last, 'friends'." Pinkamena said.

"Pinkie, why are you doing this?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, don't act like you never done it before, Twilight." she said. "In fact, you were the one who exploded me last month, weren't you?"

"It was different! Discord was manipulating me."

"She's right." Rainbow Dash agreed. "And you look just like that time when you were sad when you thought we didn't wanted to be your friend anymore, so there's no excuse."

"Yer the one who doesn't want to be our friend now." Applejack said.

"But we're still friends!" she said with a smile. "We're just having fun while playing on different teams."

"This is not fun, Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkamena shot a rocket at Twilight's front wheels. The explosion sent the car flying, then it landed on top of Rainbow Dash's car.

"My name is not Pinkie Pie." she said angrily.

Applejack gasped. "How could you?!" she said.

"Just because we're friends, it doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. We're still on different teams!"

Applejack blinked and her left eye, which was blue, turned green. With a mean look, she accelerated and slammed her car against Pinkamena's truck. "Ya darned monster!" she said.

"Oh, come on, Applejackie, there's no need to say those hurtful things."

"Ya just smashed Twilight against Rainbow, do ya think that wasn't hurtful?"

"Well, I didn't say that, I did that."

"Yer not Pinkie Pie. Yer not Pinkamena either. Yer a monster! An' Ah'm gonna tear that monster right out of yer body an' bring our ol' friend back! Yer not--"

Her windshield broke when Pinkamena threw a knife at her, stabbing her on the chest.

"Shut up and bleed, you motherbu--"

A grey car slammed against her truck.

"You stay away from Apple Bloom's sister." Scootaloo said.

"Oh, good morning, fillies. Came to taste some of Auntie Pinkamena's sweet ice cream?"

"You already killed Sweetie Belle's sister. I won't let you take another family member from one of us."

"Says the one with no family."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gasped.

"Did she just...?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Ah can't believe she did!" Apple Bloom said.

"That's it." Scootaloo said. "You're going down."

Scootaloo pressed a button, making the blades appear on CMC V2's wheels, but Pinkamena pressed another button before the winged ghost could do another thing, making the giant bobbing head detach itself from the truck and smash the grey car. The coil spring then pulled the head back in place.

"Are ya ok up there, Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I guess I am." she said. "What about you two down there?"

"We're ok!" Sweetie Belle said. "But we can't press any of the pedals. I think they're stuck."

"Take this as a warning." Pinkamena said before driving away. "Next time I won't be as merciful."

* * *

"I knew you could do it." Discord said while clapping. "I simply knew it. Of course, after all those upgrades I installed in your Sweet Tooth, I would be surprised if you didn't."

"And now, to my wish." Pinkamena said with an evil grin.

"Yes, of course! After all, you earned it. What is it that you want, little Pinkamena?"

"Oh, so much things that I want... But I guess I can have all of those with one single wish!"

"Then do it. I can't wait to hear what kind of wish a pony with a mind so similar to my own would want."

"I want... Power!"

"Yeah, makes sense. But unfortunately, that's what makes it a bad wish. Let's grant it and be over wi--"

"Your power!"

Discord had a surprised look on his face. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It's exactly what you heard. I want your power. I want Twisted Metal to be mine. It's really fun to be a player, but it seems that being the viewer is also fun. Maybe even more!"

"Bu-But you can't do this. Twisted Metal is my thing! Now wish for something else."

"Nuh-uh-uh! 'The prize is anything you may want, even if it is impossible.', that's the rule. And that's what I want! You have to grant my wish. Now give me your power. Give me Twisted Metal! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!"

"Now that was unexpected. With a mind so similar to mine, I should have seen this coming." Discord closed his eyes and sighed. "Your wish..." Reluctantly, he snapped his fingers. "...is granted." the blue horn on his forehead disappeared and reappeared on Pinkamena's head. She felt it with her hoof and her grin grew wider. She clopped her hooves together and Discord disappeared.

"I am Pinkamena..." she said, her eyes and horn glowing blue. "...and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Author's Note

How this fanfic is done:
"Eh, I'm tired of writing..."
*watches a few cutscenes from several Twisted Metal games*
"And back to writing!"

Oh, and about the link I left up there, I'm sorry if you didn't like, but I simply had to put it there. Sweet Tooth's Ice Cream Truck Tune is so awesome and creepy at the same time, it would be a crime against perfection to leave it to the imagination! Again, if you didn't liked, I'm so sorry. And if you liked, you are very welcome!

7. Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Power

"Is she going to be ok?" Twilight asked.

"Fortunately, yes!" Dr. Stable said. "She was really lucky; the knife missed her heart for half an inch. She will soon be well, don't worry."

Twilight sighed in relief. "That's good."

Rainbow Dash was sitting beside the bed, holding Applejack's hoof.

"I tried to be a fair player." she said. "Tried to be a nice mare. But no more! Pinkie Pie asked for it. First, Rarity, and now Applejack too. I will never forgive her. She's going down!"

Slowly, Applejack opened her blue eyes.

"Ra... Rainbow Dash...?"

"Applejack! Are you ok?"

"Whatever do you mean, darling? Did something happened to Applejack?"

"But... You're Applejack."

"Stop speaking nonsense, darling. I will always be your good friend Rarity!"

"Wha-What are you talking about, Applejack?"

"What are you talking about? And why do you keep calling me Applejack?"

"Because that's you!"

"No, I'm--" she looked at the mirror Rainbow Dash was holding in front of her face. "WAHAHAHHH! WHY AM I APPLEJACK?!"

"I think you've been driving Rarity's car for far too long, Applejack. Now you're not only acting like her, you also think you're her!"

"But I am Rarity. Quickly, ask me something that only I-- I mean, Rarity could answer."

"Uh, ok." Rainbow Dash looked around, then pointed at the blanket. "What is this made of?"

"Cotton fleece, obviously." she answered without even thinking twice. "Anypony could answer that question, ask me a harder one!"

"Anypony, but not me. Nor Applejack, so I guess I believe in you." she turned around and looked at the door where Twilight and Dr. Stable were talking. "Uh, Twilight? Can you come here for a second? Rarity woke up!"

"You mean Applejack, right?" she asked while approaching them.

"I know what I said."

* * *

Vinyl slowly opened her eyes; the world was really bright, which meant that her shades weren't on her face.

"Turn off the sun..." she mumbled while covering her eyes with a foreleg before coughing.

"Vinyl!" Octavia almost shouted before hugging her friend.

"Octy? Where are we?"

"In the hospital, of course. You almost died on that island!"

"Well, I do remember falling on the sea... But how did I got out of there?"

"That was thanks to me." Lyra said while entering the room. "You're so lucky I know how to teleport, or you would be deeper in the ocean than a sunken ship!"

"Heheheh. Thanks a bunch, Ly."

The mint unicorn hugged both the white unicorn and the light grey earth pony. "Not a problem. And how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks."

"Since you're feeling better..." Octavia slapped Vinyl's face.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"For being stupid!"

"When?"

"All the time, but specially when you decided to join that tournament for such a stupid wish!"

"Wait a second there, you know my wish? How?"

"You sleeptalk. A lot!"

"I... I do?"

"The slap was for joining that dreadful contest instead of asking for my help. If you truly want to not be addicted to those drugs, all you had to do was ask me, we could get you into rehab in no time at all."

"I... Didn't wanted to bother you."

Octavia hugged her again. "You could never bother me, Vinyl. You can be annoying, yes, but a bother? Never! I would go to Tartarus and back for you, Vinyl, because..."

Vinyl blushed. "O-Octy..."

"Because you're my best friend!"

It felt like she got stabbed in the chest. Vinyl collapsed back in bed and groaned, covering her head with a pillow.

"Friendzoned..." she mumbled.

Octavia looked at Lyra. "Was it something I said?"

Lyra simply shrugged while trying not to laugh.

* * *

Pinkamena watched the ponies in the hospital from a crystal ball; her new horn was glowing, powering the ball.

"So, she survived, huh? Well, good for me, I guess. She will surely join the next contest and try to win her body back. Now let's see: Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity will absolutely participate. If none of them discover what the three fillies are doing, they will participate as well. And there's Discord. He probably has a trick or two up his sleeve, but without his magic, he is as dangerous as a fly. But I better keep an eye on him, though. I wonder what he's up to..."

Suddenly her magic started flickering and the crystal ball stopped broadcasting what the others were doing. She groaned.

"I need to get the hang of this if I want to host my own Twisted Metal!"

Pinkamena poked her horn a few times until the magic started flowing again.

"There, all better now!"

The crystal ball started working again, this time showing the Throne Room in Canterlot.

* * *

Discord was on his knees in front of the Royal Sisters, who were looking down at him; Luna was angry, but Celestia was simply looking at him, expressionless.

"Thou must be very brave, Discord, to come to us, barking like a dog, begging for thy life." Luna said. "If only the Element of Generosity still lived at the Element of Laughter hadn't been corrupted, We wouldn't let thee speak the smallest of words before sending thee back to thy stone prison! We should slay thee, but We do not intend on lowering Ourselves to thy level."

"Please, Princess, please, listen to me! I'm sorry about everything I did and I will pay for my crimes in due time, but first you need to listen."

"What do you want to tell us, Discord?" Celestia asked.

Luna looked at her sister. "Nay, Sister! We shan't let Discord poison our ears with his fiendish words."

She looked at Luna. "Sister, it's our duty as the rulers of Equestria to hear what everything our subjects have to say." Celestia looked back at Discord. "Even those who have an inglorious past."

"Thank you so much, Celestia!" Discord said with a smile. "I always knew there was a reason for you to be my favorite Princess."

"Just tell us what you have to say." the Sun Princess coldly said.

"Oh. Yes. Right. It's about Pinkamena. She has my powers. All of them. I don't have nothing left. I can't even create a single cotton candy cloud."

"Serve thee right!" the Moon Princess said, pointing at him.

"But she's nothing like me. She is not there for the thrill of the game, like I was. I saw it in her eyes, she wants blood!"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, and the remaining Elements of Harmony will--"

"They won't do anything!" he said. "I've been watching them. Even after what she did, they still consider her their friend. But she needs to be stopped, because she's just like-- No, not like me. She is worse than me!"

"And what do you suggest?"

He finally stood up. "Let me help you! I know how a psychotic mind works. I met plenty!"

"Do you really expect us to join forces with you? After everything you did to us and our subjects?"

"I'm powerless now, Princesses, remember? Not a single ounce of Chaos Magic left in my fingers. Once everything is over, I will gladly submit myself to Equestrian law and let you punish me the way you see fit."

"It's a rather tempting offer, but I need to ask you one thing: why do you want to help us?"

Discord sighed and lowered his head, his eyes closed. "Because I finally saw how horrible my contest truly is."

"He lies!" Luna nearly shouted. "Sister, can't thou see that his words art dripping with poison? He only wants to gain our trust so he can backstab us."

"I am not naïve, Sister. I know better than to trust Discord. But I am willing to give him a chance to prove that what he says is the truth."

"He does not deserve a chance, Sister!"

"Nightmare Moon didn't deserved a chance either." she said. "But I gave Twilight and her friends the opportunity of using a different kind of magic against her instead of stepping in and sending her back to the moon. Now you are back here and we're together once again. What if I didn't gave her this chance of dealing with a different foe with a different purpose than mine?"

Luna sighed. "One chance, Discord. Thou art going to help Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. If victory is achieved by any of thee, thou art going to wish for Twisted Metal to be over. After that, thou art going to undergo a trial. Are We clear?"

Discord saluted her. "Crystal clear, Princesses!"

Celestia smiled. "Dispatch a guard to Ponyville, Sister. Tell him to ask the Elements that, once they're fully recovered, to come her and meet their new teammate."

"Immediately, Sister!"

Luna got up and left the Throne Room. Neither her nor Celestia saw Discord's fingers crossed behind his back.

Author's Note

Fun fact: I wanted this to be the title of Chapter 6, but it would be a humongous spoiler (with the word "Sweet" repeated several times, you probably could already guess who the winner would be). And since I don't trust my memory, I added this chapter before even start to writing the previous one! Mother Faust damn my bad memory and bless my creativity.

And I wrote this chapter while watching a horror movie about scarecrows.
I.
Frigging.
Love.
Scarecrows!
Maybe I'll add a Scarecrow racer later on the story.

8. Unexpected Alliance

Inside a dark, decaying building, was Pinkamena. She was wearing a black hooded cloak, sitting on top of her Sweet Tooth and looking down at three ponies.

The first was a beige unicorn stallion wearing a red suit and en equally red mask, which revealed only his horn, his eyes and his muzzle. A butterfly knife Cutie Mark adorned his flank.

The second was a young white pegasus stallion wearing a red shirt, a black cap and headphones, with bandages wrapped around his forehooves. He had a backpack with a metal baseball bat in it. His Cutie Mark was a pair of crossed baseball bats with a baseball on the middle.

The third pony's gender was a mistery; it was an earth pony wearing a red fire retardant suit and a black optical gas mask. On the flank of the suit was the drawing of a yellow flame.

"Thank you for coming, gentlecolts." she said. "As I already explained, you owe me a favor and today is the day you're quitting that debt!"

"Sure thing, Pinks!" the pegasus said, grabbing his bat and swinging it. "So, whose skull do ya want me to soften?"

"I called you all here because you are... Well, not the best, but at least you get the job done. Have you heard of this contest, Twisted Metal?"

"But of course!" the masked unicorn said, levitating a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it. "Everypony is talking about it, it's hard to not have heard." he then blew a cloud of smoke. "Personally, I believe this 'anything you wish' prize to be nothing but a hoax."

Pinkamena smirked. "A hoax, eh, Spy? Well, let me tell you something. I won the Twited Metal contest last month, and guess what?" she removed her hood and pointed a forehoof at the blue horn on her forehead. "This wasn't a Hearth's Warming gift!"

"Mes dieux!" he said, his cigarette falling from his mouth. The other two ponies looked surprised too.

"Since when are ya an unicorn, Pinks?" the pegasus asked.

"Since last month's Twisted Metal! And this month, I'm going to be the host."

"And ya want us to...?"

"I've been participating of all the Twisted Metal contests since the first that took place in the Canterlot Gardens, and I noticed something... Well, distressing."

"And what is it?"

"Incapable drivers! So many of the drivers get kicked out of the competition within the first few minutes, and that makes it reeeeeeally boring. This is why I called you all here, Spy, Scout and Pyro!"

"Make the contest more difficult and therefore longer, thus more 'fun' for you to watch!" Spy said, levitating a second cigarette to his mouth. "Why is it always this time of year we get assignments like this? Still not the strangest, though."

"Well, a favor is a favor, and we owe ya one." Scout looked at Spy and Pyro; both nodded. "We're in!"

Pyro laughed gleefully while clopping his hooves together happily.

Pinkamena grinned. "Perfect! And I have the perfect cars waiting for you."

* * *

"No way!" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her forelegs in front of her chest. "No freaking way! I will never ever ever join forces with Discord."

"Pardon me, Princess, but I'm with Rainbow Dash." Applejack/Rarity said. "Discord brought us nothing but suffering, why should we let him join our team, as if he's an ally?"

"Discord promised us that he will help stop Twisted Metal, and I'm willing to give him a chance." Celestia said. "Pinkamena stole his magic, he's harmless now."

The room was a complete silence, until Twilight sighed and spoke up:

"If the Princesses is giving Discord the benefit of the doubt, then so will I!"

"Oh, thank you so much, Twilight Sparkle!" Discord said, lifting the young Alicorn. "You truly are a frien--"

"First, don't touch me!" she said harshly, looking at him with an angry expression. "Now put me down."

With a smile, Discord gently placed Twilight back on the floor and patted her head, only for her to magically move his head to behind his back, armlocking him. Discord moaned in pain.

"I said don't touch me." she repeated, this time sounding more calm. "Are we clear?" Discord nodded his head several times as fast as he could, until Twilight released his arm. "I'm not doing this for you, but for the Princesses. I don't trust you. I don't like you. In fact, if Princess Celestia or Princess Luna decide to ask for my opinion regarding your punishment, I will be sure to suggest the most painful non-lethal punishments used in pony history. You are responsible for the death of one of my closest friends, the fall into madness of other and major depression of another, not to mention the hundreds, maybe thousands of deaths of ponies and other creatures caused by your Twisted Metal. I really hope the Alicorn powers you gave me also granted me immortality, because I would love to watch you wither in the dungeons for eternity!"

The four ponies in the room were looking at the purple Alicorn, all of them baffled, Rainbow Dash with her mouth hanging open. Discord simply chuckled.

"Guess that's what I deserve, huh?"

"And I'm not even getting started."

"I will face my punishment like a true Draconequus, Miss Sparkle. But after the tournament is terminated. Until then, remember that we're teammates!"

"You will never be our teammate. An ally, maybe, I'm still not sure, but you will never be one of us, because you will never give us a reason to trust you, no matter what you say or do."

"Not even if I..." he looked at Rainbow Dash and, with a smile, pointed at her. "...give her a new wing?"

"Likely story, Dip-cord!" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her forelegs and looking away. "Pinkie took away your magic, remember?"

"Most of it, yes, but not all of it. I can still perform some smaller tricks, but..."

"But...?"she opened an eye, looking at him, but with her head still turned the other way.

"It will cause me some very nasty headaches. You may believe that I'm as mean as Hades himself, but even I'm not very keen to self-harming. But judging by Miss Sparkle's speech, that's exactly what you'd want, eh?"

Discord approached the pegasus mare and placed his hand on the stub on the left side of her body. She quickly jumped to the side and raised her left hindleg, as if trying to protect her body with it. Discord gave her the most convincent of the fake smiles.

"Just give me a chance."

Rainbow Dash looked at her friends and the Princesses. Neither of them told her to agree, but also neither of them told her to refuse. She sighed and slowly lowered her leg.

"Make it quick!"

Discord touched her back once again and closed his eyes. The stub began to glow and suddenly her wing bones grew back, soon followed by the muscles and tendons, then the skin and, finally, the blue feathers. The Draconequus removed his hand from her back and fell on the floor, clutching his head, gasping and moaning in pain.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. After a few moments staring at the wing, she flapped it a couple of times. A huge grin adorned her face and she quickly ran to the balcony.

"Rainbow, wait!" Twilight shouted, but it was too late and the pegasus jumped. The four ponies ran to the balcony and looked down, only to see Rainbow Dash fly upwards and past them.

"YEAHHHHHH, I'M FLYING!" she shouted while doing Barrel Rolls.

"Trust me now?" Discord asked while getting up, still rubbing the hornless side of his head.

"Hay no! But..." Twilight sighed, then turned around to look at him. "...I haven't seen her that happy in a long time. So, for that, thank you!"

Discord smirked. "You are quite welcome, Twilight Sparkle!"

* * *

Ponyville Outskirts. Fluttershy's Cottage. The curtains were closed and the house was almost empty, save for the yellow pegasus mare sitting at the table and a red life-sized pony doll was sitting on another chair. Her pink mane was a mess and she had dried tears on her cheeks. Standing near her was a white bunny, looking at her with lots of concern is his eyes.

"Would you like some more tea, Big Mac?" she asked, holding a teapot. "Oh! Yes, of course. Silly me. You haven't finished your first one." she put the teapot back down. "What about some cookies? No? A cupcake? Muffin? Oh, you're not hungry, right. Do you want something, then? What was that Big Mac? You... You want to live again? I'm sorry, but I can't... I know, but-- I'm sorry, I-- But... You--" Fluttershy sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll do it."

After several days locked inside her own house, Fluttershy finally opened the front door of her cottage. The sun hurt her eyes, so she closed them and covered her face with a foreleg. After a few moments, she moved her foreleg away and opened her eyes; the sun was still making her uncomfortable, but it wasn't painful anymore. She slowly moved toward the back of her house, where her Buggy was parked; it was covered in dust and leaves, but nothing a good cleaning couldn't fix.

"Looks like Discord's got himself another driver for this month's... Contest!"

* * *

All the contestants were parked outside a not very big warehouse. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack/Rarity were in their same old cars, Rainbow Dash grinning like crazy, looking at her right wing while flapping both.

Scout was sitting in his red Camaro, checking himself out on the rearview mirror. "Hey there, good lookin'. Ready to Bonk! somepony into next week? You bet I am!" he said while still looking at his reflection.

Spy deposited the ashes of his cigarette on the ashtray of his white Bugatti, then levitated it back into his mouth.

Pyro was checking all the buttons of his customized Fire Truck, then pressed one of them, making flames shoot out of the hose mounted on top of it. He clopped his hooves, giggling.

"Where is he?" Twilight asked, rhythmically tapping the steering wheel with her left hoof while resting her head on her right foreleg.

"Do you think he... Escaped?" Rarity/Applejack asked.

"He wouldn't dare!" Rainbow Dash said, finally ceasing her wing flaps. "He will help us like his promised, then will face his punishment like a stallion! Or whatever the hay he is."

"Yoo-hoo!" Discord's voice called from behind the cars. They turned around and their eyes widened when they saw Discord wearing a camouflage helmet and waving at them while driving a War Tank.

"Wh-Wh-What the hay is that?!" Rarity/Applejack shouted.

"I call it Minion!" Discord said with a smile while tapping it. "I prepared it a long time ago, in case of an emergency like... Well, this one. I was so glad when I found it. I was sure the Princesses would've located it by now and either destroyed it or added to their little gallery."

"Don't you think this 'Minion' thing is a little... Overpowered?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Of course it is!" Discord said while still smiling. "I am the creator of Twisted Metal, it's only fair that I get the most powerful of the vehicles, am I right?"

"Not at all." Twilight said, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly a yellow and pink Buggy parked right beside her. The driver looked at them and waved her hoof.

"FLUTTERSHY?" the three mares shouted at the same time.

"Hi girls, and... Discord?" she cocked her head to the side while looking at the Draconequus, sounding surprisingly calm. "Now that's a surprise. I thought you were supposed to be the host, not one of the competitors."

"Oh, Fluttershy, fancy meeting you here!" he said. "And about the contest, some things happened last month and I ended up losing my throne."

"Oh, that's sad."

"And what are you doing here, Fluttershy?" Rarity/Applejack asked.

"I want to bring your brother back to life." she then turned at the red doll sitting on the passenger seat. "Isn't that right, Big Macintosh?"

"My brother? What are you--" AppleRarity started to speak, but then stopped. "Oh, right, I'm Applejack. But why are you going to revive him?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth to explain, but she was interrupted:

"Hello, everypony!" shouted a cheerful voice and, from a cloud of streamers and confetti, sprouted Pinkamena, but still with a straight mane and derker colors. "I hope you're all excited for today's contest, hosted by yours truly! But, before we start, I want to apologize and say that this is my first time doing this, so things in there may seem a bit... Glitchy."

"I get worried every time she admits that she did something wrong." Rarity/Applejack said.

"And, without further ado, let the contest begin!"

Pinkamena popped like a balloon, making more streamers and confetti appear from where she was standing. The door of the warehouse opened, revealing a very dark inside.

"How are we supposed to fit in there?" Twilight asked, pointing at the warehouse. "It's not physically possible."

"Don't worry, silly, you'll understad once you're in there."

Rainbow Dash shrugged and was the first to drive into the warehouse, soon followed by RariJack, Fluttershy and Discord. Twilight groaned and entered it as well, with all the other drivers following them - Spy, Scout and Pyro included.

The warehouse was really small, but all the cars seemed to fit very well. Their headlights couldn't illuminate much of the inside, keeping everything dark.

"Are you ready to be surprised by my masterpiece?" Pinkamena's disembodied voice said, coming from everywhere. "Deploying surprise in three, two, one..."

The lights of the warehouse were turned on, revealing that the warehouse was at least ten time bigger on the inside, filled with several wooden boxes of several sizes.

"Gallopfreyan tricks? Can't say that I'm impressed." Discord said, entering his tank and closing its door. "Any newbie could do that!"

Suddenly the lights flickered and the walls and boxes "disappeared", being replaced by red and pink squares.

"Oh, fudge!" Pinkamena said. "I was so sure I had fixed this. Hang on for a second there."

Discord chuckled. "Texture error! How amusing."

Pinkamena sighed. "Sorry, everypony, but I'd need an hour or so to fix this, and I can't delay this any longer, so this will have to do."

Discord chuckled. "So incompetent."

"Enough talking! Twisted Metal begins now."

"About freaking time!" Scout shouted before grabbing his baseball bat and accelerating. He then hit the back of a stallion's head with the bat.

Pyro turned on the siren of the Fire Truck and accelerated, shooting fire at random directions while laughing.

Spy looked at his watch, and suddenly he and the whole car turned invisible.

AppleRarity, Discord, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash went all in different directions, with Twilight following the Draconequus.

"You still won't let me have some space, Twilight?"

"No way. I'm keeping one eye on the competition and the other on you, all the time."

"How? Are you some kind of pony-chameleon crossbreed thing?"

"This is not a joke, Discord."

"But it sure sounds like one!"

"You already have the rope around your neck, Discord, don't make me kick the chair."

"Ohhh, is that a threat, Miss Sparkle? I don't think Princess Celestia would be pleased to know that her prized student is becoming so... Brutal. Specially after that scene in the castle the other day."

Twilight simply looked away angrily, clicking her tongue. "I'm letting this competition influence me..." Her trail of thoughts was interrupted when a baseball smashed her windshield, startling her.

"Hey, Your Highness!" Scout shouted, pointing his bat at her. "How about we have some fun?"

"I am not a Princess."

"Whatever, I was just hired to liven things up a bit, not to know titles and formalities. But I must say, Pinks didn't mentioned that cuties like you were going to be here. So, after this thing is over, wanna go grab a hayburger or something?"

"Oh, would you look at that." Discord said with a chuckle. "Did Miss Sparkle got herself a date? I always thought you were the kind of mare that would go for a Royal Guard or something. That sort of brother complex rumor thing I keep hearing about!"

Twilight's face was red with both embarassment and anger, but she managed to stay calm, then focused her gaze on Scout. "Sir, you better leave me alone, otherwise I'm gonna get mean. And you don't want to see the mean me!"

"Mean her likes to give armlocks."

"Likes to play rough, eh? I see! Yeah, I can deal with that. After all, I always had a thing for nerdy girls, and I won't let one of her kinks keep us apart!"

"Nerdy? KINKS?!" That was the last drop and Twilight snapped. "That's it, you're going down. Both of you. Starting with you, lover-boy!"

She pressed a button, revealing two machine guns on both sides of her car.

"Oh, gods!" Scout turned his car around and left. Twilight chased him.

"Stay here, Discord, because I'm coming back for you later!" she shouted before disappearing behind a pink and black wall.

"Oh, I know you will!" Discord then turned his tank around and drove somewhere else. "Unfortunately, I have places to be, things to do, and a throne to win back."

* * *

Rainbow Dash was driving in circles around Pyro's fire truck, avoiding its flamethrower. Fluttershy's car approached.

"Hey, Fluttershy, since you're here, mind lending a hoof?"

Pyro stopped shooting fire when Fluttershy accelerated and slammed her car against Rainbow Dash's front.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The yellow mare smirked and smoke surrounded her and the car. When the cloud of smoke faded, it revealed a white Bugatti driven by a masked unicorn stallion.

"What the--"

The unicorn smirked and levitated a Butterfly knife. He was about to throw it at Rainbow Dash, when another white car slammed against his; this one with three blue diamonds painted on the hood. Spy threw his knife, and smashed Rainboom's windshield, but missed Rainbow Dash's face for a few inches, hitting the seat instead.

Spy saw RariJack staring at him, without moving. He simply shrugged and drove away from the mares.

"Did you see that gorgeous stallion?"

"Rarity, now is not the time!"

"Y-Yes, of course."

There was an akward silence between AppleRarity, Rainbow Dash and Pyro, who just kept changing its glance from one mare to another.

"And what are you waiting to go after him?"

"No-Nothing!"

Rarity/Applejack turned her car around and went after Spy. Rainbow Dash and Spy looked at each other.

"Mmph?" Pyro asked with its muffled voice.

"I have no idea what you just said. So, back to battling?"

Pyro nodded, saluted and went back to shooting fire at her while she drove in circles around the truck.

* * *

RariJack drove her car slowly, avoiding the many car pieces on the road that could damage her tires. For a moment, she stopped and closed her eyes. She smiled and grabbed an apple on her passenger seat and threw it at a seemingly random direction, but the fruit stopped in mid flight, causing someone to groan in pain.

"What the--" Spy said, his car and he turning visible again, while rubbing his muzzle, which was hit by the apple. "How did you found me?"

"You can hide from my eyes, but you can't hide from my female intuition! Also, I know everything about sneaky sorts like you, darling."

"Believe me, 'darling', you know nothing about me." Spy accelerated his car and slammed it against Rarity's/Applejack's.

"It is so on, you ruffian!"

"You have quite de vocabulary for a country bumpkin!"

"How dare you call my friend a country bumpkin? I won't forgive you."

"I didn't called no friend of yours a country bumpkin. I called YOU a country bumpkin!"

"Exactly. And this is why I'll punish you!"

"You're... Unusual."

AppleRarity accelerated and Spy followed her. She tried to lose him by hiding behind the pink and black walls, but he always managed to find her. Spy finally caught her on a dead end.

"Why don't we just give up, pardner?" he said, mocking the Apple family peculiar accent. He pulled another Butterfly knife and pointed it at her. "Giddy up now. To Tartarus!" he was about to throw his knife at her, when a similar knife stabbed his on the back of his head. "Ugh... Merde."

When Spy hit his head on the steering wheel, Applejack/Rarity saw Rainbow Dash's car behind his.

"Hey, look, you shapeshifted into a dead stallion!" she said mockingly.

RariJack gasped. "Rainbow Dash! Did you just killed that pony?"

The pegasus rolled her eyes. "You're welcome, miss prissy."

"But... It was either him or me. So, thanks!"

She smiled. "Now let's go back and kick some more flank, right?"

RariJack nodded. "But... What happened to that fire pony?"

"Well..."

~ ~ ~

Rainbow Dash was standing on her hind legs, with one of them on Pyro's head, who was lying on the ground. The fire truck was behind her, burning. "Hey, if you didn't wanted me to knock you out cold, why didn't you said so?"

~ ~ ~

"He-she-it won't be bothering us anymore, that's for sure."

They heard they sound of static and the engines of their cars were releasing blue sparks.

"What the--" Rainbow Dash asked before they heard a laugh. Suddenly the Spy reappeared, levitating a golden pocket watch.

"But you got stabbed in the head!" Rarity/Applejack nearly shouted. "How are you still alive?"

"A good spy knows how to fake his death." he said, levitating his "corpse" away from his car.

"What have you done to our cars?" Rainbow asked.

"I sapped them!"

"You what them?"

"Here's an advice: don't get too close to your engines when my Sappers finish their job."

He jumped back into his car and laughed while driving away. Rainbow Dash jumped from her seat and opened the hood of her car; there was some weird gadget, similar to a radio, attached to it. She quickly grabbed it with her teeth and yanked it, removing the apparatus from the engine. When the sapper hit the ground, she stomped on it, smashing the gadget to pieces. RariJack did the same to hers.

"Now back to the competition!" Rainbow Dash said before stomping on the accelerator, but nothing happened. AppleRarity did the same thing, but the result was similar.

"I think he sabotaged our cars." Rarity/Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the panel. "DAMMIT! That stupid smooth-talking Prench charmer."

"And what a charmer..." RariJack said dreamily.

"Still not the time, Rares."

"Oh. Right. Sorry!"

* * *

"This will teach you to not come on to a mare who is not interested." Twilight said, looking down at the Scout, who had a baseball stuffed in his mouth and magical ropes tying his wings and legs. She jumped out of his car and was about to go back into hers, when Fluttershy hit it, missing the Alicorn by less than a meter. Twilight yelped in surprise.

"Fluttershy, what are you doing?!" she yelled.

"Fulfilling my end of the bargain." she said.

"What bargain?"

Fluttershy ignored the question and engaged reverse, then fixed the angle of her car, pointing the front at Twilight.

"How well can you fly with those wings of yours, Twilight?"

"I... Try as hard as I can to ignore them. Where is this going?"

"Oh, so this means you won't be able to dodge that!"

The last thing Twilight saw was Fluttershy's car approaching. Fast.

* * *

"We meet at last, Discord." Spy said, levitating another cigarette to his mouth.

"Spy of the Teufort Nine." he said. "Known as the most competent of them all. Though, I must say, Mister Jane Doe was always my favorite!"

"That sluggish simpleton? Don't make me laugh. Now, let's settle this like gentlecolts, shall we?"

"As you wish, Mister Spy."

Discord pointed the cannon of the tank at the Spy's car and shot, exploding the vehicle.

"Too easy."

Spy reappeared on top of the tank, siting while holding on his forehooves a Sapper like the ones he used in Rainboom and Rare Gem, while levitating his golden pocket watch - which was suddenly slapped away from him by a yellow hoof that belonged to a pink-maned pegasus.

"Stay out of this, you--"

His face was hit by the door of the door of the tank, knocking him out. Discord's face popped out of the now open tank, smiling.

"Good job, dear Fluttershy!"

"So, are you gonna do it? Will you revive Big Macintosh?"

"Everything will be done in due time. But first, I need to win this tournament."

"But you promised that--"

Discord turned his tank, hitting Fluttershy's stomach with the cannon, making her fall to the floor, coughing and clutching her stomach.

"Of course I promised, but I never told you when I was going to revive your little coltfriend. First, you need to win my Twisted Metal!"

Pinkamena appeared in fron of Discord, lying on her stomach on top of the cannon.

"Well, look at that, little Discordy can play the game he made. I shouldn't be surprised but, surprisingly, I am. Surprise! Now that everypony else is out of the way, what is it that you--"

"Spare me the rhetoric." he interrupted, then leaned his face closer to hers with a serious expression. "You know what I want!"

"Out of the question." she said while leaning her face closer to his, touching his nose with hers. "The competition and the horn stay with Pinkamena Diane Pie! Wish for something else."

He chuckled. "You forget the rules of the competition: anything I desire is the prize. I won and I desire my horn. Now give it back!"

Pinkamena glared at him while he stared deep into her eyes. She sighed, still glaring at him.

"It was fun while it lasted!" Pinkamena then clopped her hooves, making the horn disappear from her forehead and reappear on Discord's.

"I am Pinkamena and I than--"

"Nope! I am Discord and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal." Discord then snapped his fingers, making everything and everypony disappear, leaving him alone with Minion in an empty and abandoned warehouse. He clapped his hands together and jumped down on the floor. "That was a long month. Now, let's get ready for next month's contest!"

Author's Note

The Team Fortress 2 cameos were a celebration of their new video [Right below this paragraph, go check it out! ↓] and their new update, Love & War. I miss the old times, writing Pony Fortress 2 fanfics. Maybe, once I'm done with Twisted Metal: Equestria, I might come up with something. Maybe and might! No promises.

And sorry for taking so long to release this chapter, I've been experiencing some mean mental roadblocks!

9. New Friends, New Fiends

Canterlot. Blackfield Asylum. Solitary. The room with cushioned walls was empty, save for a single barred window shaped like Princess Celestia's Cutie Mark and the pink earth pony that had just gotten thrown in there by two Royal Guards.

"You can't do this to me!" Pinkamena shouted. "Why are you locking me here, Rainbow Dash? I thought we were friends."

"And we are, Pinkie." the cyan pegasus mare standing behind the two guards said. "This is why I'm doing this. It's for your own sake. You are not good, you are sick. And the ponies here will cure you. And once they do, you will come back and we will all be friends again, ok?"

"No, this is not ok. I am not sick. I am not sick!"

"You are sick, Pinkie Pie. You just can't see it."

"My name is Pinkamena. Not Pinkie. Pinkamena Diane Pie!"

"I know that's your name. Everypony knows. Pinkie."

Rainbow Dash turned around. Pinkamena tried to go to her, but the guards grabbed her before she could reach her friend.

"Don't leave me, Rainbow Dash. DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"For your own sake, Pinkie Pie."

The two guards threw her back in and locked the metal door. Pinkamena stared at it for a few moments before lying on the cushioned floor and curling up in fetal position.

* * *

Carousel Boutique. Rarity/Applejack had just finished applying makeup and changing her mane style. The last detail left was the mint and pink dress, which she put on.

"Just because I'm not Rarity, it doesn't mean I can't be fabulous anymore." she said while looking at herself in the mirror. "In fact, why should I be Applejack? She would look pretty good if she took better care of herself, I'll give her that, but it just doesn't feel right to see her like this. Since I'll be borrowing her body for a while, I should think of a new name. Now, let's see... Golden Apple? Well, it sounds good, but... Nah. Golden Delicious? No, wait, that's already taken! Hm... Oh! I know, I know!" she approached her face to the mirror. "From this day forward, your name shall be Applejewel." she clopped her hooves together happily. "Perfect. I love it!" she heard a knock on the door. "Coming~!"

When she opened the door, she saw a golden stallion wearing a hat and a jacket.

"Miss... Rarity, right?"

"Please, call me Applejewel from now on. And since you called me by... Well, my name, I suppose you know, right? By the way, have we met before? You look familiar."

"Actually, ya have! A couple o' months ago, in Appleloosa."

"Oh, you're Applejack's cousin. Brae... Brae... Braefire?"

The stallion chuckled. "Braeburn."

"Yes, that. I'm sorry! Do you need something?"

His gentle smile was replaced by a very serious expression. "Ah came to Ponyville because Ah want to help."

"Help? With what?"

"To dethrone that good for nothin' Discord. He killed one of mah cousins and... Well, ya can guess what happened to the other. Now Ah want revenge!"

"You came all the way from Appleloosa to avenge them? That's... Unexpected!" Applejewel stepped out of her boutique and closed the door behind her with her tail. "Please, follow me."

* * *

"I see..." Twilight said while scratching her chin with her hoof. "If that's the case, then I guess I can contact the Princesses and--"

"That won't be necessary, Miss Twilight!" the stallion said. "Ah'd like to compete with Miss Rari-- Applejewel. Ah mean, if she doesn't mind."

"I don't mind at all! Two minds work better than one." she said. "But... Why me?"

"Ya have my cousin's body. By helping ya, Ah'll be helpin' her as well. An' by helpin' her, Ah'll be helpin' cousin Big Mac too."

"I understand." Applejewel said, wrapping a foreleg around him. "Looks like I just got a teammate!" she winked at him. "And a very handsome one."

Braeburn blushed before taking a few steps away from her. "Sorry, it just feels weird to be... Courted by someone with mah cousin's body."

Applejewel looked away, blushing as well. "I-I'm sorry for making this awkward for you."

"So, what do you two want to do now?" the young Alicorn asked.

"Well, work on some strategies, maybe?" Braeburn suggested. "Ah mean, Ah don't know how those metal cart thingies work, y'all could give me some classes, tips or somethin'."

"You want me to teach you?" Twilight asked, her eyes gowing wider and her grin getting bigger. "Like... Like a teacher?"

"If it won't trouble ya..."

"This is going to be so exciting!" Twilight said, flapping her wings in happiness.

* * *

Rainbow Dash bucked several clouds in just a few seconds. After a few minutes of work, the sky was already clear, but she couldn't stop flying; she did spins, barrel rolls, aileron rolls and many other moves, while the ghost of Scootaloo watched her from the ground. After several other maneuvers, Rainbow Dash landed right in front of her. Scootaloo clopped her hooves together, applauding her.

"You get better every day, Rainbow Dash!" she said.

"Thanks, squirt." she said.

"I just wish I could fly like you..." she looked at her grey wings. "But without a real body, my wings will never grow and I..."

"Don't worry." she placed a hoof on Scootaloo's head. "If I win that contest again, I'm wishing your body back."

"But didn't you promised the Princesses that--"

"Family comes before work, squirt."

"Fa... Family?"

Rainbow Dash picked the filly up and held her on her face's level. "Yes, family. We may not be blood related, but I still consider you my little sister. What about you? Do you consider me your big sister?"

Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around her neck. "Of course!"

Rainbow Dash patted her back. "Your life clock will start ticking again soon, squirt. I promise you that."

"Thanks, but... What about Sweetie Belle's sister?"

"We will wish her back as well and, once everything is right again, we will go camping again. All of us! I promise you that! How does that sound?"

Scootaloo tightened the hug. "Sounds great! Thanks, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash hugged her back. "You're welcome, squirt."

* * *

A cart parked in the main square of Ponyville, right in front of a fountain. A blue unicorn mare wearing a lavender cape and hat stepped out of it, looking around.

"So this is the place." the mare said. "The Great And Powerful Trixie shall not take long. Locate the Alicorn, get what Trixie needs, and leave."

Using her magic, she locked the door of the cart behind her and trotted around Ponyville. The citizens were surprised to see a new face in their town, but none of them bothered to go speak with her. After a few minutes of trotting, Trixie arrived at Golden Oak Library. She didn't bothered to knock at the door and simply opened it. Inside, she saw a purple Alicorn and two earth ponies. The Alicorn was levitating the drawing of a car - both the inside and outside of it - and a pointer, using it to present the key parts of the car while the male of the earth ponies payed a lot of attention to her class.

"Good afternoon!" the Alicorn said. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm the librarian here." she looked at the drawing and chuckled. "And part-time teacher, apparently. I've never seen you around these parts. Do you need help with something? A particular book, maybe?"

"The Great And Powerful Trixie is the name." the unicorn said, placing a hoof on her own chest. "Now tell me, Alicorn mare, how do I get one of your 'car' things?"

The smile on Twilight's face was replaced by a look of confusion. "What do you need a car for?"

"Is it that hard to guess, Alicorn?"

"My name is Twilight Sparkle." she repeated. "Are you planning on--"

"Yes, The Great And Powerful Trixie wants to join Discord's tournament."

"Why would you want to do such thing?" Applejewel asked.

"The Great And Powerful Trixie is already great and powerful, but Trixie feels like this isn't enough. If Trixie wins, that chimera will give Trixie more power than anypony ever dreamed of. Even the Princesses! But, according to Trixie's research, the winners were all from this town, and all of them had cars before Twisted Metal even started. Trixie demands one of yours, because it's more than obvious that they're better."

"Don't you think that's a little... Selfish?" Twilight asked.

"You don't have the right to call Trixie selfish, Celestia's prized student. Yes, The Great And Powerful Trixie knows who you are! Twilight Sparkle, the professor's pet, always showing off and outshining everypony else."

"Do... Do I know you?"

"Hah! Like you would even bother to remember the face of a pony that didn't mattered."

"I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. I'm trying but I can't remember you! And what do you meant when you said that I don't have the right to call you selfish?"

"Trixie meant..." she pointed at Twilight's wings. "...these! Trixie remembers that you used to be an unicorn, just like Trixie. But now you have wings and, if this was the Princess's doing, Trixie bets it would be the talk of Equestria for months. But no, here you are, reclused in this small town that nopony ever heard about. This only means one thing: you are hiding. If it's out of shame or if you're planning something, Trixie does not know, but it doesn't change the fact that you suddenly turned into an Alicorn after this tournament where the prize is anything you wish started, and Trixie is no fool."

"I... These..."

"You leave Twilight alone, you bully!" Applejewel said, standing between the unicorns. "You don't know what happens to those who go to Twisted Metal."

"Well, did you even went to Twisted Metal? Because Trixie thinks you look very fine to be talking like that."

Applejewel looked away and noticed Twilight sitting on the floor, looking at her wings.

"Miss, Ah think ya should leave." Braeburn said.

Trixie harrumphed, turned around and opened the door with her magic. "We'll meet again, Twilight Sparkle. You better be ready."

She closed the door behind her when she left. Applejewel and Braeburn approached Twilight.

"Ya ok there, Miss?" the stallion asked.

"Maybe... Maybe she's right." Twilight said before giving her wings a single flap. "I coul've resisted his influence a little more, but I just... Let myself go!"

"Don't say that, darling." Applejewel said. "Don't even think about it, sugarcube! Discord messed with your head and controlled you. It wasn't your fault!"

"Are you sure about that? Because I'm not. If only I--"

"That's enough darling! Mr. Braeburn, can you come back tomorrow? If you need a place to stay, you can go to my boutique. Just, please, leave us alone for a moment."

Braeburn tipped his hat before leaving the library. Applejewel hugged her friend tightly.

"I just wish I could get rid of this curse."

"Yes, sugarcube, I know, but you can't just chop them off, right?"

"Well..."

"Don't! I was joking, don't take me seriously."

"But--" she sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that everything is happening so fast. First you, then Pinkie, and Applejack, now Fluttershy is missing, too. What is happening to our friendship? Nothing of this would have happened if I just..."

"Everything is going to be alright, darling. We'll fix everything. I don't know when, I don't know how, but we will. And then we will all be friends once again, back with our old lives, having adventures. Having fun! How does that sound?"

"Wonderful. Too wonderful to be true!"

"But it will be true, sugarcube. Just wait and see! We are the Elements of Harmony, remember? It's our job to make things right."

"I guess..."

"So it's settled! Tomorrow, then?"

"Tomorrow what?"

"Braeburn and I will be back, we'll turn that farmer into an Ace driver, then we'll knock Discord upside the head. Together!"

Twilight giggled. "Sure!"

* * *

"You betrayed me!" Fluttershy said, pointed at Discord's face.

"What? No, I didn't!" Discord said.

"You said that if I helped you you would bring him back to us. Back to me!"

"No, I simply mentioned that I have the power to bring you coltfriend back to life, and then I asked if you could help me. You did because you wanted to!"

"You toyed with me and my feelings, you messed up motherbucker!"

"You hurt my feelings, Shutterfly. But I guess I owe you an apology, right?"

"You bast-- Wait, you do? I didn't saw that coming..."

"How about that: I give you one of the best cars I have. With an advantage, you can easily win Twisted Metal and wish Mick Backintown to live once again. How about that?"

"His name is Big Macintosh!"

"Sure, whatever. You in or not?"

Discord presented her his fist. Fluttershy stared at it for a few moments before hoofbumping it. "Ok, I'm in!"

"This is all for you, Big Mac." she thought while looking at the doll sitting on the driver seat of her Buggy. "I hope you understand!"

Author's Note

Nothing witty to say here. Keep moving, stay on the line, follow the crowd!

10. Viva Las Pegasus

Las Pegasus, Neighvada. Rainbow Dash, Applejewel and Twilight were driving their cars through the streets of the bright city. Even though one of the many casinos of the town was going to host the most dreadful of the events that ever happened in that sinful town, the ponies in there were still acting like it was just another average day, working, gambling, dating, hooking up.

After a few more minutes driving, they parked their car on the parking lot of a rather large casino, where many other cars were already parked and, in the middle of everything, was a very out of place wooden cart with a stage right in front of it. On top of the stage was a blue unicorn mare, making magic tricks and amusing the other participants before the tournament started.

"Funny!" Twilight said. "I didn't took her for the showmare type."

"Even with all the third person crazy talk?" Braeburn asked.

"Well, many ponies from Canterlot speak like that!"

"Yer from Canterlot? Coulda fooled me!"

Twilight chuckled while blushing lightly. "Well, I kind of traded almost every kind of relationship for knowledge during my time there, spending more time with books than ponies, so I didn't had much time to assimilate the native behavior."

"Yer friend is... Different!" Braeburn whispered to Applejewel, who chuckled.

They all got out of their cars and approached the performing mare. The moment Trixie saw them, she immediately stopped the show, jumped down the stage and approached the three mares and the stallion.

"And you finally arrived." she said. "Took you long enough. For a moment, The Great And Powerful Trixie thought you were afraid of facing Trixie and ran away."

"I didn't know you were in the show business, Trixie!" the Alicorn said with a warm smile, apparently ignoring her last statement. "Do you do something besides performing magic shows? Like acting, or singing? You have a beautiful voice."

Trixie blushed a little. "Th-The Great And Powerful Trixie is flattered. Not that Trixie is not aware of that fact. After all, Trixie is great and powerful, therefore all of her skills are astonishing!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Are you friends with this show-off?"

"Of course we're your friend, Rainbow Dash." Applejewel teased.

"Ha-ha-ha!" the pegasus laughed sarcastically.

"Did you got yerself a car, miss?" Braeburn asked. "How are ya goin' to compete?"

"Of course The Great And Powerful Trixie got herself a car. Trixie thought she needed one of those fancy metal cars, when the only one Trixie actually needed was hers all along."

"Really?" Twilight asked, looking left and right. "Which one is yours?"

She pointed at the wooden cart behind her. "Behold! Trixie's mobile stage and Twisted Metal weapon, Magic Trick."

"That's... A very creative name!" Twilight said. "But it doesn't look... Well, safe or... Durable!"

Trixie kicked one of the legs of the stage, making the whole structure retract into the cart. Once Magic Trick had its original shape, small holes appeared on the wooden walls, revealing several crossbows pointed at several directions.

"Scared, Sparkle?" Trixie asked with a smug smile on her face. Twilight smiled and turned around, walking back to her car. Her friends followed her. "Do you finally understand now, Twilight Sparkle? The odds are always against you when you're facing The Great And Powerful Trrrrrixie!" she stood on her hind legs while speaking her name to emphasize it.

"Why are we walkin' away, exactly?" Braeburn asked. His companions all shared a small chuckle.

"She doesn't stand a chance!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Do you think we should keep an eye on her?" Twilight asked. "Just to make sure she makes it?"

Applejewel looked at her, puzzled. "You want to protect her? Even after all those alwful things she said the last time we met?"

"I know she wasn't the most pleasant pony to speak to, but if she has something against me, she must have her reasons, and I'm going to find out what those reasons are."

"And then?"

"Set things right, obviously!"

"Same old Twilight." Rainbow dash said. "If it was me, I would just knock some sense into her the hard way."

"Because you are a brute, Rainbow Dash." Applejewel said.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I'm sorry, Rari-- Applejewel, but it just sounds weird when you see Applejack calling you a brute!"

"Well, with luck, this won't happen anymore for long. Specially now that I have somepony else to compete with me!"

Braeburn wrapped a foreleg around Applejewel. "Anythin' for my dear cousin's friends."

Fireworks lit the sky and the doors of the casino were opened, revealing a mountain of poker chips with a slots machine on top of it; Discord was sitting on it.

"Hello, little ponies! Sorry for the delay, but this city is just so much fun." he pointed at the chips. "Look at all this! And all in one night. Unfortunately, I have no use for these, so let's make things a little more interesting: the winner gets not only his or her wish granted, but my hundreds of thousands poker chips here. So, if your wish is 'I want to be rich', you just got a second wish completely free of charge! Am I not generous?"

Discord snapped his fingers and, even though physically impossible, all the chips disappeared inside the slots machine. After a second snap of his fingers, the machine disappeared as well.

"Now please, do come in! Twisted Metal is about to start. Sadly, Elvis Pranceley won't be singing for us tonight, but I can marry a few couples after the tournament is over for this month if any of you ponies is interested."

He snapped his fingers once more, and this time he was the one who disappeared. All the cars then entered the casino.

The inside was very bright, so all the contestants were blinded for a few moments. Once they could see again, they all noticed that the inside of the casino was a very big pinball table, with all the main parts: the ball shooter, the bumpers, the flipper bats and the out hole. In the center of the room was a bright yellow hydraulic excavator with a yellow and pink pegasus inside.

"Fluttershy?!" the three mares shouted.

"Where have you been? And what are you doing here? Again." Rainbow Dash asked.

"I... I think she is working with Discord!" Twilight said.

"Don't be silly, Twilight." Applejewel said. "She is our friend, she would never join forces with that fiend!"

"Last contest I lost the competition because she hit me with her car while saying something about a 'bargain'."

"So she's in cahoots with our enemy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, she can't be!" Applejewel said, her tone suggesting that even she wasn't sure of her own affirmation. "I mean, she is Fluttershy, right? The kindest pony in all of Equestrian history. She would never betray her friends like that. Would she?"

"My old foalsitter once told me that love can make ponies do all sorts of crazy thing." Twilight explained. "Some of them are good, some of them are not."

"And she really wanted to revive Big Mac last contest, didn't she?" Applejewel said.

"Mah cousin?" Braeburn asked. "Then that means she's an ally, right?"

"In theory, yes." Twilight said. "But after what happened in those past few months, with Pinkie Pie and all... I guess this tournament really changes ponies."

"The Great And Powerful Trixie shall destroy this beast!" Trixie shouted before charging toward Fluttershy's vehicle. The pegasus mare simply grinned before moving a few levers, making the cabin spin, hitting Trixie's Magic Trick with the bucket of the excavator. The cart was sent flying to the other side of the room and it hit one of the flipper bats before sliding into the out hole.

"Told you she didn't stood a chance." Rainbow Dash said to Braeburn with a grin.

"Let's split up now, girls!" Twilight said. "Be careful now and do your best."

Applejewel and Rainbow Dash nodded before driving away in different directions. Braeburn opened the window and placed a foreleg on top of the jewel launcher on the side of the car.

"Remember, darling: shoot first, worry later!"

Braeburn nodded while aiming the weapon at the closest car. When a car got close enough, he pressed a button, making the jewel launcher shoot diamonds at the othe contestant; since the weapon was aimed at the wheels, they were destroyed, making it impossible for the driver to keep participating.

"Good job, Braeburn! You have a good aim."

"Thanks, miss! Back in Appleloosa we have those shootin' contests ev'ry two weeks an' Ah don't wanna brag, but Ah got first place four times in a row."

Applejewel chuckled. "Well, looks like I got paired up with the best, didn't I?"

Braeburn smiled. "Thanks, miss!"

* * *

Twilight was standing on front of the excavator, staring at Fluttershy, who was just staring back.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Fluttershy. Siding with our enemy like that!"

"You wouldn't understand, Twilight."

"Then try to make me understand."

"If I defeat all of you, he will be back to me. Do you understand that? That's all I have to say. Now let's do it, Twilight."

Twilight sighed, then accelerated toward the excavator, Fluttershy kept trying to hit the car with the arm, but the alicorn was driving in circles around the vehicle, making it really hard for her to aim and attack.

"I'm sorry about this, Fluttershy, but I have to knock some sense into you. It's not wise to join forces with Discord. Remember Pinkie Pie? She is now in an asylum. And Discord will mess with your head as well. Just like he did to Pinkie. Just like he did to me."

"You don't know him like I do. Discord can be a good pony. You just need to take your time to get to know him!"

"You're wrong, Fluttershy! Discord is bad, this will never changed. We tried, remember? We sided with him, and he betrayed all of us for his own greed!"

"He... He did, yes, but--"

"No buts, Fluttershy! You know he is bad."

"But he will bring Big Mac back to me! That's all I care about for now."

"I will regret saying this..." Twilight thought before taking a deep breath. "Even if he does bring Big Mac back to life, what makes you so sure that he will love you back?"

The hydraulic excavator suddenly stopped moving; Fluttershy had let go of the controllers and was now in deep thought. Twilight stopped driving as well.

"Flutershy? Are you--"

Her car was smashed by the bucket, and then picked up by it. Twilight was barely conscious, but enough to see the angry look on her friend's face.

"You shut up now! He is going to love me, I know that. You don't know what love is!" she waved the arm, throwing Friendship Report at the out hole. "Now get out of my sight!"

Twilight finally lost consciousness when she was sliding down the tunnel of the out hole.

The whole scene was being watched by Rainbow Dash, who immediately jumped out of her car and flew to the cabin.

"Fluttershy, what were you thinking?! That was Twilight, how could you do that to her?!"

"She hurt me, so I hurt her back! I believe that's a fair trade. What about you? Are you going to hurt me as well? I won't let you!"

Fluttershy started swinging the arm of the excavator before Rainbow Dash had a chance to explain herself. The cyan pegasus was doding the swings, while trying to convince her that she didn't wanted to hurt her, but her pleas were falling in deaf ears, until suddenly the arm stopped moving.

"Nice shot, Braeburn!" Applejewel said while patting the back of her partner, who was still aiming the jewel launcher at the excavator, whose joints were now full of diamonds, making it impossible for it to move. But Fluttershy wouldn't give up so easily, so she started moving the excavator itself toward Rare Gem. Rainbow Dash started flying in front of the cabin.

"Fluttershy, snap out of it. We're your friends, remember? We're not going to hurt you. And I don't know what Twilight said, but she probably didn't meant to hurt you either. Please, listen to me!"

"My friends or not..." she turned on the lights above the cabin, forcing Rainbow Dash to shield her eyes. "You're still between me and my one true love."

"Argh, my eyes!" Rainbow Dash fell to the ground, still shileding her eyes with both forelegs. "I think you blinded me, Fluttershy. This hurts so bad!"

"How are we gonna stop that massive monster?" Braeburn asked. "Stoppin' that arm thing from movin' is one thing, it had weak points, but what about this?"

Applejewel smiled. "I know what to do."

"Ya do?"

"Get ready to shoot!" Applejewel accelerated and contoured the excavator. In the back, she pointed at a metal grid on the back of the vehicle. "If I'm not mistaken, that's probably where the engine is. Remember: no matter how powerful a car is, it's useless without its power source. Now shoot!"

"Right away!"

Braeburn pointed at the grid and shot a rainbow of different kinds of gems at the grid, perfurating it and the engine inside. There was a metallic sound and the excavator stopped moving a few moments before smoke started to come out of the hole on the grid.

"We... We won?" Braeburn asked.

Applejewel got out of the car and walked to where Rainbow Dash was lying; she was still covering her eyes.

"It hurts like buck..." she cursed.

"Now, now, Rainbow Dash. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. I promise you that. They were only lights, I highly doubt the damage will be permanent."

"Yes, but I lost. Now I can't keep the promise I made to Scootaloo."

Applejewel helped her up and guided her to Rainboom. "If... If you want me to, I can bring Scootaloo's body back. How does that sound?"

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Generous as always, huh, Rarity? It's a great offer, but no, thanks. Go and get your body back. You earned it, and I can't take it away from you. And there's always next month, right?"

Applejewel smiled and nuzzled her friend. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash. After all, you have a huge ego, but an even bigger heart."

The pegasus chuckled. "Enough with the mushy stuff. Go and get your wish!"

Applejewel nodded and helped Rainbow Dash sit on the driver seat of her car. She then approached the hydraulic excavator.

"How is she, Braeburn?" she called.

"Ah'm not sure." he said, coming out of the cabin. "She just keep cryin' and won't answer any o' mah questions."

Applejewel sighed. "She will understand we did this for her own sake."

"Ah hope so."

"This month was boring!" Discord said as he appeared on top of the cabin, startling Braeburn, who fell from it. "Things sure aren't as fun when little Pinkamena is not around. Even when she stole my throne for a while, I was still able to participate. It was my first time, but it sure was fun. I have to do that more often!"

"So this is that Dicord fella..." Braeburn said while getting up.

"Yes, that's me. And you are the one who helped the fair Rarity to achieve victory, am I right? This means either of you can make the wish. But only one wish, remember that! Now, which one of you will have the honor?"

Braeburn and Applejewel looked at each other. Braeburn smiled.

"Well, Ah believe we both came here with the same wish in mind, only with different words."

"Undoubtedly!" she said, then cleaned her throat. "Discord, hear us, for we have our wish."

"We wish for ya to split mah cousin Applejack's body and miss Rarity's soul."

"But don't try to trick us and making Applejack an empty shell and me a wandering ghost. No, we want you to give my body back and allow Applejack to be able to control her body again."

"An' if ya don't do as yer told, we'll come back next time to kick yer flank!"

"Oh, and don't forget to give my horn back. It's important!"

"Ok, ok, alright, fine, whatever." Discord snapped his fingers and Applejewel's body turned into a sphere of white light, which split in to smalled spheres; one was made of orange light and the other of purple light. While still in mid-air, the spheres took the shape of ponies and slowly returned to the ground. The purple one turned into a white unicorn mare with purple mane and tail, which were a little longer than they used to be, and the orange one turned into an orange earth pony mare with blonde mane and tail, which were flowing due to the fact that they weren't tied like usual; her hat was missing as well. Braeburn slowly approached the duo.

"Y'all okay?" he asked.

"I...I..." Rarity said, looking at her body. "I'm me again!" she touched the horn on her forehead with her right hoof and sighed in relief. "One hundred percent me!"

The stallion smiled. "That's good. Now, what about...?" he looked at her cousin, who was lying on the ground. She wasn't moving, but she was breathing. Braeburn glared at Discord.

"Don't worry, apple horse, she is fine. It's not my fault she decided to take a nap." Braeburn looked back at his cousin and hugged her. "Well, looks like we're done here for now. Unfortunately, no one wanted to get marry and, even if somepony wanted, they're probably dead by now. Anyway, I am Discord and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

He snapped his fingers and everypony and their cars disappeared.

* * *

Twilight slowly opened her eyes. She was feeling pain, but not enough to keep her from crawling out of her car. Once she was out, she stood up with some difficulty and noticed that she was in front of a now barred tunnel located in an alley. Next to her was Trixie's smashed cart. She levitated wooden pieces way from the wreckage, but the only thing she found were more wooden pieces and no sign of Trixie, except for one thing: Trixie's certificate of graduation from Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns.

Author's Note

Frig frig frig frig frig frig frig frig frig frig frig FRIG FRIGFRIG!
Ideas, creativity, why are you leaving me? I have a crossover fanfic to write, and I need your help!

Also, since this fanfic takes place in an alternate universe, I took the liberty of altering a few details of the canon version for the sake of the plot. Simple details, but of major significance; you already saw a few of them, such as Trixie not visiting Ponyville before this chapter. Other changes will be revealed later on (revealing them here would result in spoilers). Not sure if it will take long or not, but they will happen before the fanfic is over, I promise you that!

11. More Reunions

Sweet Apple Acres. Four mares approached the house, where the two remaining Apple family members were waiting. Apple Bloom couldn't wait for them to get closer and sprinted towards her big sister, who was now her old self again. The filly jumped and hugged Applejack, her eyes moist with tears.

"Ah missed ya so much, sis! So, so much!" she said.

Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her little sister.

"Ah missed ya too, Apple Bloom." she looked at her grandmother, who was approaching them as well. "Ah missed y'all!"

Granny Smith pulled all of her family into a big group hug. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight watched the scene with a smile on their faces.

"All is well when it ends well!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Even though we may be far from defeating Discord, this was a victory." Twilight said.

"That reminds me, I still need to go see Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said. "She needs to know that her sister is back to normal as well."

"I'll go with you!" Twilight said. "I need to check a few things in the library, and it's on the way."

"Alright, be safe, you two!" Rainbow Dash said, waving goodbye at her friends, who left the farm. She looked back at the Apple family, who were still busy hugging each other. Not too far away from them was the orchard and, sitting under one of the trees, was the ghost of Scootaloo. The pegasus flew to her.

"You're next, squirt." she said. "I can feel it!"

"I do hope so." Scootaloo said, making Rainbow Dash flinch. The pegasus mare then chuckled.

"Your ghosty voice always gets me! I can't wait to be able to hear your voice once again. Your true voice!"

Scootaloo smiled. "Neither can I. I think I already forgot what my voice sounds like."

"Here's a hint, Scoots: you're like me! In many ways."

The ghost filly looked at the pegasus, surprised. "Y-You mean it?"

Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around her. "Of course I mean it! Remember when I said that I consider you my little sister? Well, no sister of the amazing Rainbow Dash wouldn't be at least as awesome as she is!"

Scootaloo chuckled.

"Hey! Scoots!" Apple Bloom called while running towards the pegasi.

"Yes, what is it, Apple Bloom?" she asked.

"Ah'm goin' to Sweetie Belle's place. We need to talk 'bout-- The thing."

"Thing?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at the fillies. "What thing?"

"Oh, nothing, much, just... Crusading stuff, yeah. You would be bored!" she answered with a very forced smile.

"Did you know that ghosts are bad liars, squirt?" Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. Scootaloo froze; if she still had a heart, it would have skipped a beat.

"I... Uh... We..." she said, looking left and right, as if searching for an excuse.

"But it's none of my business! Just promise me you girls will be out of trouble."

"Trouble free, don't worry about it, bye!" Scootaloo said before running away, followed by Apple Bloom.

"Those Crusaders are up to no good." she muttered while rubbing her chin. "Maybe I should keep an eye on them." she nodded. "Yes, I'll do that!" Rainbow Dash then flew to the sky and landed on a cloud, slowly dragging it with her, using that cloud as a cover.

* * *

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity called as she opened the door of Carousel Boutique. "Are you in here?"

The filly ran downstairs as fast as she could and stopped in front of her sister; she had a very surprised expression on her face.

"I did a few changes on my looks." the mare said. "What do you think?"

Sweetie Belle first touched her big sister's left foreleg. She then touched her chest and finally placed her hoof on Rarity's cheek.

"Does... Does it hurt?"

"Whatever are you talking about, darling?"

"Your... Cheek! It has a... A..."

"It has a what?" Rarity walked to the bathroom and looked at herself on the mirror; the scar on the left side of her face was still there. She sighed. "So we meet again, old nemesis!"

"So, does it hurt or not? Because if it does, I can get you something, maybe go call Nurse Redheart?"

"No, it's fine, Sweetie Belle, it doesn't hurt. It's just an old wound. I guess Discord gave it back as well just to make fun of me!"

"So, are you ok? Like, completely ok? Nothing hurts? Nothing missing, nothing extra?"

"Not that I'm aware of!"

Sweetie Belle smiled and hugged her sister. "Then I'm happy that you're ok and back to normal! I mean, don't get me wrong, Applejack is a great sister, but I don't want her to be my great sister anymore."

Rarity hugged her sister back. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle!"

"You're welcome, big sis!"

They heard a knock on the door.

"Sweetie Belle, are ya there?" Apple Bloom called.

"It's them. They're here!" Sweetie Belle said, dashing towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Rarity asked.

"Uh... We're gonna...Bath... Granny Smith's... Grapefruits, yes! That's what we're gonna do."

"Bath Granny Smith's grapefruits?"

"Yep! When they don't get their weekly baths, they get cranky." the filly chuckled nervously while looking at all directions except at her sister's eyes.

"This is... Unusual! But coming from Granny Smith, I shouldn't be surprised anymore. Be back in time for dinner, alright?"

"Alright!"

Sweetie Belle then left the boutique and the three fillies quickly ran back to their headquarters, unbeknown to them, being followed from above by a single white cloud.

* * *

"What did ya managed to find 'bout that Trixie gal, miss Twilight?" Braeburn asked.

"Aside from the fact that we both graduated from Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns in the same year? Nothing, really! But I'm planning on going back to Canterlot and check if I can find something about her in her school records."

"Yer really determined to find out more 'bout that mare, huh?"

"She hates me for a reason, Braeburn, and I intend to figure out why! Also, I have other reasons to go to Canterlot."

"An' can ya tell why?"

"Spike, my dragon assistant! It's been really long since last time I saw him, and I want to see if he is ok. He's like a little brother to me. And talking about brothers, I need to see how is my big brother doing on his new job."

"New job? What kind of job? If he's anythin' like ya, Ah'd say librarian or teacher."

"Nope! Captain of the Royal Guard."

"C-C-Cap-Captain of the... Wow, miss Twilight, ya and yer family keep surprisin' me!"

The alicorn mare giggled. "I bet your family is as interesting as mine! I mean, the Apple Family is one of the oldest clans in Equestria, and it's said that you're direct descendants from adviser Smart Cookie, one of the six founders of Equestria!"

He blinked a couple of times. "We are?"

Twilight chuckled. "You should do some research regarding your family, Braeburn. In fact, I may have a book here that-- Holy turnips, look at the time! I can't lose that train. Braeburn, will you be ok taking care of the library? It's a very big request and I made it all of sudden."

"Don't worry, miss Twilight, Ah'll be able to take good care of yer library while yer away just fine. An' don't worry 'bout the book ya mentioned, Ah guess Ah can find on mah own. Now go an' catch yer train! We all know how ya hate to be outta schedule."

"Thank you so much, Braeburn. Tell my friends I said 'goodbye'!"

"Ah will."

Twilight then placed her saddlebag on her back and ran out of the library, leaving Braeburn waving from the door.

* * *

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom entered their clubhouse and quickly closed the door behind them.

"Did anypony followed us?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Lemme check!" Apple Bloom said, then looked at the outside of their clubhouse through the window. "All clear."

"Great!" Sweetie Belle said as Scootaloo placed a parchment on the table and unfolded it. "After so much planning, it's impossible for us to lose the next tournament. We are getting Scoots' body back this time for sure!"

"So this is what they're planning!" Rainbow Dash thought while standing right beside their open window. "I guess I'll have to keep both eyes on them."

Author's Note

Sorry for taking so long to write this new chapter, but I want you all to know this was not intentional or the product of laziness. For a while, my creativity simply left. Poof, was gone! I know how it feels to wait for the next chapter to be released, but the writer simply won't do it; this is why I try to write new chapters as soon as possible.
But fret not, my faithful followers, for my ideas are slowly but surely returning. It won't be long until the 6th Twisted Metal. Get ready for some more games on vehicles (even though they're not card games and not many of the vehicles are motorcycles).

12. Dark Factory Of Mass Production

"Are you sure about this, Rarity?" Applejack asked while she, Rainbow Dash and Braeburn stood in front of the fashionista's open door.

"I'm sorry, darling, but yes!" she said. "When I still was in Applejack's body, I realized the price one have to pay when playing Discord's game. Many died, others went mad, but let's not forget those who lost precious family members.

"I was dead, yes, but it was the Apple family who lost a precious member, because I possessed her body without even knowing. I don't want the Apples to lose yet another family member, and I also don't want to leave Sweetie Belle without a sister.

"I'm sorry, but that's a no! I wish I could help, and I know we promised the Princesses, but... But I'm scared! I don't want to die again. I don't want my sister to lose me. I don't want to lose my sister. I'm so glad she is not participating of this tournament anymore."

"Yeah, about that..." Rainbow Dash said while rubbing her nape with a foreleg.

"Yes, what is it, Rainbow Dash?"

"Well--"

"Look!" Applejack said, pointing at the road. "Twi is back."

They all loked at where Applejack was pointing at and Twilight was indeed walking toward them.

"Hello, everypony!" she said while waving at them.

"Welcome back, miss Twilight!" Braeburn said. "So, did ya found what ya were lookin' for?"

"I found a few interesting things. So, what did I missed?"

"Other than Rarity wanting to leave Twisted Metal?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Nothing much, I guess!"

"Is that true, Rarity?" the white unicorn simply closed her eyes and nodded. "It's ok, I don't blame you. Things happened there. Ponies died there, we lost friends, family..." Twilight sighed. "I would have already quit as well, but I was weak, betrayed all of you, and was cursed for that." she looked at her wings. "I made a promise; as long as I have those on my back, I will do whatever I can to stop Twisted Metal! And this is a promise I intend to keep until the day I fulfill it."

"Or die trying!" she thought.

"Best of fortunes to you." Rarity said, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "All of you!"

"Thanks a lot, Rarity!" Applejack said.

"And you don't die, Applejack. Your family needs you. Specially now after so long with you gone!"

"Yer family needs you, too! An' don't feel bad 'bout leaving us. Family always comes first. Always!"

"What are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Let's see what Twilight found about that Trixie, I'm curious!"

"My annotations are in the library." she said. Rainbow Dash didn't wasted any time waiting and dashed toward the library.

"Who is Trixie?" Applejack asked while she went after Rainbow Dash, soon followed by Twilight and Braeburn.

"I'm pretty sure Rainbow Dash wanted to tell me something!" Rarity said. "Well, maybe it wasn't that important, since she completely forgot, apparently."

* * *

Twilight opened the door of the library and entered, walking straight to the center table, which had papers, documents, notes, pictures among other things. The four ponies stood around the round table.

"Ah swear, this thing always freaks me out." Braeburn said while looking at the wooden horse head staring down at him.

"Here's what I found!" twilight said while levitating everything on the table. "Her full name is Beatrix Lulamoon, we were on the same magic classes during most of the last school year. She had perfect grades for most of her time in Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, but they suddenly dropped a few months after we started attending the same classes. And here's where things get... Gloomy!"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Her father, Noble Laureate. He was killed not long before her grades started dropping."

The eyes of the three ponies widened, but they didn't said a word and allowed Twilight to keep talking.

"Not much is known about her after she barely graduated from school, except that a few years later she started her career as a showmare and adopted the stage name 'The Great And powerful Trixie'." she placed all the papers back on the table. "She had a rough life, but none of it actually had anything to do with me. None of this explains why she hates me so much!"

"Ah don't want to stick mah nose where it doesn't belong, but why do ya care so much about why Trixie hates ya?" Applejack asked.

"Because I have this strange feeling that if I don't set things right, something will happen in the future. Something bad!"

"Whaddya mean?"

I never told anypony, not even the Princesses, but ever since I turned into an Alicorn, I've been having... Strange dreams."

"What kind of strange are we talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm not sure how to explain. They're just... Dark, and overall scary! Specially darker after the last tournament, when I last saw Trixie. I had this dream where I'm being suffocated by a cloud of darkness. Then, suddenly, a pair of bright, red eyes appeared right in front of me. That's when I woke up!

"I don't know what that means but, after checking a few books, I came to the conclusion that it could possibly be an omen or maybe a vision. Princess Celestia told me she had a few of those, that it's a normal things for Alicorns. That's how she knew Nightmare Moon was coming back."

"So, does that mean an evil shadow monster will attack us in the near future?" Braeburn asked.

"They aren't literal visions, Braeburn." she explained. "It's more like... A hint. Some kind of riddle!"

"Oh, Ah get it!"

"But anyway, enough of that. We should go get ourselves ready for next Twisted Metal."

"Twi is right!" Applejack said. "So, about mah request..."

Twilight smiled. "Don't worry, Princess Celestia got you a new car. It's in your barn!"

"Thanks, Twi! Yer great."

Twilight blushed at the compliment. "It was nothing, really! I was just helping a friend in need."

"Thank ya, anyway! Let's go, cousin. Time to go meet our new car!"

"Sure thing, cuz!" he said.

"So, are you guys working together now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack said. "The Apple family likes to do things together." she punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Not to mention that this big colt right here is a fine shooter!"

He chuckled. "First place four times in a row."

Sweet Apple Acres. Braeburn and Applejack opened the doors of the barn together. Once the doors were fully open and the light of the setting sun could illuminate the inside, Applejack grinned and Braeburn whistled.

"Now that's what I call a car." she said.

"Ayep!" Braeburn agreed with a nod. "What should we call it?"

"Ah was thinkin' bout 'Hokuto'. Whaddya think?"

"Fittin'!"

"Mah exact same thought!"

* * *

Cars were parked outside a big and old abandoned factory. Among those cars were Friendship Report, Rainboom and Cutie Mark Crossroader V2. Rainbow Dash was looking around, looking for Applejack and Braeburn.

"Where are those two?" she asked. "Twisted Metal is about to start!"

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash, they will come!" Twilight said. "They're probably just finishing the customization of it!"

"I hope so."

Not too far away from them, the three Cutie Mark Crusaders were inside their car, checking the inside of their car to see if everything was in order. While they were distracted, a pink F1 car with two seats parked right beside CMC V2. The three fillies heard snickering and looked at the car, immediately frowning.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Snooty Snark Evaders and their boring car!" Diamond Tiara said.

"Yeah, ours is, like, much cooler!" Silver Spoon said.

"Not them..." Apple Bloom muttered after facehoofing.

"My daddy's engineers worked day and night to build me this!" the pink earth pony said while tapping the side of the car. "It's the fastest car ever created, just for us to play this silly game."

"Twisted metal is many things but silly." Scootaloo said.

"If you think it's silly, then why are you two here?" Sweetie Belle asked, pointing her hoof at them.

"Because you three are here." she explained. "And if you think you will look cool just because you're playing a game for grown-ups, think again!"

"Yes, the title of coolest ponies is, like, already ours!"

"Ya think we're here just to 'look cool'?" Apple Bloom asked, her anger slowly raising. "Ponies die here ev'ry month! It's dangerous and a stupidity to just play it for fun. We're here 'cause we have a reason, not 'cause we're just brats who have nothin' better to do with their money an' time!"

"D-D-Die?" Silver Spoon stammered, then looked at her friend. "T-Tiara, I-I think we should--"

"Are you chickening out now, Silver Spoon?" she asked. "Afraid of taking risks?"

"W-Well, I--"

"Well, then I guess you're just not as cool as I thought you were. What a shame!"

Silver Spoon shook her head. "I am cool. Cooler than those... Those..." she grinned. "Snooty Snark Evaders!"

"You three better get ready to be smacked!" Diamond Tiara said. Silver Spoon laughed.

"You're the ones who are going to be smacked if you don't turn your car around and drive away from here." Scootaloo said.

"She's just trying to scare us, Silver Spoon, don't mind her!"

"Alright, I won't."

Silver Spoon, who was the driver of their car, drove away from CMC V2.

"Did you see any weapon in their car?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Nope!" Apple Bloom said. "They ain't gonna last long."

"Should we go after them?" Scootaloo asked.

"Why should we?" the Apple filly asked. "They've been tormentin' us for years! If somethin' happen to 'em here, it's their own fault."

"I guess."

All the drivers heard the loud roar of an engine; approaching them was a red Monster Truck with the outline of an apple crudely drawn with white spray paint on the hood. On the driver seat was Applejack, with Braeburn sitting beside her.

"YEEEEEEHAAAAAW!" both Apple farmers shouted at he same time.

"Oh... My... Princesses..." Rainbow Dash said, not believing at the size of the car she was looking at.

"Do you like it?" Twilight asked with a smile.

"It's perfect, miss Twilight!" Braeburn said.

"Much obliged, Twi!" Applejack said.

"Well, looks like the Apples got themselves a new toy." Discord said, suddenly appearing on top of the Monster Truck. "It's a shame it won't be put to good use today."

"Whaddya mean?" Applejack asked.

Discord pointed at the entrance of the factory; it was big enough for most cars to go through, but Hokuto's wheels were too large to fit. Applejack groaned.

"Can't ya make the entrance jus' a lil' bit larger?" Braeburn asked.

"Sorry, Braefire, but no last minute changes on my Twisted Metal! Don't worry, next time I'll make a bigger entrance, but what is done is done."

"Yer just afraid of us, ain'tcha?" Applejack asked. "That's just an excuse for ya to find a way to get rid of our beautiful car next contest!"

"What makes you think that, young Applejack?" he asked with the most innocent look he could create before disappearing. The doors of the factory were opened and he was now standing in front of the entrance.

Applejack sighed. "Sorry 'bout that, gals. Guess Ah won't be joinin' ya this time!"

"Don't worry, Applejack!" Twilight said. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, I wonder whose fault is it?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically, glaring at Discord, who had a halo floating above his head.

"Twisted Metal starts now!" he said before disappearing again. "Go for it, drivers!" his disembodied voice said.

All the drivers went in, except for Friendship Report, Hokuto and Rainboom.

"I'm sorry for getting you a car so big, Applejack." Twilight said. "I wish I could teleport you inside, I truly do! But I don't have enough experience with teleportation spells, so I can't teleport something as large and as heavy as your car. But I promise you that I'll train so this won't happen ever again!"

"No problem, Twi, Ah still like it! An' thanks for the dedication, yer a good friend! Now ya and RD go inside there and show 'em who's the best team!"

The Alicorn smiled. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, we'll do that." Rainbow Dash said. "See you soon, Applejack!"

The mares then accelerated and went inside the abandoned factory.

"They'll be fine, cuz!" Braeburn said, placing a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

"Ah know they will, but... After bein' gone for so long, Ah wanted to do this with 'em, ya know? Ah'm part of the team as well!" she rested her chin on the steering wheel. "'Tain't fair..."

"Ah understand ya, cuz. Ah understand ya!"

* * *

"I command you to eat our dust!" Diamond Tiara shouted as Silver Spoon drove past several drivers.

"She ain't makin' things easier for 'em." Apple Bloom said.

"Teasing others is just asking for trouble!" Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head.

"How about we take 'em outta the competition? Y'know, as a revenge for all that bullyin' and name callin'!"

"Sure, why not? Full speed ahead, Scootaloo!"

"Sure thing!" Scootaloo said before engaging the 4th gear so Apple Bloom could accelerate, which she did. "But there's one little problem."

"What is it, Scoots?" the unicorn asked.

"Their car is too fast, I have no idea where they went!"

"Don't worry, girls, well find 'em. The tournament won't end until there's only one car still runnin'!"

Twilight and Rainbow Dash pressed against a car from both sides. The mare inside tried to free her car, but she couldn't. The mare screamed when she saw her car being led toward a column. The car smashed against it, destroying the engine.

"Another one down. Good work, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "Do you see another car around?"

The pegasus stuck the upper half of her body out of the window and looked around. "I spy with my little eye... A car with a pair of spears on the hood! I wonder what those spears are used to for."

"Maybe stab cars?" the Alicorn asked.

"Yes, probably stab cars! And it's also coming this way. You can probably guess who the driver is."

"I'll guess 'Fluttershy'! Am I right?"

"Ding, we have a winner." Rainbow Dash went back into her car and closed the open window in time to dodge the yellow car's spear attack. "We meet again, Fluttershy!"

"And guess who's going to win this time?" Fluttershy asked.

"The best of us, no doubt!"

"And the winner is going to be the one who will wish my big red apple back to life, am I right?"

"Maybe. Maybe not! How about we battle to see whose wish will come true?"

"It is so on, Rainbow Dash!"

The pegasi accelerated their cars while bumping on each other's. Twilight drove after them.

"So, what make you think you will be the last standing, Fluttershy?"

"Love always prevails. Always!"

"You're not the only here trying to revive a loved one, you know? So, which kind of love will prevail? The love of a mare for a stallion, the love of a sister for a sibling or the love of a friend for another?"

"The one who deserves the most. And Big Mac deserves all the second chances in the world!"

"And so does Scootaloo! And you're not staying between me and my little sister."

"She's not your little sister!"

"She's like one to me!"

"Pretend as much as you want, Rainbow Dash. But pretending doesn't make things real!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Your words are harsh, Fluttershy. But that's just the confirmation I needed!"

"Confirmation of what?"

"You are not crazy, Fluttershy! I thought you were, and I'm sorry about that, but you are not. Discord did something to your brain. Just like he did to Twilight and Scootaloo!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're mean! Fluttershy is not normally mean. Even if she ever lost her mind, I doubt she would ever say the things you do."

"You mean, he... I... No! No, you're... You're lying! Discord said he would help me because he is generous! More generous than the Element of Generosity herself. You're just judging the poor guy!"

"Sure, of course. Believe in what you want to believe." she smirked. "But, as you yourself said, 'pretending doesn't make things real', eh?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

Rainbow Dash braked one moment before Fluttershy turned her car, making the angry pegasus miss Rainboom and hit a machine that was part of the still running assembling line, making the spears get stuck between gears, stopping the machine. Due to the strong impact, Fluttershy hit her head on the steering wheel and fainted.

"Another one down." Twilight said. "Now we just have to--"

Suddenly the trunk of Fluttershy's car opened, revealing several thin pipes, which shot several small syringes filled with an yellow liquid in several directions. Most of them missed their cars by far, but a few of them hit their targets. Two of them hit Rainbow Dash in the foreleg and neck and one hit Twilight's chest. Rainbow Dash quickly removed them.

"Ow, what are those?" she asked.

Twilight removed the syringe from her body as well and inspected it closely. "Oh, no..."

"I won't like the answer of my question, will I? Is it poison?"

"Thankfully, no! But this is a somnifacient drug. A very powerful one!"

"Great! Now put it in words that I will understand."

"This will put us to sleep for several hours."

"How long are we..." Rainbow Dash began to lose balance. She shook her head to keep herself awake. "How long, exactly?"

"I only got one dose, so it will last for five to six hours. But you took two, so I'll say... 20 hours!"

"What?!"

"At least!"

"What?!"

Twilight blinked a couple of times, her blinks lasting longer than usual. She shook her head as well. "And it works quickly!"

"This has Discord's paw all over it!"

"I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore." Discord said, his face appearing on their rearside mirrors. "Yes, you got me, Rainbow Dash, I indeed turned Shutterfly into my little pet. What fun there is in making a game when no one is on your side? My last pet was sent to the nuthouse, so I needed a new one. Thanks for that, by the way! She kind of got too comfortable. Specially when she dared to take my throne from me!

"But this one is just soooo willing to do my bidding. Oh, the things a pony will do for you when you can grant them what they wish the most! Anyway, I don't want her sent to the nuthouse as well, so I'll protect Flutters from you ponies. This is why I added this little contraption hooked to my little yellow pony. It was supposed to activate the moment she lost consciousness and, as you can see, it's a success. What do you think of it?"

Rainbow Dash fell asleep halfway through Discord's speech and Twilight was struggling to stay awake.

"We will stop you, Discord. Just wait and... And see, we... We'll... Sto... Stop..." Twilight lost consciousness and slammed her head on the honk, sounding it.

Discord simply chuckled while his face faded from the mirrors.

* * *

"Catch us if you can!" Silver Spoon teased while gaining distance between her and Diamond Tiara's car and the Cutie Mark Crusader's car. Both fillies turned around to make silly faces at them. Scootaloo frowned at them, but she then noticed where they were heading to.

"Eyes on the road, Silver Spoon!" she shouted.

"Huh?" Silver Spon turned around and screamed before braking her car, which was heading toward a pit with boiling hot melted iron in it. She slowed their car enough to not fall in the pit, but they weren't safe yet, for the front half of the F1 car was on the air and the only thing between Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara and their imminent death in a pool of fire was the fact that two small grey hooves were pressed against the brake with all the strenght the owner of those hooves could summon.

"Go back, GO BACK!" Diamond Tiara screamed.

"I can't!" she screamed back. "If I let go of the break, we're, like, toast!"

"Then do something!"

"What do I do, Tiara? What do I do? Tell me! Something! Anything!"

"Just stop being useless and do something helpful for a change!"

"I-I-I'm trying, but--"

"Oh, wait, for a moment I kind of forgot who I'm talking to." Diamond Tiara stood up and jumped out of the car.

"D-D-Diamond Tiara! Help me!"

"Forget what I said, Silver Spoon. I'm sorry, you are not useless! This is why you'll find a way out of this situation on your on, correct? You can do it!"

The car slowly started to move forward. Tears were streaming down the grey filly's face. "T-T-Tiara! I don't want to die! Pl-Please!"

The pink filly simply smiled and waved at her. "See you outside!" She then ran away from the scene.

"T-TIARA! MOMMY! DADDY! HELP!" she screamed as the car tipped forward. That's when she felt something wrap around her waist. She looked down and saw a pair of grey hooves holding her. When she looked behind her, she saw Scootaloo holding her. Sweetie Belle was holding Scootaloo and Apple Bloom was holding Sweetie Belle, making a "pony rescue rope".

"Don't worry, I got you!" Scootaloo said. "You two can pull now!"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded before pulling the fillies. Thanks to Apple Bloom's earth pony strenght, they were able to quickly pull Silver Spoon out of the car before it fell in the pit. The four fillies watched the F1 car slowly sink in the pool of melted metal, panting lightly.

"So, how are--" Scootaloo began to speak, but was interrupted by Silver Spoon's sudden hug.

"You saved my life. Thank you so much. So much! All of you, thank you!" Silver Spoon said between sobs.

"We just couldn't leave you to die." Sweetie Belle said. "I mean, we don't like you or your Diamond Tiara, but a die into liquid fire is just cruel!"

"Specially after that scene a few moments ago." Apple Bloom said. "Ah mean, Diamond Tiara simply hightailed outta there, hopin' that ya could save yer own hide! Well, Ah'm not really sure if she actually cared if ya would get outta there alive or not."

"No no no no no, you're wrong!" Silver Spoon said. "She... She was just, like, scared! Yes! We're friends since I can remember, we're closer than, like, sisters. If she left me there, then it's because she really knew that I could, like, handle the situation!"

"Then why would she leave you?" Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To... To... To not slow me down! Yes, that! Without her for me worry about, I could, like, focus on saving myself!"

"This filly is more blind than Winona's mama when she was still alive." Apple Bloom whispered to Sweetie Belle.

"Congratulations, little ones!" Discord said while floating above the pit, holding a banner which had the three Cutie Mark Crusaders crudely drawn with "Congratulations, ~~Scout~~Scootaloo, ~~Sweet Bell~~Sweetie Belle and ~~Applebloom~~ Apple Bloom" written below them. "You are officially then youngest ponies to ever win my contest. You really surprised me!"

"We... We won?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"WE WON!" the three fillies shouted at the same time.

"Yes, you did." Discord said while removing earplugs from his ears. "Now, to your wish. I can already guess what you want!"

The fillies looked at each other and nodded.

"We wish for Scootaloo to have her body back!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom said.

Discord chuckled before pinching their cheeks. "How could I say no to such cute little faces? You want her body back? So be it!"

Discord snapped his fingers. After that, all Scootaloo could see was white. Everywhere!

"Where... Where am I?"

"You're here. With me."

Scootaloo turned around and saw herself sitting behind her; she was a little thinner, her mane and tail were longer and her eyes were foggy, but she was sure of one thing: it was certainly her body.

"You're... I'm..."

Her body smiled. "Well? Are you ready?"

Even though she was still a little confused, Ghost Scootaloo nodded. Body Scootaloo's smile grew wider and she stretched her orange hoof toward her. Ghost Scootaloo stretched her grey hoof toward her and they hoofbumped. Slowly, her tail began to fade, followed by her flank, hindlegs, torso, head, left foreleg and finally her stretched right foreleg. Body Scootaloo closed her eyes, still smiling.

"So, your soul has entered you, huh?" Discord said while sitting a few feet away from Body Scootaloo. "Are you ready to go back now?"

Body Scootaloo opened her eyes, which were no longer foggy. She nodded. "I am!"

Discord grinned. "I am Discord and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal." he snapped his fingers.

Author's Note

It's funny because the title is a Yu-Gi-Oh! card.

Also, I intend on working on a very interesting project soon enough. Stay tuned! :pinkiehappy: (Because if I decided to work on said project once this one right here is over, it would take forever, because TM:E is barely halfway done!)
And yes, in my headcanon, Noble Laureate (that blue stallion who was one of the judges at Twilight Sparkle's entrance exam) is Trixie's father!

And in case you're wondering why Applejack named her car that, the record of heaviest apple in the Guinness World Records belongs to a Hokuto apple, with 1.849 kg (4 lb 1 oz). Fits, don't you think? :rainbowwild:

P.S.: I totally didn't stole that final scene from Fullmetal Alchemist. Nuh-uh, no chance! Hiromu Arakawa was the one who stole it from me! :trixieshiftright:
And I also like some attention so, if you could just leave a comment for me to read, even the smallest comment, I would love you forever...

13. Wonders

Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were hugging each other for quite some time now. Not too far away from the apple tree they were sitting under, Applejack and Rarity were scolding their little sisters.

"What were you thinking?" Rarity asked in a very severe tone. "Going to that dreadful place without any of us knowing? You fillies deserve the grounding of your lives!"

"We're sorry..." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said at the same time while looking down at the grass.

"Y'all can never participate of Twisted Metal ever again, y'all hear me?" Applejack said. They nodded. "Alright, then. Y'all can go now!"

The fillies smiled and ran.

"Wait a second, that's it?" Rarity asked. "No no no, that can't be it! Is that the only punishment you could come up with?"

"Yup!"

"Applejack! Are you sure you know what they did?"

"Ah know, Rarity, but..." Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Rarity's neck and turned her around, then pointed at the pegasi. "Look at that. Since this thing started, Rainbow Dash only lost. She lost her wing, her dream, her best friend, and even Scootaloo! And now things are finally startin' to go back to normal to her, all thanks to what those three did together. Do ya really want to punish 'em for givin' a mare some happiness back?"

"Well, when you put it like this..."

Applejack smiled and tapped Rarity's back before approaching Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.

"Hey there! Ah made some apple pie, who wants some?"

"I do!" Scootaloo said with a smile.

"I don't know..." Rainbow Dash said.

"There will be cider!"

"Then count me in!"

Applejack smiled and the three ponies went back to the house. Rarity, too, left the area, leaving only two earth pony fillies hiding behind a tree - one was pink and the other was grey.

"Now ain't that just great?" Diamond Tiara said, sitting on the ground and crossing her forelegs. "If they can't participate, then our plan is ruined!"

"Can't you, like, convince them?" Silver Spoon asked.

"I doubt it! Those three are dumb like a door, but after working with them on the Foal Free Press, I learned that they know how to recognize authority!" she then glanced at the house and smirked. "But not all of them promised to not participate."

* * *

Blackfield Asylum. Pinkamena was lying on the floor, staring at the only window with a vacant expression. The white cushion under her head was stained with her drool.

"Friends..." she mumbled. "Don't leave... Friends... Love friends... Don't leave... Friends... Love friends... Don't love... Friends... Leave friends..."

The room suddenly got dimmer and the light started to flicker, but Pinkamena payed no attention to it. She then heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

"I already took my medicine today..." she mumbled. "Leave me be..."

"Well, then it's a good thing you have no more unfinished business here today." a deep, male voice said.

"Dr. Stable?" she asked, still mumbling, but still not moving.

"I am no doctor, young mare, but I know what will make you feel better." the metal door slowly opened, revealing the corridor, which was strangely brighter than the room itself, which led to another open door. "Is 40 ccs of freedom good enough? Or do you need an extra dose?"

She slowly rolled on the floor, turning to look at the door, still expressionless.

"Is this another dream? If yes, then please, let me wake up. No more false hope."

"Is it really a dream? Why don't you get up and find out?"

She took a deep breath and slowly got up. After staring at the door for a few moments, she sighed. "Whatever." Pinkamena walked toward the door and, as soon as her four hooves were out of the room, the corridor got dimmer and the solitary got brighter.

"Yes, Pinkamena, just like that. One hoof after the other. No need to hurry, you did nothing wrong, there's nopony after you."

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, her brain now slowly starting to work properly again.

"I am just a friend doing you a favor, who wants nothing more from you but another favor."

"A favor for a favor, huh? Sounds fair enough." she said, her pace now getting steadier. "What kind of favor do you want from me?"

"You will know soon enough. But, first, tell me about your experiences with... Twisted Metal."

She stepped out of the second door, which quickly shut itself behind her.

* * *

"I hope you understand and forgive me for what I'm asking you to do." Princess Celestia said while standing in front of her throne.

"You don't need to worry about it, Your Highness." Spitfire said, saluting her. "It is our duty to both entertain and protect the ponies of Equestria."

"Pardon me if I sound rude..." Soarin' said. "But what about the Elements Of Harmony? We are usually your plan B for when the situation is out of control."

Princess Celestia sighed and Spitfire glared at him.

"I'm afraid this kind of situation is too much for them to handle on their own. They have dealt with many foes, but never before they had to deal with the loss of their closest friends. I'm asking you to help them not because I don't trust them, but because they need ponies with experience and who went through what they're going through right now."

"We won't let you down, Princess!" Fleetfoot said, sounding very confident.

Celestia smiled. "I know you won't! Spitfire, Soarin', please follow me. I'll take you two to the car you two will use to compete."

"Yes, Your Highness." both said at the same time.

"And... What about me? Your Highness!" Fleetfoot asked.

"I have a special mission for you, Fleetfoot. Well, two!"

"Then tell me what I have to do and consider both missions done."

"Pinkie escaped?!" Rainbow Dash yelled in shock. "How did that happened? When?"

"We believe that it happened last evening." Fleetfoot explained. "We're almost sure that she was helped from the inside, since the door was unlocked and she wasn't spotted by a single guard, a feat only possible for somepony who knew their entire patrol route."

"And what is Canterlot doing at a time like this?"

"Don't worry, the Royal Guards are already working on it. If somepony there has some information, they'll squeeze it out of them!"

"And what about my friends? Do they know that yet?"

"Uh-huh! I already warned all of the Element Bearers. I only decided to come to you last because I need to speak with you about one other thing."

"And what is it?"

"Well, I'm terrible at this formality stuff, so don't ask me to say it again." Fleetfoot cleaned her throat. "Rainbow Dash from Cloudsdale, current residence in Ponyville, due to your admirable loyalty, not only to the Royal Sisters but to the kingdom as a whole, as well as your impressive feats, outstanding performance in the Wonderbolts Academy and valuable experience in a situation that can be proven useful to the rest of the Team, Your Highness Princess Celestia of Equestria judged you worthy of joining the Entertainment and Rescue Team, The Wonderbolts." she dropped her businessman façade and smiled. "Congratulations, team partner!"

Rainbow Dash quietly stared at Fleetfoot, mouth wide open.

"I... I... I'm in?" she suddenly hugged Fleetfoot and flew in circles around her cloud house while still hugging her. "I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in!"

Fleetfoot cleaned her throat, making Rainbow Dash realize what she was doing. The colorful pegasus landed back in front of her house and let go of the other pony.

"Heheheh. Sorry!" she said, blushing of embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, Rainbow Dash! We're teammates now, remember? You can hug me as much as you want. Just don't overdo it, ok?"

"Oh! Ok, alright, I won't!" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her wide open forelegs. "It was a one time thing, I'm not a very huggy pony! So, now what?"

"Well, your first mission as a Wonderbolt has already been requested!"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my go-- I-I mean..." she saluted her. "What is my mission, ma'am?"

"Remember that part of my speech where I mentioned that you have 'valuable experience'? Well, I was talking about that Twisted Metal thing. So, basically, you'll be doing the same you've been doing for the past few months. Mostly! But, this time, I'll go with you as your race partner!"

"So, my-- I mean, our mission is to stop Discord?"

"Yup!" Fleetfoot then pulled a suit from her saddlebags. "Except that this time you can do it while wearing this super cool uniform!"

Rainbow Dash didn't waited another second to grab the suit from Fleetfoot's hooves and stare at it for a few seconds with a huge grin on her face.

"I'm game, sister! Discord is going to be sorry for crossing the path of the Wonderbolts."

"Determination. I like that on a teammate!"

"I got determination enough for three Rainbow Dashes!"

The mares smiled and bumped hooves. They then said at the same time:

"Discord is going down!"

Author's Note

I guess you could say that the Wonderbolts joined Rainbow Dash's Team. And look at that, now she is getting paid to play Twisted Metal!
Who is the mysterious voice that freed Pinkamena? What is he/she/it planning? Why is he/she/it so interested in Twisted Metal? I bet - well, more like hope - that you guys are squirming in curiosity! But don't worry, everything shall be explained in due time! Until then, wait for the next chapter, where... Things will happen!

14. Dungeons & Draconequus

Cars were parked in front of a lake with a huge temple on an island located in the middle of it. The old temple was very similar to the one from "Daring Do And The Quest For The Sapphire Stone" - a fact pointed out by Rainbow Dash, who was wearing her new Wonderbolt outfit, which Twilight felt the need to point out that said temple was based on the Mayan architecture. The entrance was a simple drawbridge, used to reach the stone bridge that crossed the lake, connecting it to the land.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Twilight said.

"And why is that, Twilight Sparkle?" Discord, who was sitting on the passenger's seat with his arms crossed behind his head, asked. "Do you think I will sink the arena once you're all in?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did. And get out of my car!"

"You hurt my feelings, Twilight! Why would I ever do that?"

"To stop us, of course! You know we're planning on turning you back into stone."

"Yes, I am completely aware of that, but think about it: if all the contestants suddenly disappear, don't you think everypony else will be too afraid to participate? A game with no one playing is no fun at all!"

"But still, I don't trust you. I never will! You are planning something, I just know it!"

"We'll see about that!" with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

"Attention, everypony!" his disembodied voice called. "The seventh Twisted Metal is starting now. Form a line in front of the bridge, the arena will open soon."

Twilight was the first in line. Once all the cars were on the bridge, the drawbridge slowly started to be lowered.

"Remember what I said, everypony. Twisted Metal is starting now!"

The mare behind Twilight smirked and accelerated her car, slamming it against Twilight's.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" the Alicorn shouted.

"Twisted Metal is starting now!" she repeated Discord's words.

Twilight engaged reverse, doing her best to not be pushed out of the bridge, but the other car was stronger than hers. It didn't take long for her front wheels to be out of the bridge. Applejack and Braeburn's car was right behind the mare's, but they couldn't do anything, or it would only make the situation worse for their friend.

"I will not be thrown out of the competition by one of Discord's tricks." she said. "Not again!"

"It's too late!" the mare said before giving one last bump on her car, throwing her out of the bridge and out of the competition.

"If she's outta the competition, then so are ya!" Applejack said.

"Oh, yeah?" the mare said while slowly turning her head. "And what are you going to d--" her eyes widened when saw how big the car behind her was. It took a single bump to throw the mare out of the bridge.

"Anypony wanna throw us out? We're takin' all challenges! What about ya? Ya look like a tough pony!" Braeburn asked while pointing at the driver behind them, who shook his head as fast as he could. "Good! Save it for the real competition."

"You guys are no fun!" Discord said before the bridge started lowering itself faster. All the drivers then entered the temple, which was pitch black.

"Hey, Discord, did you know that temples usually have torches inside? You know, to light the path of the brave adventurers who dare to explore it?"

"You have headlamps in your cars. Use them!"

She turned on the headlights of her car, soon followed by all the other drivers. "Oh. Yes, we have those!" she chuckled awkwardly.

"Enough talking! You all have a game to play!"

Once Discord said those words, the drivers separated themselves in two groups: the group that drove away from the entrance in order to hide and ambush others, and the ones who stood there, turning the dark entrance hall into a makeshift arena. Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts were part of the first group; Applejack tried to follow them, but her Monster Truck was surrounded by six other cars.

"You look dangerous." one of the six drivers said. "So we're taking you two down while we still outnumber you!"

"Oh, fiddlesticks..." Braeburn said.

"Well, whaddya wanna do, cousin?" Applejack asked.

"What else there is to do, cuz? Let's twist some metal!"

The drivers pointed their rocket launchers at the Apples. Applejack drove the car toward the two closest foes.

* * *

"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Rainbow Dash asked while driving side by side with Spitfire and Soarin's car, which was light blue with yellow doors and roof; the car was named "Outlaw". The new member chuckled. "Captain! I always wanted to call you that."

"Well, the plan is quite simple." Spitfire said. She then slowed her car and stopped in in front of a bifurcation. Rainbow Dash stopped her car as well. "Divide and conquer! Soarin' and I will go right. You and Fleetfoot go left. Neutralize as many contestants as possible in a non-lethal way."

"Yes, ma'am!" she said with a salute.

"Gotcha!" Fleetfoot said.

"We're counting on you gals!" Soarin' said as Spitfire turned the car, where they soon disappeared in the darkness.

"Time to smash the competition! Are you ready?" the senior asked.

"Are you kidding?" the junior said. "I'm Rainbow Dash. I was ready before I was even born!"

"That's what I like to hear. Now we--" she was interrupted by the sound of a crash and a scream coming from the direction Outlaw went.

"Was that Spitfire?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Nope! Soarin'. His scream is girly like that."

"Should we...?"

"Captain's orders were to go the other way."

"But--"

"Captain's orders."

Rainbow Dash sighed, then accelerated and turned right.

"What are you doing, Rainbow Dash?"

"They might be in serious danger, Fleetfoot!"

"But--"

"I never leave my friends hanging! And if members of my team are in danger, then screw the rules, I have to save them!"

Fleetfoot sighed, but chuckled. "They will either commend you for that and give you a promotion or kick you out of the team after your first mission."

"I'm willing to take the risk!"

The hallway led to a big and empty room, which only way out was the hallway they came from.

"Captain?" Rainbow Dash called. "Soarin'? Are you here?"

"It's... It's empty!" Fleetfoot said while looking around. "No car, no Wonderbolts, nothing!"

"Maybe they fell through a trap door?"

"Impossible, look at the floor!"

"Uh... What am I supposed to see? Rocks?"

"Exactly!"

"And... Why?"

"There are rocks all over the floor, big and small. If there were trap doors around here, a part of the floor should be clean of them!"

"Ohhh, I get it."

"Which means that the only way they could have gone is..."

An orange feather slowly hovered down and gently landed on Rainboom's hood. Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot looked at each other before slowly looking up. It was dark, but fortunately Fleetfoot had placed some essential items in the glove compartment, one of them being a flashlight, which she turned on and pointed up. Outlaw was pinned to the ceiling by two big stalactites, with Soarin' and Spitfire hanging from the windows, unconcious.

"Captain! Soarin'!" Rainbow Dash called.

"Do you think they're...?"

"Well, they don't look dead."

While they were distracted talking to each other, something quickly passed in front of the car, drawing their attention.

"Did... Did you see that?" the senior asked.

"I... I... I think so?"

They heard the sound of screeching and started looking around frantically.

"I don't think we're alone here..." Rainbow Dash whispered.

"No joke, Sherclop!" she said, opening the window and aiming the machine gun on the side of the car at the darkness. "Hey! Show yourself."

They heard the screeching again, but this time coming from above the car. They stuck their heads out of their windows and looked at the ceiling of the car, where they spotted a pair of golden glowing eyes.

"What the buck is that?!" Rainbow Dash nearly shouted.

Fleetfoot grabbed the flashlight and pointed it at the eyes, revealing a dark grey mare with dark blue mane, glowing golden eyes, fluffy ears and fangs.

"Who..." Rainbow Dash started.

"I think you mean 'what'!" Fleetfoot interrupted. Rainbow Dash nodded.

The mare flared her wings, revealing that they were the same wings of a bat. She hissed at the Wonderbolts, who quickly retreated back into the car and closed the windows. The pony jumped and landed on the hood, staring at the mares with a blank expression.

"What the hay is that thing?" Fleetfoot asked.

"I... I think it's a dracula!"

"Don't you mean vampony?"

"Vampony, dracula, all the same. They bite, it hurts, you die!"

Soon three other ponies joined the first; two were other dark ponies - another mare and a stallion - but the third was just a regular pony. This one was yellow with pink mane and tail and cyan eyes.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said. "I was wondering when you would show up. Never expected you to come with minions, though."

"Minions? Oh, no no no no no! The batponies are no minions. They're my friends." Fluttershy explained while scratching behind the ears of the second mare, who seemed to be enjoying it. "This temple is their home. But Discord wanted them gone so he could turn it into a Twisted Metal arena. He was planning on wiping them out, but I offered myself to keep them at bay until the tournament is over."

"Does that mean you're not playing Twisted Metal this time?"

She chuckled. "I'm not finished! After I managed to round them up and explain the situation, they were grateful that I did my best to spare their lives. So grateful that they agreed to team up with me and help me win this month's Twisted Metal!"

Another pair of glowing golden eyes appeared behind her. And another, another, another... Soon there were dozens of pairs of golden and a few red eyes staring at Rainboom.

"Every single one of them."

Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot stared at the wall of glowing eyes.

"It looks like we're doomed." Fleetfoot said.

"No joke, Sherclop!"

* * *

Braeburn aimed the machine gun at one of the two last remaining cars, but the driver was really good at dodging bullets.

"Dagnabit!" he said before retreating back into Hokuto. "Sorry, cuz! They're just too fast."

"No need to apologize, cousin. Ah know!"

"So, do ya have a plan?"

"Ah'm thinkin'!"

"Do ya think we should...?"

"Ah don't know, cousin! Remember what happened when we were testin' 'em?"

"Yup! That part of the orchard was where we grew braeburn apples, so Ah'm kind of paranoic about it, too, but it seems that we have no other choice."

"Besides, they could get really hurt if they aren't prepared!"

"Don't worry 'bout them. As long as they're inside their cars, they'll be just fine."

"If ya say so..."

Applejack turned the Monster Truck around, pressed a few buttons and drove away as fast as she could, leaving behind small metal balls that fell from the massive center caps.

"Hah! Look at those cowards." one of the drivers said. "Fleeing like roaches from the light."

"Hey, what's those round things they dropped?" the second asked.

"Probably were so scared that lost their marbles!" he chuckled at his own unfunny joke.

"But... They're flashing red. And... Beeping?"

Rainbow Dash was driving as fast as she could while being chased by an army of batponies.

"Faster, faster, faster, FASTER!" Fleetfoot shouted.

"I can't drive faster than that! And I still can't believe you convinced me to leave the others behind."

"They'll be ok! After all, all those things are too busy chasing us to harm Captain or Soarin'!"

"Yeah, you got a point."

"We'll have two in our necks if you don't drive faster!"

"I can't drive--"

Suddenly they heard a sound that was a mix of a roar with an explosion coming from the depths of the temple. Mere seconds after that, they were hit by a shock wave, making the car slow down considerably and throwing all the batponies back.

"Uhh, what the heck was that?" Fleetfot asked.

"Hay if I know. Wanna check?"

"Last time we decided to check a strange noise, we were attack by an army of creatures from the depths of Tartarus. You should have learned the lesson by now!" she looked at Rainbow Dash, who had the bigest smile on her face. Fleetfoot sighed. "But you're the driver, so no matter what I say, we'll always go the way you want to go."

"Damn right!" Rainbow Dash drove until she reached a tunnel not too far away from the entrance of the dungeon, where she found two cars upside down, their drivers still inside. One was unconscious, the other was about to faint as well.

"That... Was intense..." the stallion said before losing consciousness.

"What did we missed?"

"Whoowee!" Applejack shouted while driving back. "Hey, RD an RD's friend! Good to see yer still standin'!"

"What happened here?" the colorful pegasus asked.

"One secret weapon that comes with the car. Ah like to call this beauty 'The Wind Blast'!"

"Ah thought we agreed we were goin' to call it 'Hurricane-In-A-Box'!" Braeburn said. "Anyway, it's only the first of the several tricks these colorful buttons can do."

"Cool!" Fleetfoot said while looking at the panel. "Does Rainboom have secret weapons too?"

"Probably, but Princess Celestia explained that most of the weapons the cars have were made to annihilate our opponents, so we try not to use them. Which reminds me, why did you use it, Applejack?"

"We were runnin' outta options!"

"With this huge things?" Fleetfoot asked. "You could just smash them with those massive wheels of yours!"

"Trust me, we tried." Braeburn explained. "But they were too quick. Unfortunately for them, wind is quicker!"

They heard screeching coming from both tunnels, together with the sound of a motorcycle, both noises getting closer.

"Great, we're surrounded." Rainbow Dash said. "Now that just bites!"

"Oh, they'll bite, alright." Fleetfoot said. "Remember the fangs?"

"What in Sam Hill are y'all talkin' 'bout?" the farmer mare asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you this place is crowded with draculas?" the junior Wonderbolt asked.

"They're not draculas, they're batponies!" the senior Wonderbolt explained.

"So what? Dracula probably was a batpony too!"

"Just because Dracula was a batpony, it doesn't mean every batpony is Dracula."

"Ah'm lost here!" Braeburn said. "Are yer friends always full of nonsense like that?"

"Ya have no idea!"

While the Wonderbolts were still arguing about Dracula's race, the batponies that attacked them before caught up with them. The Apples looked at them, dumbfounded.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack said.

From one of the tunnels came Fluttershy, who was driving a black motorcycle this time.

"I was wondering where you two ran off two. But you are so loud that it was impossible not find you."

"Yep, this time we're done for!" Fleetfoot said. "Any last words, pal?"

"Wait, let me think of an epic catchphrase!" Rainbow Dash said before pressing her right forehoof against her forehead while thinking.

"Time is up. Go for it, my babies!"

Fluttershy turned her motorcycle around and drove away as the dozens of batponies pounced on both cars. She slowly drove back to the entrance, which was open now.

"Congratulations, my little Fluttershy!" Discord, who was sitting on a beach chair while drinking coconut water, said. "I knew you had it in you! Even though I asked you to get rid of those varmints, you found a nice use for them. Good job."

"So, about my wish..."

"Yes, yes, wish!" he got up and snapped his fingers, making the coconut and the chairs sprout legs and run away. "Well, I think we both know that your wish is... Nothing, right?"

"Actually, I--"

"Oh, don't be silly, Flutters!" he placed a finger on her forehead, making her whole body slowly turn grayer. "You have no wish of your own. All you want is to serve me until the day you day, am I right?"

Color started to fade from Fluttershy's vision, turning the hole world monochromatic for her. All the colors were slowly vanished, except for three specific ones:

Red.

Orange.

And green.

Something cracked inside Fluttershy's brain. She slapped Discord's hand away and flapped her wings until she was flying face to face with him, the grey on her coat and mane quickly fading.

"So that's how you're playing, huh? Brainwashing me so I can do your dirty work? Gosh, I was stupid! And to think Rainbow Dash tried to snap me out of it, but I completely ignored her! You really did something to my brain, I can see it now. Oh my, all those awful things I said. Those awful things I did!" she lied down on the wooden bridge, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, looking very saddened.

Discord groaned. "I hate when they turn self-aware. But what surprises me was that you managed to escape from my mental grasp on your own. How did you do that, anyway?"

Fluttershy slowly got back up on her four hooves. "You couldn't possibly understand the power of love, Discord. Now hear me, I have a wish, and you're going to grant it!"

"Whatever, go for it!"

"Bring back to life everypony who died in your dreadful contest!"

Discord stared at her for a few moments before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Do you really think I have enough power to do that?"

"And why wouldn't you? You're the spirit of chaos, aren't you? Surely you have power to do a lot of stuff!"

"Yes, but do you have any idea how old my tournament is? Thousands of years! I wouldn't be surprised if over a million living creatures died while playing it. Pull one damned soul back from Tartarus is already a hard task, and your friends ask me to do it almost every month. If I revive more than one thing per month, I'll be too exausted to make another Twisted Metal the next month. It's one soul back or no deal!"

"But I thought the prize is anything I may want, even if it's not possible. You are clearly violating the rule you yourself created!"

Discord materialized in front of her the flyer of the competition and a comically large magnifying glass. "Did you read the small letters?"

Upon a really closer inspection, Fluttershy was able to see that what she assumed was an underline under the phrase "The prize is anything you may want, even if it is impossible." was actually another phrase, composed of extremely small letters.

The statement above can be easily revoked if the wish is not within the wish-granting capabilities of Discord The Draconequus, our handsome host.

"You cheater!" she said.

"Oh, right. Like I'm the first to put small letters in a contract! Now let's get this over with!" he snapped his fingers once again, making a white glove appear on his right hand and a golf club on his left. "I have a very important game today and it would be an embarrassment to be late." he turned around and looked at the coconut and beach chair, who now had golf clubs as well and looked as impatient as furniture and a drupe could look. "Yes, yes, just give me a minute!"

Fluttershy stared at her hooves, pondering if it was indeed a good idea. Finally, she sighed.

"Bring back... Big Macintosh!"

Discord chuckled. "Oh, young love! Alright, fine. Your wish is granted, yadda yadda yadda, I am Discord, thank you, Twisted Metal, bye."

He snapped his fingers, making him, the chair and the coconut disappear. On their place now stood a big, red gift box with an orange bow on top of it. The words "For Fluttershy" were written on top of it. She flew and removed the lid of the box, which she dropped to the floor when she gasped.

Author's Note

Well, college is back, so I won't be able to write new chapters as fast as I wish I could! But hey, at least I'm still here.
My biggest problem with this chapter was the fact that I couldn't find a good title or decide a location where it should take place. But after re-watching a few episodes, I came across "Read It And Weep" once again, I thought "Why not?" So, there you have it!
Also, a pat on the back of those who giggled when Rainbow Dash said "screw the rules, I have" but weren't pleased when she said "to save them" instead of "money". You got the joke!

15. Dropouts

Twilight Sparkle was strolling down the streets of Ponyville, looking around at all the residents of the small town. Although that afternoon was quiet and peaceful, she couldn't stop thinking about Twisted Metal and what would happen to her current home if the tournament got out of control. She only got her mind out of the problem when she crossed the park and saw a group of colts forming a circle and playing some kind of game, which brought a smile to her face.

"Well, at least Twisted Metal isn't bad enough to suck the joy out of an afternoon of fun and games with your friends." she said as she approached the group of six colts. "Hey there, little ones!"

Pipsqueak, one of the colts, waved at her. "Good afternoon, miss Twilight!"

She looked at the middle of the circle those colts were forming and saw toy cars. She also noticed that each colt had a controller on their hooves.

"Remote control cars." she thought. "What kind of company would think that it would be a good idea to make profit out of toys inspired by Discord's game?"

But the alicorn wasn't planning on ruining the fun of the young colts, so she pushed her thoughts aside and asked with a smile:

"So, what are you playing with those cars of yours? A race game?"

Another of the colts, a light grey pegasus named Rumble shook his head. "No, miss Twilight. We're playing Small Brawl!"

"And what's this?" she asked.

"It a game of battle and destruction which only the bravest of the adventurers dare to play!" a third colt, a brown earth pony named Button Mash said. "Created by yours truly."

"The last car standing is the winner." Snips said.

"We bet candy in our cars, and the losers give all the candy they have to the winner." Snails explained while licking his lips.

"Just like in the real deal!" Featherweight said.

"And by real deal you mean..." Twilight started, afraid of the answer.

"TWISTED METAL!" all the colts shouted at the same time with both forelegs raised up in the air, making the mare flinch a little.

"My mom say I'm too young to play it, but one day I'll be all grown up and nothing will be able to stop me." Button Mash said with an evil grin growing on his lips. "No game is safe from Button Mash!"

"They say the big prize is anything you wish!" Pipsqueak said dreamingly.

"I would wish for Snips to not be so fat!" Snails said.

"Oh, yeah? Then I'd wish for you to not be so... So... Tall!" the chubby colt said, puffing his cheeks and poking his friend's chest with a hoof.

"Ohhh, you'd really do this for me? Thank you, Snips, you are my best friend in the world."

While the colts were still discussing about the things they would wish for, Twilight silently sneaked away from the conversation and sighed.

"Even young foals are being seduced by Discord's worm tongue. They can't grow up thinking that it's ok to hurt others in order to get what they want! We must put an end to this. If only Discord would stop cheating his way into throwing me out of the competition before things get hot, I could at least try to do something!" she sighed again. "There's no use into just rambling about it and doing nothing." once she crossed the park, she walked down the road that led to Sweet Apple Acres. "Might as well go find the others and work on new plans and strategies!"

On her way to the apple farm, Twilight saw Scootaloo on the sidewalk, polishing her scooter. She waved at the alicorn, who waved back.

"Hi there, Blank Fla-- I mean, Scootaloo." a filly said while approaching her.

Scootaloo groaned. "What is it, Diamond Tiara?"

"You know, I was been wondering... Wow, your scooter sure looks... cool! All... Shiny and stuff!"

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Faking interest. It annoys me! Just tell me what you want or leave me alone!"

"Alright, alright, how can I put it? Hmm... We need you!"

"Say what?"

"It's painful to admit it, but Silver Spoon and I would never be able to win Twistd Metal by ourselves. And since you already won once, I was hoping that you could give us some hints or advice. Or maybe even join our team!"

"After all you've made us go through? I owe you nothing, Tiara!"

"I know, I know, but... I have an offer for you."

"Not interested! Also, we promised we wouldn't play Twisted Metal ever again!"

"No, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom promised. You didn't said a thing!"

"So what? In my heart, I promised as well."

Diamond Tiara turned around, pretending to be ready to walk away. "Well, then I guess Rainbow Dash will be very disappointed."

Scootaloo finally looked away from her scooter and at Diamond Tiara.

"What do you mean?"

She smirked, but wiped the smirk off of her face before turning around again. "It's just that I accidently happened to hear her friends mention they were going to leave the competition, which means that Rainbow Dash will have to do everything by herself. Isn't that awful?"

"Why do I even listen to you? Of course that's a lie!"

"Do you really think I would lie about something like that? Fine, do it your way. But, in case you want to check, they're all in Sweet Apple Acres right now."

Scootaloo looked at the road, then at Diamond Tiara, and then back at the road. She then got up on her scooter.

"I still don't believe you! I'm just doing it to prove you're lying."

And, with that, she was gone.

"And she takes the bait like a dumb salmon." she said before trotting after her.

* * *

"Hey, everypony!" Twilight said while waving her hoof at Applejack, Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash and Braeburn.

"Howdy, Twi!" Applejack greeted. "So, what brings ya down here?"

"I decided to come here see how you're all doing, and maybe work on some new strategies before the next Twisted Metal starts. What do you say?" Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Braeburn and Applejack looked at each other with a concerned look on their faces and Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and shook her head, making Twilight raise an eyebrow. "Is anything wrong?"

Applejack sighed. "Yeah, listen now, Twi. We've been discussin' a few things, an'... Well... We've, uh... We decided that..."

"They're dropping out, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said.

The alicorn gasped. "Are... Are you serious?"

Applejack removed her hat and pressed it against her chest, closing her eyes. "We're sorry, Twi. Really sorry, but... Well, the Apple family isn't exactly small, but it's just the four of us down here in Ponyville ever since... Ma an' Pa..."

"Forgive me for interruptin'..." Braeburn said. "But we all know that Applejack would never admit it herself; she's afraid." the mare turned her head around, blushing both of anger and shame. "She lost her parents, she almost lost her lil' sister an' also lost her brother, who now walks among us again thanks to miss Fluttershy an' her kindness. Ah may not know the entire history of the Apples, but Ah do know one thing: to us, since the early years, family comes before ev'rythin'. So, if Applejack decided to participate, then Ah would want to participate, Big Mac would want to participate, even Fluttershy would want to participate. Since y'all know that Applejack is as stubborn as a mule, we all know she wouldn't want us followin' her back there, afraid to lose us. Ya understand, right, miss Twilight?"

"I... I..." Twilight sighed right before smiling a sad smile. "Well, if that's what you all want, then I guess there's nothing I can do, huh?"

"Really sorry, Twilight. Really, really sorry." Applejack said.

"No, it's ok. Really!" she then turned at the blue pegasus hovering above them. "And what about you, Rainbow Dash? Are you leaving the team as well?"

"Like hay I am!" she said before landing right in front of Twilight. "I made a promise and I intend to keep it! Besides, I only have two things to lose there: my life and/or my friends. And since most of them are no longer participating and both you and the Wonderbolts know how to take care of yourselves, I got nothing to worry about." she looked up at the sun. "Oh! Almost forgot. We have a meeting today. Sorry, everypony, but Dash gotta dash!" and with a wave of her hoof and a couple of flaps of her wings, she was gone.

"Well, so I guess I should be going as well." Twilight said. "Lots of planning to do, not enough time."

"Ah'm sorrry 'bout that, Twi!"

"Ok, you can stop apologizing now, Applejack. I understand what you're saying. I would be completely crushed if I lost my brother too!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Ya have a brother?"

"Of course I do. Did I never told you about him?"

"Ah don't think ya did."

"Applejack is right, Twilight." Fluttershy said. "In fact, now that I think of it, you never told us much about your family."

"I didn't? Oh, well! Next time we have a get-together, we can swap family stories. Oh, by the way, Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"It's good to have you back."

She smiled. "It's good to be back, too."

"Oh! One more thing! When Braeburn said you'd join the competition for Applejack..."

"Well, I don't really think he was talking about Applejack there."

"Then he was talking about...?"

Big Mac wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy, none of them looking at each other, but blushing profusely.

"Oh... Oh! Right, right, yes, I get it. Congratulations, you two!"

From the bushes, Scootaloo watched as Twilight walked away and the Apples and Fluttershy returned to their home. She felt two hooves touching her shoulders. She turned around and saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"Still don't believe me, Scootaloo?"

"What do you want?"

"I already told you, we need your help."

"I mean, what kind of wish do you have? If you want my help, you'll have to convince me first."

Diamond Tiara clopped her hooves. "Good, good! Now listen closely, because I have this awesome plan."

"I'm listening."

"We're gonna wish... For more wishes!"

Diamond Tiara stared at a very unamused Scootaloo.

"Really? More wishes? The most cliché wish somepony can think of? That's your big plan?"

"But it's fair, don't you think? We can all wish whatever we want to wish instead of us having to agree on one wish that, while it's beneficial for all of us, I doubt it would be what all of us really want. If we do it like this, you can help Rainbow Dash, I can help my father, and... I just realized that I never asked you what your wish is going to be, Silver Spoon."

Silver Spoon smiled. "Well, I would wish for--"

"Fine, whatever. So, Scoots, you're coming or not?"

"I..."

"Think about Rainbow Dash. Do you really want her to go all by herself?"

"She is not by herself! Twilight is with her, remember?"

"Oh, yes, Twilight! Because she only betrayed all of her friends when the chance to be more powerful was dropped on her lap in a gift box, it was no big deal, we can totally trust her credibility."

"Well, when you put it like this..."

"So, are you in or not?" Diamond Tiara extended her hoof to Scootaloo. She looked at it for a few moments before hoofbumping her. "Welcome on board, Scootaloo!"

Author's Note

Hey there! Your host again, bringing you part 15 of Twisted Metal: Equestria. Sorry if it took so long, but I'm getting really low on ideas for this fanfic - which didn't stopped me from concocting ideas for a new fanfic, and I'll be working on it for a while - not to mention all that college work, but fret not, my faithful followers, for I will not put TM:E on hold! I'll just write new chapters as often as a college student can.

Sneak peek: my next fanfic will make the writers of Devil cry rivers. Take that, Shyamalan!

16. Wrecked Cars Tell No Tales

San Palomino Desert. Discord was sitting on top of a large, closed metal gate; it had no walls to surround anything and it led to nowhere, but if Discord chose that place to be the arena of the next Twisted Metal, there was nothing nopony could do. They all stared up at the chimera, who just stared back down at them with an unreadable grin on his face. Among the crowd of cars were Friendship Report, Rainboom, Outlaw and one new car; a pink one with silver streaks all over it and orange smiley faces on the roof, the doors and the wheel caps; the drivers were three fillies: two earth ponies and one pegasus. The car was named "Club Filly".

"What exactly are we waiting for, Discord?" Twilight asked.

"A friend!" he said.

"Seriously? You have friends?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrows.

"Well, I wouldn't call him a friend, exactly, but we go way back. You will know when you see him!"

"Look!" a stallion shouted while pointing at the horizon, where they all could see a sand cloud, accompanied by the sound of an engine, which was growing louder and louder. When it was close enough, they recognized it as a black motorcycle with some parts colored red. Soon, the biker reached the area were all the other contestants were and stopped the motorbike right beside Friendship Report, making the cloud of sand hit the drivers - those with open windows were quick to close them, and those who were outside their cars didn't think twice before jumping back in. When the sand settled down, Twilight Sparkle could see who the biker was and gasped.

"It's--"

"Yes, Sparkle, it is I." the mare wearing a black cloak said. "The Great... And Powerful... TRIXIE!"

"So, is this your friend, Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked. The Draconequus nodded vigorously. "I thought you said it was a he, and Trixie doesn't look like a colt to me!"

"Trixie? Oh, no no no no no no, I'm not talking about her!"

"Then who?"

Discord snapped his fingers, making Trixie's cloak turn into several bats and fly away, revealing a red and black metal necklace shaped like a winged unicorn wrapped around her neck. In the blink of an eye, Discord was crouched in front of Trixie, staring at the necklace.

"Hello, old friend." he said. "It's been over a thousand years!"

Trixie quickly turned around, shielding the necklace. "Stay away from the Great and Powerful Trixie, you disgusting monster!"

Discord chuckled before returning to his spot above the gate. "By the end of the day, we'll se who owns who." he snapped his fingers, making the big, metal gate quickly open. "Well, since you're all here, what do you say we play a little game? Oh, wait, that's what you're all here for, isn't it? Just go through the gate Twisted Metal will start!"

"And why?" Fleetfoot asked. "We're already in the middle of the desert, what difference going through this gate will make? Can't we just start?"

"Questioning Discord's methods will take you nowhere, Fleetfoot!" Rainbow Dash explained. "Let's just do as he says and we won't have to see his ugly face until the end of the competition."

"Yes, I'd like that!" and, with that said, Rainboom was the first car to go through the gate. The moment it was halfway through the metal bars, the car vanished in thin air.

"What just happened?" Soarin' asked. "Where are they?"

"Why don't you go after them and find out?" Discord asked. "I assure you, it's no trap!"

"Let's do this!" Spitfire shouted before accelerating and disappearing when going through the gate.

"Just sitting here won't solve any of my problems!" Twilight said before accelerating. When she was about to reach the gate/portal, Trixie ran by her, distracting Twilight and almost making her crash, but she braked Friendship Report before suffering any damage.

"You'll always be one step behind the Great and Powerful Trixie, Sparkle!" she said before going through the gate.

"She didn't changed at all, but she feels different." Twilight thought. "And what's with that necklace? And why Discord made such a big deal out of it? I thought that my questions would be answered if I met her again, but it just raised even more questions!" she accelerated toward the portal. "Wait for me, Trixie, I will have my answers, one way or another!"

When Twilight went through the gate, her surroundings suddenly changed from a very bright afternoon in the desert to a dark and gloomy night with an empty sky in some sort of car graveyard. She looked around and all she saw were destroyed cars everywhere; some were in better conditions than others, but equally broken, some were piled on top of other cars, and others were turned into metal cubes.

"What is this place?" she whispered.

"Welcome to the junkyard!" Discord's disembodied voice echoed throughout the entire arena. "This is where I used to stock the cars discarded by the competitors from one thousand years ago - usually because they had died! I completely forgot about this place until just recently, so I thought 'Why not use it as an arena?' It was one of the greatest ideas I had, because I saved so much of my energy! Remember, kids: wasting is bad!" after a brief moment of silence, he started speaking again. "Oh! One more thing I forgot to mention before: I hid a surprise in there for you, Rainbow Dash! Hope you like it."

"A surprise left for me by Discord." Rainbow Dash said. "Of course I'm not gonna like it!"

"What do you think it is?" Fleetfoot asked.

Before Rainbow Dash could answer her partner's question, a distorted, yet somehow sweet tune she knew very well started echoing from the other side of a wall of broken cars.

"No way!" she said, her eyes widened.

"What happened, Rainbow?"

"Discord, you bastard! So it was you, wasn't it? I knew it! Only you could have freed her!"

"What are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?"

"Indeed, what are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?" Discord's voice asked. "I was as surprised as you when she found me! I thought she was still in the nuthouse, I had nothing to do with it."

"Likely story! Why are you two working together again, anyway? I thought you didn't wanted nothing to do with her after she dethroned you."

"It's a funny story that started with lots of chimicherrychangas, but let's just save it for another day!"

An explosion sent several scrapped cars flying and, from the source of the explosion, an ice cream truck appeared, its driver a dark pink earth pony mare.

"RAINBOW DAAAAASH!" Pinkamena shouted.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash said.

"How dare you lock me up in that place? I thought we were friends! Friends don't send other friends to asylums! You're going to pay for betraying me!"

"I don't think so! I'll make sure you'll go back to the nuthouse faster then you can say 'Pickle Barrel Kumquat'! They will fix you."

"I am not broken. You're broken. Everypony in this whole planet is broken! And I will fix every single one of them. Starting with you."

"Well, you'll have to catch me first!" Rainbow Dash then accelerated and drove away from there. Pinkamena followed her.

"I will start by slicing your Cutie Marks off your flanks!" she threatened. "Then I will chop both your wings off. Next, I will cut you open and remove your organs, one by one, in the most painful ways you can imagine, then bake your flesh and turn you into cupcakes."

Fleetfoot suddered. "Wow, she really needs to go back to the asylum."

"I know."

* * *

"Wait up, Trixie!" Twilight called while chasing the motorcycle throughout the maze of broken cars. "I just want to talk to you."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not falling for that, Sparkle!" she said while looking back at her, her eyes flashing red. "All you want is to make Trixie come closer to you, just so you can cheat your way to Trixie's defeat."

"What?! You think I'm a cheap cheater?!"

"It wouldn't surprise Trixie! Wasn't it you who backstabbed your friends on your stairway to power?"

"I was tricked!"

"And now you want to trick Trixie. Again, not buying it! You want answers? You'll have to crack Trixie's skull open and take them yourself." Trixie accelerated her bike. Twilight accelerated her car as well. The unicorn mare looked at her and clicked her tongue. "So, you're not giving up, huh? What a drag." she looked back at the road and smirked when she saw a car with the back half buried on the dirt. She drove past it then turned her motorcycle around.

"What in Equestria is she...?" Twilight started.

Trixie used the wrecked car as a ramp to jump over Twilight's car. With the push of a button, each of her six exhaust pipes released one small black metal ball each and onto Twilight's car. The alicorn mare only watched as the spheres descended toward her. The moment they touched the roof of Friendship Report...

Beep.

BOOM!

Trixie laughed maniacally while driving away from the massive fireball.

* * *

While Silver Spoon focused on working on the accelerator and brake of Club Filly and Scootaloo kept her eyes on the road while working on the steering wheel, Diamond Tiara aimed the machine gun and shot at the car they were chasing, the drivers were a pair of pegasi wearing a blue uniform.

"What the buck is wrong with those fillies?" Soarin' asked. Spitfire ducked and lowered his head, making them dodge several bullets that went through the windshield.

"I'm never having foals!" Spitfire said as she got up once again.

"Aim at the wheels, Diamond Tiara." Scootaloo shouted. "The wheels!"

"Stop bossing me around, I'm the one giving orders here, and I know what I'm doing." the pink filly said.

"You're going to kill the Wonderbolts. The Wonder-freaking-bolts!"

"And isn't this what this competition is all about? Kill or be killed, remember?"

"If that's how you're going to play..." she let go of the steering wheel and crossed her forelegs, making Club Filly quickly lose stability. "...then I'm not going to help you anymore."

Tiara's eyes widened and she let go of the machine gun before grabbing the wheel. "Are you insane or what? You're going to get me killed! Stop being a stupid foal and do your job."

"No, I lost interest!"

Diamond Tiara groaned. "Silver Spoon, stop the car."

The grey filly did just that. "What are you going to do, Tiara?"

"First, I'm throwing this quitter out of my car. Then, I'll be the one driving it, and we're going to win the competition!"

"Whatever!" Scootaloo opened the door, and her eyes widened as soon as she looked out and closed the door. "Silver Spoon, get this car moving. Now!"

"Hey, she's not your pet for you to give her orders. That's what I do!"

"You don't understand, there's--"

"WATCH OUT!" they heard somepony shout. Diamond Tiara looked out of the window in Scootaloo's side of the car. Rainboom was coming toward them at a very high speed. The driver, Rainbow Dash, tried to dodge Club Filly but, due to her acceleration, she couldn't do much and the cars crashed against each other. Pinkamena's Sweet Tooth, who was really close to Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot's Rainboom, couldn't avoid the crash either. Rainbow Dash arose from the heap of metal, coughing. She had a deep cut on her forehead, but nothing too serious. She sat on top of Rainboom, breathing heavily.

"Rainbow Dash..." the pegasus quickly turned around and saw Pinkamena behind her, holding a very sharp piece or metal. She had small cuts all over her body, but was mostly unharmed.

"Pinkie..." she said, trembling in fear.

"My name..." she took a step closer. "Is..." she pounced on Rainbow Dash, making her fall on her back on top of the crashed cars. "PINKAMENA!"

Pinkamena aimed the metal blade at Rainbow Dash's neck, who grabbed her assailant's foreleg before the pointy scrap could touch her flesh. She was struggling to keep herself alive, but her foe's earth pony strenght was quickly overpowering her resistance. The blade was already poking her, and a drop of blood dribbled down her neck.

The earth pony's eyes widened and she gasped before dropping the makeshift knife. She slowly turned her head and saw Fleetfoot behind her, holding a long metal plate with a sharp edge, which was poking out of Pinkamena's chest. Blood gushed out of the fatal wound, landing on Rainbow Dash's chest and belly. Pinkamena collapsed right beside the cyan pegasus, her eyes rolling back in her head.

"Is... Is she...?" Rainbow Dash asked while panting.

"I... I... I guess she is. She looks like she is."

"Why... Why did you...?"

"I-I-I didn't know what else to do! Sh-She was going to kill you, I was panicking! Then I saw the metal, my mind went blank and... And... When I started thinking again, she already was... She..." Fleetfoot looked down at her blood-stained hooves. "I... I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash... So, so sorry..."

Rainbow Dash turned her head to look at Pinkamena's lifeless face. She didn't looked like she had died feeling pain, just anger.

"She... It... It's... It's ok, Fleetfoot... You did... What you thought it was best... I... I'm sorry... Pinkie..."

The Wonderbolts parked their car a few feet away from them and got out of Outlaw.

"Are you two okay?" Soarin' asked.

"We'll live, I guess." Rainbow Dash said.

Fleetfoot didn't said anything, she just stared down at her shaking hooves. "Is that how it feels to take a life?" she thought, then closed her eyes before tears could escape. "I don't like it. I don't like it at all!"

Spitfire looked around at all the crashed cars. "So, I think the victory is ours, right?"

"Think again!"

The two Wonderbolts quickly turned their heads around and saw the source of the voice: a blue mare with a black and red necklace standing on top of their car. She was levitating a metal bar, which she used to knock both ponies out after two quick swings, hitting both square in the face.

"Trixie always wins."

"You win, indeed!" the metal bar, who suddenly had a mouth and a pair of eyes said before turning into the host of the competition and sitting on beside her on top of Outlaw. "So, what's the wish of the month, Your Highness?"

"So, you recognize the Great and Powerful Trixie as royalty already? You are smarter than you look!"

"Uh, I wasn't really talking to you you..." he glanced at her necklace. "Where did you get the Alicorn Amulet, anyway?"

"That information is none of your business, now shut your smelly mouth and grant my wish!"

Discord rolled his eyes. "Being that offensive is completely unnecessary, you know? So, what is it gonna be?"

"I want... Power! Yes, that's right! The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to be greater and even more powerful. More powerful than Twilight Sparkle ever was and will ever be!"

"More powerful than Twilight? That's kinda dumb, don't you think? Why not more powerful than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined? Well, I guess rivalry is a complicated subject."

Trixie scratched her chin. "Well, Trixie thinks--"

"Too bad, wish granted!" Discord snapped his fingers and the scenery slowly began to change: the dark sky with no stars nor moon got brighter and brighter, the piles of wrecked cars, with the exception of the ones which belonged to the competitors of the 8th Twisted Metal slowly began to turn into sand piles, and soon enough they were all back in San Palomino Desert. Trixie looked at her own body.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't feel greater or more powerful than Trixie already was."

"First things first. Don't rush me, young filly!"

Discord snapped his fingers once again, and Trixie's body was slowly enveloped by a dark purple energy ball. Once the spheric form was completed, it started to float higher and higher, as well as slowly expand. All Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot could do was watch.

"I don't think this is going to end well..." the junior Wonderbolt said. The senior Wonderbolt nodded.

The sphere exploded in a shower of purple sparks, and all that was left was a big silhouette in front of the sun, forming a ver large shadow that covered the whole area.

The shadow of an Alicorn.

"I am Discord, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Author's Note

Remember before, when I said I was gonna work on a new fanfic? Yeah, I decided to postpone that. ~~((it's funny because "postpone" is very similar to "post ponies"))~~ After all, everything in my life is hectic enough without another fanfic, with even more readers shouting every day "WHERE IS THE NEW EPISODE? I MEAN, CHAPTER!" Not that any of you guys is doing that, you're all very patient and I thank you alll for that. But that doesn't mean I'll exploit that and stay on hold for months, far from that! I'l try to keep you entertained.

Anyway, I bet you were all waiting for her great comeback, am I right? Here she is! Originally, she was going to be accompanied by another pointless cameo, also known as Majora's Mask, for two reasons:
1 - I love Majora's Mask. One of my favorite games ever. If I had a Top 10, it would probably be there!
2 - I like the idea of Trixie wearing Majora's Mask instead of the Alicorn Amulet (those two being very similar and all), and it should be exploited more often. I mean, so far, I only came across one fanfic with that plot: "Terrible Fate", written by LordSiravant (it's been On Hiatus for a while now, but it's great nonetheless, y'all should totally check it out).
But, halfway through my planning, I had an idea about an awesome, epic, plot twisting plot device regarding the Alicorn Amulet and thought "Sure, why not?". Hope this little information got you all excited for my next chapter. Better start working on it soon!

And wow, ain't that a long Author's Note? I'm so sorry! :twilightoops: #NotSorry
Maybe I should start working on Blog Posts...

17. The Darkness Strikes Back (Part 1)

"This is getting out of control, Sister!" Luna said while standing on the balcony of the throne room, looking down at Ponyville with an an unamused expression. Celestia was standing behind her, looking at her younger sister with a very worried look. "It's been eight months already. I do not believe that the Elements of Harmony or even the Wonderbolts are suited for this job."

"You couldn't be sugesting that--" Celestia started only to be interrupted by Luna.

"Yes, I am, Sister." she turned around to face the Sun Princess. "We beat Discord once, it wouldn't be difficult to beat him again."

"You forget that we are no longer connected to the Elements of Harmony like we were back then. The only weapon that can beat him, and we no longer have it. Also, you can't forget that one of the Elements is currently disconnected from the others."

"All we have to do is wish for Discord to sever the connection of the Elements with them and reconnect them with us."

"But Luna, you know what happens to a Bearer when the connection isn't undone naturally. This could crush their minds, their souls, and even their bodies!"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. If the perish of few can save millions, I will gladly--"

A slap on her face snapped Luna out of her train of thoughts.

"What... What is the meaning of this?"

"Don't you even dare to repeat that ever again." Celestia said, her gentle aura completely outweighted by a severe one. "Every life is precious, no matter the gender, species or status. They are not tissues to be used and discarded, and I shall not let those dark thoughts roam freely in your mind!"

Luna touched the red spot on her cheek and, since it was still stinging, she flinched. "Forgive me, Sister. It's just that Discord drives me more crazy the more I think about him and the things he did. I can't even think straight anymore!"

Celestia wrapped a foreleg around her younger sister's neck and pulled her to a hug. "Yes, Luna, I know, the same happens to me. Try taking a deep breath and clearing your mind."

Luna did as she was told and took a deep breath.

"Are you calm now?"

"Yes. Yes, I am! Thank you, Sister."

"It was nothing, Luna!" she let go of her, who looked up and straight into Celestia's eyes.

"But it doesn't change the fact that we have to do something before Twisted Metal gets out of control, just like last time."

"Yes, Luna, I am aware of that." she closed her eyes and lost herself in thoughts. After a few moments of thinking, she sighed and opened them again. "I hate to interfere with the lives of my little ponies. I don't want Equestria to be a place where all its inhabitants rely on their rulers and nopony else to solve all their problems. That is why I send the Elements of Harmony whenever the situation calls for it; not because I'm a heartless monster who'd rather send others do to my job, like the malicious rumor says, but because I want my subjects to understand that you don't need to be an Alicorn Princess to make Equestria a safer place. After all, we won't be here forever to keep them safe under our wings!"

Luna groaned. "Don't tell me you still believe in what that half-baked gypsy said. That was a millennium ago, Sister!"

"You still don't believe in Chancellor Puddinghead's precognition powers, do you?"

"Of course not! How can anypony predict something will fall just because her tail was 'twitching'?"

"Sometimes you just have to believe, Luna."

"I will believe if you give me a reason to."

Princess Celestia chuckled. "You two are so similar!"

"Puddinghead and I? Not even in my dreams!"

"No, not Puddinghead. Twilight Sparkle!"

"Oh..."

The massive doors of the throne room were opened and a Royal Guard quickly sprinted towards the Royal Sisters.

"News from Ponyville, Your Highness!" he said, sounding a bit winded.

"What is it, commander?" Luna asked.

* * *

A tall, dark blue Alicorn stood in the middle of Ponyville. Her irises were crimson red, her sclera were green and purple smoke flowed out them. In front of her, there were nine ponies lying on the ground, unconscious; those ponies were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot, Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Soarin', Spitfire, Rarity and Braeburn. She looked around at all the ponies who were staring at her, each with a different emotion, ranging from boiling anger to sheer terror.

"Anypony else dares to defy Us?" she yelled with a booming voice. No pony dared to take a step forward. "That's what We thought." With a flash of her horn, a crystal crown appeared on her head, as well as a crystal throne behind her, which she gladly sat on. "Citizens of Ponyville. May this day be remembered as the day the Greater and Most Powerful Trixie defeated not only those pitiful ponies who thought they could stand up to Us, but an Alicorn as well. Twilight Sparkle is no more, and now We claim our prize." another flash of her horn and crystal encrusted leashes appeared around the necks of every pony in town. "Bow before your new ruler!"

"Leave our town alone!" one stallion shouted before throwing a turnip at her. With her magic, she stopped the turnip from hitting her face and dropped it to the floor. It didn't took long before the crowd started whispering among themselves and shoting Trixie scornful glares.

Trixie smirked. "I expected this to happen!"

The population felt a growing discomfort in their necks. They then realized that their leashes were getting tighter. They were feeling lightheaded and breathing was getting harder. The commotion stopped soon after that and they all looked at her, their scornful glares now replaced by fear. Their collars stopped getting smaller, but they weren't loosening either.

"May this be a reminder that We are in charge here. Another insurrection like this, and We won't be as merciful." she shot a glare at the turnip stallion. "As for you..."

The stallion was magically pulled closer to Trixie by his leash. He was sweating cold.

"Pl-Please, forgive me, Greater and Most Powerful Trixie." he begged.

Her glare was replaced by a gentle smile and she slowly caressed his head with her hoof. "You see, you were the one who started all this, and We need to give them an example to what happens to those who go against the Greater and Most Powerful Trixie. You know, just to be sure that they're well aware that Our punishments are to be feared!"

His leash started to get tighter and tighter. He tried to free himself from its grip, but to no avail. His face was slowly turning blue and his struggling began to cease. In only a few moments, both his movements and his breathing ceased. She dropped his limp body to the ground.

All the ponies only watched in horror, most of them with tears streaming down their faces.

"Don't be afraid, little ponies." she said. "As long as all of you obey every single one of Our commands, you will be fine. None of you want to end up like this heretic. Do you?" not a single pony said a thing. Her smirk grew wider. "Now... Bow before your new deity!"

Most ponies bowed before Trixie, except for a few, who were looking up at the sky. Filled with curiosity, she looked up as well and saw two glowing figures coming toward her town, leaving behind trails of energy; the first trail was blue and the second was yellow.

She groaned. "Not those two..." her horn glowed and a white circle appeared around the whole town. From that circle, a dome made of white crystal began to grow.

Noticing the shield that was being raised around Ponyville, Luna and Celestia flew faster, but not fast enough; the shield was completely erected and they slammed themselves against it. Trixie laughed.

"You are not stopping Us. Not again!"

The Royal Sisters quickly recomposed themselves and started attacking the shield. Magic had no effect and physical blows didn't even got close to cracking it. Luna tried teleporting herself in, but was automatically teleported back outside before she could even realize she was inside.

"The guards said this is the work of an Alicorn." Luna said. "But I'm only aware of the existence of four Alicorns: the two of us, Mi Amore Cadance and Twilight Sparkle."

"It couldn't be Cadance." Celestia said. "I sent her to the Crystal Empire to study the circumstances that allowed its return."

"Do you think Twilight--"

"No, she would never do that! I know and trust Twilight!"

"Then there's only one explanation."

Celestia nodded. "Another Alicorn was born from Twisted Metal!"

* * *

Pinkamena slowly opened her eyes. Her whole body ached, specially her back and chest. She checked her surroundings and noticed that she was chained to a boulder located on a small rock in the middle of an ocean of lava.

"What... What is this place?" she asked.

"Welcome to my lair." a very familiar voice inside Pinkamena's head said. "And your new lair, too! Tartarus!"

"So I... Really died?"

"Yes. And no!"

"What do you mean?"

"Come. let us meet and I will explain everything!"

"I'm not sure I can. Two reasons: first, I'm chained here. Second, there's hot lava as far as my sight can reach!"

"It's no big deal, really. The chains here are like paper mache. A strong pull and they turn into dust! The real problem here are the bars."

Pinkamena grunted as she struggled, trying to free herself. And it was like the voice said, the chains snapped without much effort. "Now, what about the second obstacle?"

"My dear, dear Pinkamena Diane Pie. You're a tainted soul doomed to spend an eternity here on Tartarus. Do you really think this will do anything to you?"

She eyed the lava for a few moments, took a deep breath and jumped in.

Pain.

Pain was the only thing she could feel. Her whole body burning, flesh melting, bones being scorched... She would have screamed, hadn't her lungs being filled with smoke. Smoke coming from her own flesh. The pain lasted for several hours, but Pinkamena felt like she had been burning for eons. Was she a living creature, she wouldn't have lasted more than a few moments in there, but being nothing but a tortured soul in Tartarus, every time she was burned to the bones, her organs, muscles, flesh, coat and mane would regenerate themselves, starting the process all over again. For a split second, before the liquid of her eyes were boiled again, she saw a shore not too far away from where she was. She climbed out of the flame lake and fell on the stone ground. Her injuries took their time to heal themselves, but she was soon completely mended.

"YOU LYING MOTHERCLOPPER!" she screamed. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW PAINFUL THAT WAS?!"

"Believe me, I've been through worse. For one thousand years, I've been through worse! You have no idea what true pain is. You grow accustomed to it, though. Eventually!"

"You said this wouldn't hurt!"

"No, I said this wouldn't do anything to you. And you don't have any missing body parts, do you?" Pinkamena didn't said a thing. "Good!"

"Where do I find you?" she asked.

"Just follow the sound of my voice." he said, but this time his voice wasn't coming from inside her head.

She walked. It took around an hour to finally find the source of the voice: a dark cave with the entrance blocked by purple, glowing crystal bars. She peeked inside and saw a pair of glowing red and green eyes approaching.

"Nice to finally meet you face to face, Pinkamena." the owner of the voice said. When the light from the outside touched his body, she could finally see the stallion who freed her from Blackfield Aslum; an unicorn with a red, curved horn, a dark grey coat pitch black mane. His eyes were crimson red, his sclera were green and purple smoke flowed out of them. "My name is Sombra. King Sombra!"

Author's Note

This looks like a whole new fanfic, doesn't it? I'm sorry if it wasn't your cup of tea, but I really wanted this to happen at some point! :twilightsmile:

And if you liked... Well, it probably won't happen again, sorry! :pinkiecrazy:

Also, I split this chapter in more than one part because I didn't wanted it to be too long! Don't worry about part 2, though. I had so much fun writing this that the sequel will be written and uploaded in no time at all! My guess? It will be already here by tomorrow afternoon! It's just a guess, though, I might have to delay it for a day or two. But that's just a "what if" scenery, the chances of actually happening are low! :rainbowkiss:

19. Coming To Terms

"We're almost there!" Diamond Tiara said while walking down a dirt road in the Everfree Forest.

"This doesn't look like a good idea, Tiara." Silver Spoon said while looking around, cowering behind Scootaloo.

"I'm with Silver Spoon on this one." Scootaloo, who was as afraid as the earth pony filly, but trying as hard as she could to hide it, said.

"Wow, I already knew Scootaloo was a chicken, but you too, Silver Spoon?" Diamond Tiara asked, not bothering to look back at her companions. "I thought you had the spirit of an adventurer."

"An adventurer who is smart enough to not venture into the Everfree Forest..." she mumbled.

"Eh, whatever. We're almost there, anyway!"

"You never told us where 'there' is." the pegasus filly said.

Diamond Tiara didn't answered and they just kept walking. After a few more minutes of silent walking, she stopped in front of a huge, dark cave.

"Here!" she said, pointing at the cave.

"I have many questions in my head right now, but I can summarize all of them into only one: why?"

Diamond Tiara smirked and shouted: "We're here!"

Scootaloo looked at the cave, confused. Silver Spoon shrieked when she felt the ground shake. Then shake again, and again, and again.

"Are those... Steps?" the pegasus asked, then glared at Diamond Tiara. "What have you gotten ourselves into?"

Diamond Tiara turned around and looked at Scootaloo with a smile; her eyes were red and green. The orange pegasus looked back at the entrance of the cave and almost emptied her bladder when she saw what was making the ground shake: a massive dog with three heads. The middle one, with eyes just like Diamond Tiara's, was smiling. The right one had blue eyes with white sclera, very similar to a pony's eyes. The left one had red eyes with yellow sclera, and it was looking at the other two heads, very confused.

"Diamond Tiara!" Silver Spoon shouted, feeling angry, scared and betrayed. "Did you brought us here to die?!"

"Who said anything about dying?" the middle head said, surprising Silver Spoon and Scootaloo.

"You... You can talk?" the pegasus asked.

"And many more things!" he said. "So, these are the ones you brought us, little filly? Eh, I can think of worse options!"

"Who... Who are you? A-And if you're not going to kill us, then what are you going to do to us?" Silver Spoon asked.

"My name is King Sombra!" he said. "I'm sure you already know my partner here, Pinkamena Diane Pie!"

"Hey Silver Spoon. Hey, Scootaloo. Hey, Diamond Tiara." the right head said while waving the right forepaw.

"King Sombra? It's really you? Oh, it's been so long, old buddy!"

Silver Spoon looked at Scootaloo. "'Old buddy'? Do you know him?"

"Oh, right, I forgot I'm not here!" Scootaloo said with a smile, her eyes now red with yellow sclera. "You see, I'm not Scootaloo! I just borrowed her body for a while."

"You're... Discord? Bu-But how? Why are you in Scootaloo's body?"

"Simple! Remember when I gave Scootaloo her body back? Well, I placed a little something inside her brain. One that would allow me to observe everything she sees and even take over if I needed to! And boy, I'm glad I did that! How are you, King Sombrero? You look different, did you gained weight?"

"Well, well, well. Discord! It's been over a thousand years, hasn't it? And I heard that your tournament is getting quite popular like it used to be!"

"Still not quite as popular, with all that 'you shouldn't play Twisted Metal' talk the Royal Pain-In-The-Ass Duo are spreading, but ponies keep coming every month, so it's not much of a bother! Now, I couldn't help but notice that you want my little puppet here for something. What is it?"

"It's not very complicated. I just want to walk among ponies again, but I can't do that with this humongous body, can I?"

Discord directed his attention to Diamond Tiara. "And how did you got her to play along? I've been watching her, and she may be small, but no pushover, and takes orders from nopony! She reminds me a lot of you when you were her age. Ponies grow up so fast these days!"

"I got help from one of your foes, that purple Alicorn! She managed to destroy my Amulet, freeing my essence that powered it. I had to think fast, otherwise it would be destroyed too, so I ordered it to take shelter in the closest source of evil it could find. I was surprised that it was not only very close, but also so young! The Alicorn tried to locate it, but there was just so much evil inside this filly's heart that it was like looking for a tear in the ocean. It didn't took long for my essence to take over her body, and now she is just another brainless drone, ready to do whatever I tell her to do!"

"Oh, so you have your own puppet, too? It's starting to look like a toy store here!" Discord/Scootaloo then looked at Silver Spoon. "If only we had another..."

"Oh, can I have her? Can I have her?" Pinkamena asked.

"Of course, my dear." Sombra said. "But, I guess the pegasus is not available, then?"

Discord chuckled. "Oh, no, don't mind me, you can have her! In fact, take her as a 'welcome' gift." Discord clopped Scootaloo's hoove together, making a rope appear and tie all her forelegs together. "Gift-wrapped and everything!"

"You are so generous, Discord. But that doesn't change a thing! The promise I made last time I played Twisted Metal before the Princesses... Got rid of me, still stands. I will beat you and your powers will be mine. Every single ounce!"

"Oh, please, like nopony tried that one before!" he looked at the head possessed by Pinkamena, who simply looked away from him. "Good luck, though. I'll see you in Twisted Metal!"

Scootaloo's eyes returned to normal and she groaned in pain. She tried to rub her forehead with a hoof, but since they were all tied, all she managed to do was fall flat on the ground. "Ow! What happened? Why am I all tied up?"

Cerberus/Sombra approached the fillies, his face had a calming, yet fearsome smile.

"Don't worry, you two." he said. "This will only take a moment at it will be mostly painless!"

Purple smoke started to come out of his eyes and pink smoke started to come out of Pinkamena's eyes, but before they could steal Scootaloo's and Silver Spoon's bodies, the left head, finally realizing that those two were no longer his brothers, decided to attack. He bit King Sombra's neck, making him and Pinkamena yell in pain, breaking their concentration and the spell.

"That's our chance, Silver Spoon!" Scootaloo yelled. "Help me and let's get out of here!"

"But... But... Diamond Tiara is still--"

"She brought us here as a gift to that thing! Do you really still think of her as a friend?"

The grey earth pony looked at her pink friend, who was still grinning at them, her eyes still green and red.

"I--"

"SILVER SPOON!"

With tears in her eyes, Silver Spoon dodged the hound and ran to where her other friend was lying. She lifted Scootaloo and placed her on her back before dashing away from there.

It didn't took long for King Sombra to overpower the Cerberus' remaining head which still had free will, making it faint due to the big amount of injuries. He looked around and, after noticing that the two fillies were no longer there, let out a loud roar.

"What are we going to do now?" Pinkamena asked.

Sombra looked at Diamond Tiara and, after pondering for a few moments, turned his head to look at Pinkamena.

"I hope you don't mind sharing." he said.

She smiled. "You gotta share, you gotta care!"

* * *

"Are you sure you want to come with me, Sister?" Luna asked with concern.

"Our subjects are my responsability as much as they're yours." she explained. "If you are willing to bet your life for their sake, then so am I!"

"But if I fall, at least Equestria still has you. And let's face it, they trust you, but still fear me. You are by far the best option!"

"That's why we explained everything to her. If we fail, she will take over!"

They looked at a purple streak in the sky, quickly approaching the castle.

"Are we going to tell her?"

"No. Let's not worry her. She already has a lot in her mind as it it!"

Twilight Sparkle landed on the balcony of the throne room where they were standing soon after they were finished talking.

"Twilight, it's good to see you." Celestia said with a warm smile.

"Good afternoon, Princesses!" she greeted them. "I'm here to check up on Trixie!"

"Unfortunately, we're still not finished." Luna explained. "We still have a lot to study about her past, her intentions and her new strenght!"

"You're just jealous that she is almost as powerful as you." Celestia said with a chuckle. Luna blushed a little and looked away. "But Luna is right, we're still not sure if it's safe for her to walk among us just yet. After all, she did enslaved a whole town in a matter of hours!"

"Can I at least talk to her?"

Princess Celestia looked at Princess Luna, who nodded.

"Sure thing, Twilight!"

"Thank you!" Twilight said and bowed before walking toward the exit of the room.

"One more thing, Twilight Sparkle." Luna called.

She stopped and looked back at the Lunar Princess. "Yes?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you decided to come here by wind, and I find it quite odd, since you were neglecting both your wings and your new powers since Discord turned you into an Alicorn. Care to explain the change?"

She smiled. "I finally came to terms with my Alicorn powers. After all, if it wasn't for them, I would have perished in that pocket universe and not standing here, talking to you about it!"

"So, can we finally start planning your coronation ceremony, Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia asked with a smile.

Twilight's smile grew bigger. "I would be honored!"

* * *

Twilight knocked on the door four times and waited.

"It's locked from the outside." a voice explained from inside the room. "Feel free to enter if the key is there."

The Alicorn unlocked the door and slowly opened it. The room was dark, since the window was closed. All the room had was a bed, and another Alicorn, who was lying on it, her back turned to the open door.

"Trixie?" she called.

The mare on the bed slowly turned to look at her visitor.

"Hello, Twilight."

She entered the room and closed the door behind her. Trixie sat up, looking down at the floor. Twilight jumped on the bed and sat beside her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a prisoner."

"I'm so sorry about this, but the Princesses--"

"They still think I'm a threat, I know that. I don't blame them. If it wasn't for my stupid 'revenge', this wouldn't have happened!"

"Which brings us to why I'm here. I want to learn your story, Trixie. This question never leaves my head, no matter the situation: why do you hate me so much?"

"Hated." she corrected. "I've been thinking ever since I was locked in here, and finally realized that I shouldn't be hating you. But do you really want to hear the sob story of a simple showmare? I assure you, it doesn't have a happy ending."

"Yet!" she said, smiling at her. "Now please, I'm all ears."

"Well..."

~ ~ ~

I know you are many things, Twilight Sparkle, and dumb is not one of them, so I'm sure you already know that I studied at Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns and that my father, Noble Laureate, was a teacher there. I wanted to impress him since I was a little filly, but nothing seemed to please him. The first time I actually saw him smiling was when I was accepted in the same school he worked on. Though I can say that he was less than static when he found out that my special talent is not related to magic or studies, but entertainment. But I digress!

I tried my best to make him happy and proud of me, and that's why I couldn't accept grades less than perfect. Princess Celestia herself praised me personally. That's the second time I saw him smile. But then you appeared and everything went wrong!

You were already quite famous for being the Princess's protégé, but not enough to drag that much attention. Also, most of the classes you were attending to were theoretical, so you weren't doing anything interesting either. Then you started attending magic classes. And you were amazing! Everypony wanted to know you. Everypony wanted to be with you. Everypony wanted to be you! But you didn't seemed that interesting in having friends and spent more times with books than ponies.

That didn't stopped them, though. No, every single one of the ponies who were attending my father's classes of history of magic just to get my attention now had you as their milestone and simply left. In a matter of weeks, I was the only pony attending his classes. Meanwhile, the magic classes were overflowing with fillies and colts, so they had to separate it in two. Sadly, there were no vacant rooms in the school and they had to dismiss one teacher in order to make room for another. Since history of magic is an optional class starting from the third year and there was only one student left attending daddy's classes, he was the chosen one.

I tried my best. I gave him gifts, but he simply put them aside; the gift-wrapped ones were never opened. I performed magic shows to him, but he wasn't even close to impressed, since his magical abilities were far beyond mine. I tried to get him a new job, but he never went to any of the interviews; that stallion was just like myself: stubborn and full of pride, so the only job he would accept was his place back in Celestia's school. While he was patient and ready to wait an eternity for Celestia to appear in our doorstep and beg for him to return, the bills weren't as patient and started to pile up.

It took very long for him to realize that our situation was critical, but his stubbornness wasn't simply going to fade and he would never get another job until he was a teacher again. But he needed money, so he started to visit the darkest corners of Canterlot, borrowing bits. Six months had passed and the ponies who lend him money wanted him to pay his debts with them. But he didn't had a single bit left. The night he was murdered was the last time I saw him smile. And with that same smile, he said his last words I ever heard:

"Beatrix, don't be like daddy."

~ ~ ~

Halfway through her story, Trixie started to cry, but not hard enough to not be able to keep talking anymore, and Twilight wrappeda wing around her, gently rubbing her back.

"I blamed you for everything. If you weren't so famous, so talented, daddy wouldn't have lost his job and would still be among us! Or, at least, that's what I repeated to myself in my head until I could believe in it. But I can see it now, it wasn't your fault. It couldn't ever be. You can't be mad at others for being talented at what they do, it's just not right! It wasn't your fault, it was his pride's..."

"I understand, Trixie. I understand!" she said. "But there's just one queston left: you disappeared for a few years before The Great And Powerful Trixie appeared. What happened?"

Trixie was silent for a few moments and wiped her tears before saying:

"I tracked every single pony who had anything to do with my father's death..." she slowly turned her head at Twilight. Her eyes were full of regret, pain, sadness, but also satisfaction. "...and killed all of them!"

* * *

Diamond Tiara slowly walked out of the Everfree Forest. Her usually well kept mane was now poofy and her sapphire blue eyes were red. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh Equestrian air that the parasite inside her hand't smelled in centuries.

"I..." she said, her voice sounding tired and raspy. "Live..." she smirked and opened her eyes. "Again..."

Author's Note

I know I said all the build-up and presentation was over, but I simply had no other place to stick this chapter in. If I did it before, it would be even more rushed than already is. If I did it later, then the act that this is bulding up to would be very lame for the same reason: it would look rushed.
Again, sorry if it's rushed, but I just had nowhere else to put this and I didn't wanted to take the attention away from Twisted Metal itself! After all, the last two chapters were already not very Twisted Metal-esque, and I couldn't have a third one doing that!
And it's better to rush one chapter and save the others than try to save one and make everything else suck!

20. Cease And Desist

"Care to explain why are we here again?" Twilight asked from inside her new car - which wasn't very different from the previous one - as she looked at the entrance of the labyrinth in the Canterlot Gardens right in front of them.

"Oh, nothing special, I was just feeling a little nostalgic!" his disembodied voice explained.

"This doesn't seem very smart." Spitfire said. "After all, you're literally in the Princesses's front yard."

"Oh, you talk as if they had the power to stop me. Breaking news: they don't!"

Scootaloo shuddered, and Silver Spoon didn't missed that.

"Something wrong, Scoots?"

"It's this place..." she muttered.

"Oh, right. This is where you..."

"Yes, but it has nothing to do with this strange feeling I have." she focused her sight on the single wall blocking the only entrance. "I feel danger in there. But not the usual danger I feel emanating from Twisted Metal. This one I feel is... Worse, somehow!"

"By the way, I hope you don't mind, but I've been checking your records, so I decided to invite some of your... Friends!"

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Rainbow Dash said.

"But why, Dashie? I'm sure all of you will get along just fine!"

The wall blocking the entrance slowly turned into dust, which was carried by the wind, revealing the arena and three vehicles parked there:

The first was a light turquoise Ferrari with a yellow convertible roof. The pilot was a pegasus who used to have the same colors on her coat and mane, but now she was just a few shades away from being completely gray.

"Hey, ma'am!" Lightning Dust said while saluting Spitfire.

"Newbie?" Spitfire said, removing her goggles just in case her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The second was a brown motorcycle with an almost grey griffon standing right beside it.

"Long time no see, dweeb!" Gilda said while removing her helmet.

"G-G-Gilda?!" Rainbow Dash stuttered, not believing in who she was seeing.

"I see you're already got yourself a replacement. Another one, that is!"

"I am no replacement!" Fleetfoot said.

The third car was some kind of automated chariot driven by two nearly grey unicorns who were very similar to each other, the only differences being their Cutie Marks and the mustache only one of them had.

"Are my eyes deceiving me, brother of mine?" Flim, the youngest, asked while eyeing the Alicorn Princess.

"I don't think so, brother of mine." Flam, the oldest, said. "That is indeed Twilight Sparkle! Or, should I say, Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight sighed and facehoofed. "Not those two..."

"Now that we're all here, let's--"

"You're not going to start Twisted Metal without us, are you, Discord?" another disembodied voice could be heard but, unlike Discord's, which echoed throughout the area, this one seemed to come from inside their minds. The voice was of a young filly, but if one payed a lot of attention, it would seem that it was masking two other voices, one of a mare and the other of a stallion.

It wasn't long until a new contestant joined them. This one was driving Pinkamena's Sweet Tooth, but it had one big difference: every inch of it was covered in gold.

"Ohhh..." Fleetfoot said, the golden shine of Sweet Tooth reflecting on her eyes. "Shiny..."

"Isn't this a little bit excessive?" Soarin' asked.

"But of course not!" the driver said while lowering the window, revealing her poofy white and violet mane, dark pink coat, red and green eyes with purple smoke gently flowing out of them and a black magic crystal stuck in her forehead, emulating an unicorn's horn. "After all, the chariot of Equestria's future ruler should be nothing short of magnificent!" she tapped the side of theice cream truck. "Fillies and gentlecolts, bow before my Gold Tooth and you might have a place of respect in my kingdom!"

"D-D-Diamond... Ti-Tiara..." Silver Spoon said.

"Snap out of it, Silver Spoon!" Scootaloo said, glaring at the golden car. "That's not Diamond Tiara! Not anymore..."

"Where did you get gold enough to make this?" Discord asked. "I know you're powerful, Sombrero, but not enough to make gold out nowhere! Not without your body, at least."

"Simple!" the possessed Diamond Tiara said while rubbing the black crystal in her forehead. "All I had to do was improvise some magic with some dark crystals. From there, everything was so easy! This filly's father is swimming in money, I just had to hypnotize him, his employees and make them give all the golden bits they had to me. His company will probably bankrupt now, but why should I care?"

"Poor Mr. Rich..." Silver Spoon said.

"But let's not waste our time with the misery of others. I have a Twisted Metal to win. And when I do, Discord, your power is mine!"

"Is that Sombrero or Backstabber talking?"

"'Backstabber'?" she chuckled. "Hello, pot. My name is kettle. You're black."

"A-Anyway, let's not waste anymore time. Twisted Metal is starting!"

"About damn time!" Gilda said before jumping on her motorcycle. She pointed a claw at Rainboom. "You two!" she slowly moved her claw in front of her neck in a threatening way. "You're going down."

"Let's see who's the wingpony now, ma'am!" Lightning Dust said while revving the engine.

"Shall we destroy the pony who crushed our chances of conquering Sweet Apple Acres, brother of mine?" Flam asked.

"Of course, brother!" Flim said. "Let's not wait any longer."

"We're going to save you, Diamond Tiara."

"Don't bother." the possessed Diamond Tiara said. "She is far beyond the point of return. No more than an empty shell!"

"We'll see about that!"

* * *

"The time has come, Sister!" Luna said.

"I wish there was another way."

"There is no other way! Discord was stopped by us once and he must be stopped by us again. It is our destiny!"

"Destiny, huh?"

Together, the two sisters entered their previous castle in the Everfree Forest. They used their magic to open a secret passage which led to a secret room, where two massive vehicles were covered by giant blankets.

"So, which one you--"

"Warhawk is mine!" Luna said while galloping towards the biggest one.

Celestia sighed and shook her head. "Well, I guess this leaves Talon to me."

* * *

Friendship Report V2 had crashed against a wall. With some difficulty, Twilight managed to open the door and get out of it, but she only took a few steps before falling on the ground, breathing heavily. She had a cut on her forehead and the blood flowing out forced her to keep her left eye closed, but Twilight still managed to see the twins walking toward her.

"So, this is all the royalty is capable of nowadays?" Flam asked.

"I must say, I am not even close to impressed." Flim used his magic to force Twilight to face him. "I'm starting to think I could be a better royalty than you!"

"Don't get... So cocky." Twilight said, smiling. "My friends will soon be--"

"You mean these friends?" Gilda landed next to Flim and Flam, holding Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot by the nape of their suits, both pegasi covered in bruises. She dropped both of them on top of Twilight, who gasped in shock and pain. "Those dweebs were easy to deal with! If those Wonderbastards are the Elite fliers around here, I feel sorry for Equestria."

"You mean the old generation of Wonderbolts, right?" Lightning Dust said while dropping Soarin' and Spitfire on the ground, grabbing the captain's goggles and wearing them. "With me on the top now, the new Wonderbolts will finally be something to look up to!"

"N... No..." Twilight said.

"Should we finish them now?" Flim asked.

"Well, I has hoping to make them suffer a little, but what the hey!" Guilda grabbed Rainbow Dash by the neck. "Let's have some fun."

"STEP AWAY FROM THE UNCONSCIOUS PONIES AND SURRENDER PEACEFULLY!"

The four attackers looked up, searching the source of the loud noise. On the sky, they located two flying vehicles; the first was dark blue and larger than the second, which was light pink.

"Are those...?" Flim started.

"Helicopters?!" Flam shouted. "Why didn't Discord said flying machines were allowed? Well, not that it would make the competition any different, we would still crush all of them, but we could test our new Super Speedy Battle Vehicle 9000."

"YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO ABANDON THE COMPETITION, OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO--"

"Pr... Princess..." Twilight muttered.

"Shut up, namby-pamby pony princess!" Gilda said while flying at full speed toward Warhawk.

"I tried to negociate, Sister." Luna said on a microphone.

"Sister, think rationally!" Celestia replied on Luna's headphones.

"I did! But those are Discord's minions. We either stop them, or they'll stop us!"

"But we must--"

"Protect our subjects! Even if we have to protect our subjects... From our subjects!" she once again used the microphone to address the competitors. "TIME'S UP!"

Luna pressed a button, making bullets from a machine gun rain upon Gilda, who had no problems in dodging every single one of them. Finally, she landed on the windshield.

"You do realize that if one of those bullets got even close to grazing my feathers you could have started a war, don't you?"

"The moment you sided with Discord, you turned into a criminal." Luna smirked and pressed another button. Gilda looked around at the metal rods that appeared throughout Warhawk's fuselage. "Your home country would thank me!"

The tip of all the rods lit up and created a wave of electricity around the helicopter, electrocuting the griffon.

Unconscious, Gilda fell from Warhawk, but was saved by Celestia's quick thinking, who shot a net at the griffon, then gently placed her on the ground. She frowned at Warhawk while Luna simply looked expressionlessly at Talon. Celestia then trapped the three ponies in a capturing net.

"This is nothing!" Flam said. "My brother and I can easily... Easily... Why isn't my magic working?"

Celestia smiled. "Magic inhibitor stones." she said referring to the rocks serving as the weights of the net. "When near those, Unicorns can't use magic, Pegasi can't fly and, while it doesn't have any immediate effects on Earth Ponies, prolonged exposure can make one fall into a deep coma! Their use was banned eight hundred years ago, but Talon is older than that."

"So, I suppose this wrap things up, huh?" Luna said. "We stopped this month's Twisted Metal before any lives were lost!"

Their attention switched from the ponies on the ground to an explosion that happened on the other side of the labyrinth. The Princesses immediately flew in its direction. There they found a Club Filly burned to a crisp not too far away from a burning crater. On the other side there was a golden ice cream truck with three fillies, the pink one using a magic crystal to levitate and choke the silver and the orange ones.

"No, you won't!" Celestia shot a capturing net at the filly, trapping her and making her drop the other two; they were unconscious, but still alive. Inside the net, Diamond Tiara screamed and squirmed in pain as the stones and the crystal resonated with each other, causing all of them to explode and spread a wave of magic energy across the area.

Several emergency lights of Talon and Warhawk started to flash and beep.

"Sister, I lost control of Warhawk!" Luna warned.

"I lost control of Talon, too!"

Luna's eyes widened when she saw Talon coming at her while Warhawk was falling toward it. "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

On the last moment, both Luna and Celestia teleported away from their vehicles in time to witness the explosion resultant from the crash of the helicopters.

When the dust settled, they saw a Draconequus standing on top of the wreckage, clapping.

"I must say, I was surprised by the last minute entrance, but that was a great show, so I'll accept you two as contestants!"

"Your game ends here, Discord." Luna said. "You already killed so many innocent creatures now and one thousand years ago, but no more! Everything ends here and now!"

"Oh, quit your whining. You two wiped out my entire race and you don't see me throwing a hissy fit because of it, do you?" he snapped his fingers, making all the wreckage turn into a comfortable armchair. "But I guess there's no way around it, is there? It's all over for poor, old Discord and his little Twisted Metal. But, before I go, I have one small request."

"No requests, Discord!"

"This one is simple! Look around, you won Twisted Metal!"

"In a sense, he's right." Celestia said. "So, I guess you want us to make a wish, correct?"

Discord nodded and gave her a smile, a wink and a thumbs up. "I don't want this tournament to go to waste, just one simple wish and it's all over."

Celestia sighed. "Okay, I'll indulge you, Discord!"

"Sister, nay! It's all a scheme!"

Celestia smiled. "Don't worry, Luna, I'll make sure to wish for something that cannot backfire." she cleaned her throat then took a deep breath. "No more dead bodies. No more unsafe streets, no more war. Your promise was and has been since the beginning of this unholy competition that the winner gets whatever they asks for. Whatever, Discord! Well, here's mine: I wish for a land with no more pain, no more tears and, above it all, no more Twisted Metal!"

Discord's smile grew wider, though it was no longer a simple smile, but one full of malicious intents.

"Sure, fine, your wish shall be granted, Princess Celestia of the Sun, who was far too generous, kind and concerned for this world."

The Draconequus snapped his fingers and Celestia was surrounded by a golden glow.

"A land without Twisted Metal, you say? Sure, I can do that! After all, there's no Twisted Metal on, let's say, the sun!"

And, with that, Celestia was gone.

Luna's eyes widened. "Wh-What did you do to my sister, you fiend?!"

"Granted her wish, of course! But cleaning all of Equestria of all evil and wickedness would be such a pain and take so long, so I decided to use plan B; instead of making Equestria safer, I just sent her to a safer place." Discord's smile grew even more wider. "And now that I think of it, you two were a team, were you not? So, whatever happens to her, also applies to you!"

Luna gasped and flapped her wings as hard and fast as she could, trying to fly away from him, but it was for naught: Discord snapped his fingers and she froze in place, surrounded by a blue glow.

"Sadly, two ponies living in the same place would eventually trigger a fight, and I cannot let that happen. To the moon with you, wittle Woona!"

Luna disappeared in a flash. On the sky, the moon appeared, once again with the head of a pony on it. Discord's evil laughter echoed throughout the labyrinth.

Author's Note

Well, Hiatus is over! Are you ready for more?
Sorry if the quality has dropped a little, but it's been so long since last time I had the chance to write anything! My skills - I hope - are still with me, they're just a little rough around the edges.
Next chapter will be up soon - again, I hope.

21. Royalty-Free, Literally

Twilight woke up once again staring at a ceiling she knew very well by now, the Canterlot Hospital ceiling. She had bandages wrapped around her head and both left legs. Upon inspecting her surroundings, she noticed that she was alone; no doctors, no nurses, no friends visiting her, even the other bed in the room was empty. Since the lights were lit, it was probably night outside.

"He..." she tried to say, but immediately proceeded to cough - her throat was very dry; fortunately, a jar and a glass of water were sitting on the bedside table. After drinking two glasses, her throat felt much better. "Hello? Is anypony there?"

The doors were opened and two pegasus Royal Guards stepped inside, bowing their heads.

"Your Highness." the first said. "Sorry for bothering you so soon after your awakening, but your assistance is needed in the palace."

"The palace?"

"We're under direct orders from the Princess herself to escort you there as soon as you wake up!" the second explained.

"Can I see my friends first?"

"Sorry, Your Highness, but it's an emergency, we have no time!" the first said as the second retrieved a wheelchair from the corridor.

Twilight sighed and nodded. After the guards assisted her to sit on the wheelchair and carrying her safely to outside the Hospital, they carefully laid her down on the seat of the Royal Chariot and flew to the castle. During the flight, Twilight felt that something about the capital was different; it was too quiet, even for a Canterlot nighttime. Once they arrived at their destination, the guards placed her back on the wheelchair and took her to the Throne Room. Twilight couldn't see who was sitting on the throne, since they were surrounded by books, pictures and documents. Both guards bowed.

"Your Highness, Princess Twilight is here." one of the guards said.

"Thank you for your assistance, guards." she said before lowering all the papers surrounding her. Twilight gasped. "Could you please leave us alone?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" they said before leaving the room. The unicorn guards standing outside closed the door, leaving the Princesses by themselves.

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake, Twilight."

After staring at the Princess with her mouth hanging open, she finally remembered how to speak:

"T-T-Trixie?!"

Trixie, now wearing a smaller version of Princess Celestia's regalia, was sitting at the throne that once belonged to Princess Celestia. Once the door was closed, her stern expression was replaced by one of terror. Without thinking twice, she ran to where Twilight was, removed her crown and held it in front of Twilight's face.

"Here! Take it! Quick, take it! I can't stand this anymore!"

"What happened? Why are they calling you a Princess? Where are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?"

"Oh, so much happened in these last few days you were in the hospital, I don't even know where to start." she looked down at the crown she was holding. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, they... They disappeared after the last Twisted Metal."

"They what?!"

"Nopony was sure what to do, this had never happened before. The council was desperate! They were out of options, since Princess Cadance is ruling over the Crystal Empire and you were in a hospital bed, so they gave the crown to the closest Alicorn available. They were a little reluctant since there were 6 'Yes' votes against 5 'No' votes - one of the council members was absent that day - but they needed somepony with their flank glued to that throne."

"But why don't you want to be a Princess? It's an honor!"

"Honor? Honor?!" she levitated a few dozens of papers in front of Twilight - most of them letters and newspaper clippings. "Ever since news of the disappearance of the Princesses, Equestria is a complete chaos! Street fights, robberies, all kinds of crimes are being commited everywhere! And do you think that's all? No no no no no, they're watching us, Twilight. Changelings, griffons, even the zebras. Since Discord's return we have been losing their trust - or fear, in the Changelings' case. They already know that we're vulnerable and, once we hit our lowest, they will see it as a chance to 'expand their territories'. If we can't pull ourselves back up, we better prepare ourselves for the possibility of war. A war, can you believe it? There are even rumors tha Fillydelphia is building underground shelters in case other nations indeed decide to strike. You are a natural leader, Twilight, only you can take over the reins of the situation! We need you. Equestria needs you." She once again held the crown in front of Twilight. "I need you."

"Stop acting like Princess Twilight can decline, Trixie." an unknown male voice said. The Alicorns looked at the door, which was half open, and where a middle-aged beige unicorn with grey mane and tail wearing a white suit, shirt and tie was standing.

"And you are...?" Twilight asked.

"Aries, head of the Royal Council." he bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to finally get acquainted with you, Your Highness."

"And what were you saying about me not being able to decline?"

"Well, unlike Trixie, you were already crowned a Princess. By the Royal Sisters, no less!" he levitated the crown away from Trixie's hooves and placed it on Twilight's head. "This is your duty, and you cannot deny them." he then proceeded to hastily strip Trixie from the royal regalia with his magic and place them on Twilight's lap. "Thank you for your assistance, miss Trixie, but we got a real Princess to do the job now. Your job of keeping her seat warm is finished, you are now dismissed."

He pointed at the open door and Trixie walked toward it. "Good luck, Princess Twilight..." she tried to keep her calm, but her insides were filled with worry about her friend. After all, being a Princess was quite the responsability and she dumped it all on her lap out of the blue.

"Wait, Trixie!"

The former showmare turned her head to look at her friend. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Come closer."

Trixie did as she was told. Aries raised an eyebrow, not sure of what were the plans of the new ruler. Once Trixie was close enough, Twilight touched both her shoulders with her horn. "Beatrix Lulamoon, due to your extended knowledge of the current situation of Equestria, admirable knowledge of the arcane sciences and previous experiences with a royal position, I, Princess Twilight of Equestria, hereby name you my personal adviser. You must accompany at all times, assisting me whenever I'm in need, no matter the situation."

Trixie's eyes grew wider with every word said by Twilight. "M-M-Me? Your... Adviser? Bu-But, I-I can't..."

Twilight pressed her hoof against Trixie's mouth, making her stop talking.

"I can't do this either, Trixie. At least not alone. Even Princess Celestia needed Princess Luna's assistance and vice versa. I need somepony to help me, so why not a close friend? Since you are so averse to the idea of being a Princess, can't you at least stand by my side?"

Trixie shifted her gaze from Twilight to Aries, who simply rolled his eyes. She looked back at her friend, who was looking at her with big, expectant eyes. Trixie sighed.

"When you put it like that... Okay, I accept your offer, Princess!"

Twilight giggled. "You know you don't need to be so formal, Trixie."

Aries rolled his eyes again, this time to the other side, and proceeded to leave the room. "I truly hope Equestria can survive being ruled by ponies like those..."

Once Aries closed the door, a fact came to Twilight:

"Wait a second! If I'm a Princess, then that means I can't go to Twisted Metal!"

"Well... I guess we'll have to trust your friends."

"But the only ponies on our side who are still participating are Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts!"

"Uh... Then I think we may have a problem."

* * *

Aries opened the door of the Council Meeting Room and cleaned his throat, drawing the attention of the other eleven council members "Gentlecolts! The throne is once again occupied."

"Are you getting senile, Aries? We know!" a dark purple pegasus mare with black mane wearing glasses said. "Personally, I don't trust that Trixie gal with my goldfish's life, let alone a whole nation."

"I am not senile, Aquarius, and I'm not talking about Ms. Waste of Time, no. Princess Twilight is here!"

"Finally!" a bulky, dark brown earth pony with golden mane and covered in scars said, slamming his hoof on the table. "Taurus was tired of waiting! So, when is Princess going to give permission to prepare for war? Taurus want to smash griffon beaks!"

"Now, now, Taurus, I know you like to fight, but war is always bad." a light pink pegasus mare with a poofy, yellow mane said while rubbing his back. "Calm down and let's hear what Aries has to say, alright?"

Taurus crossed his forelegs and huffed. "Just because Virgo asked."

"Thank you, Virgo!" Aries cleaned his throat again. "Well, I have good news and bad news! The good news is, I finally located where she is currently living."

"And the bad news?" a green earth pony stallion with dark green mane asked.

"The bad news, Cancer, is that she is a very busy mare and won't be available during the next Twisted Metal, only the one after that!"

"Well, those are indeed bad news, but--"

"And we need to pay her triple, because she is bringing her sisters."

"What?! Does she think we have a garden of bits?!" a red unicorn mare with orange mane shouted.

"Don't worry, Scorpio, it's a small price to pay in order to bring peace and order back to Equestria. Discord needs to be brought down, and she is the best Beast Hunter of this generation!"

"Small price, he says." Scorpio said, crossing her forelegs. "It's not the royal money we're using, it's ours."

"Knowing Equestrian Royalty as well as I do, Princess Twilight would never support a plan already denied by her predecessors. We must act on our own, and you know that! And remember--"

"Blah blah blah, nothing of what is said here must leave this room, blah blah blah, we know that, Ari!" a light blue seapony mare inside a water tank said. "You don't have to repeat it every time we meet, are you sure you're not senile?"

Aries frowned. "I am not that old."

Author's Note

Do you like The Zodiac Council of Equestria? Yes? Too bad, they were entirely pointless, I don't think I'm bringing them back.
But I might decide to draw them someday! It will also feature the missing Zodiacs that were not addressed in that scene.
Anyway, can you guess who are the three mysterious mares hired by the ZCE to destroy Discord?

22. Size Does (Not) Matter

"Do you like it, little fillies?" Discord asked. "A few weeks ago I was playing around with parts, disassembling and reassembling every vehicle inside my garage. And, by a mere accident, this beauty was created. Be honest, what do you think, what do you think?"

Scootaloo tilted her head, looking at the machine in front of her and her partner, Silver Spoon. "I... Really don't know what you say! What is the word I'm looking for here? It's... It's... Unique?"

"I think it's ugly!" Silver Spoon honestly said.

"Hey! That's it! That's the word! It's extremely, painfully, dag nasty ugly. How does it even work?"

In front of the two fillies was a pair of wheels. But not a common pair of wheels; they were both twice the size of a grown pony with nothing more than a platform connecting them to each other.

"I'll take that as constructive criticism." he said. "It's not too hard to drive it. First, step on that platform." and so the fillies did. "Now, do you see a hole in each wheel?" they inspected it closer and there was indeed a hole in each wheel, big enough for a foreleg to fit in. "It was originally planned for a single adult pony, but I guess two fillies can handle it just as well. Now stick a hoof in the hole - don 't worry, I promise it won't hurt!" reluctantly, the fillies slowly slid their hooves in the wheels; Scootaloo stick her left foreleg in the left wheel and Silver Spoon stick her right foreleg in the right wheel. "Now, since you're close friends and all, you won't mind wrapping your other foreleg around your partner, right? You know, for support!" they looked at each other and nooded. Silver Spoon and Scootaloo then stood on their hind legs and wrapped their forelegs around each other's neck. "Comfortable?"

"I don't know how comfortable a pony can get here, but I'm as comfortable as possible, I guess." Scootaloo said.

"Ditto!" Silver Spoon said with a nod.

"Then, I believe you are ready!"

The fillies heard a Clang! sound coming from the wheels. Afraid of what was happening in there, the fillies tried to pull their hooves out of the machine, but no matter how hard they pulled, they wouldn't budge.

"I-I'm stuck!" Silver Spoon said.

"M-Me too!" Scootaloo said, still trying to free herself. "Discord, what did you do to us?!"

"It's just a safety measure, so you won't fall off!"

"How do we even move this thing?" the pegasus asked.

"No, Scoots, the question is 'how do we get out of here?'" the earth pony said.

"There are some buttons and levers inside the wheels. Just twist your hooves around and you'll find them. And, uh, about Silvy's question... You know, I never thought about that! Have fun trying to figure that out."

"DISCORD!" they shouted at the same time, still trying to free themselves.

"So, what's going on in this neck of the woods? Where's Princess Twilight?"

"She's a busy mare now, Discord!" Rainbow Dash said. "Since the Princesses mysteriously disappeared..."

"Let's just pretend you had nothing to do with this." Fleetfoot briefly interrupted.

"...somepony had to make the important decisions in their place." Dash finished.

"Oh, what a shame. I was really looking forward to hear what kind of insults and threats she would throw at me this time! Oh, well. Then I imagine there's no pointing in waiting for her to arrive. To Twisted Metal!"

With a snap of his fingers, the drivers disappeared. All of them reappeared in different places of a very bright town, even though it was already nighttime. Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash looked around for a while, when the Senior Wonderbolt gasped.

"This-This is Manehattan!" she said. "Don't tell me he evacuated a whole city just to turn it into an arena?"

"'Evacuated'?" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at a window of one of the several houses, where a filly stood inside, looking at them. "I don't think so!"

"This is one of Equestria's biggest cities! Thousands of ponies live in here! Of all the places he could choose..."

"Sick bastard..." the multicolored mare mumbled between gritted teeth, tightly gripping the steering wheel.

"We'll have to be extremely careful. If we hit one of those houses, we might--"

Rainbow Dash noticed the eyes of the filly widen as she ran as far as she could from the window. Rainbow Dash turned her head and her eyes widened as well. "LOOK OUT!"

She accelerated Rainboom, dodging on the last second a car coming at them at full speed. The car then crashed against the house beside the one where Dash saw the young filly.

"Discord, you monster, how could you?!" Fleetfoot shouted.

"Ah, you know what they say, 'it's much more fun, I must confess, with lives on the line. Not mine, of course, but yours, old colt, now, that'll be just fine'."

* * *

"Turn left, Silver Spoon!"

"Like this?"

"No, my left!"

"Your left is my left!"

"Then turn right, dodge that hydrant."

"Then we need to turn left!"

"That's what I said!"

From a dark alley, Diamond Sombra Pie, from inside their gold plated ice cream truck, observed the pilots of the giant wheels struggling to keep the contraption under control, but failing miserably.

"We should put them out of their misery." Sombra's voice echoed in Diamond Tiara's mind.

"Come ooooon, are you kidding? This is so amusing!" Pinkamena's voice inside her head replied. "I haven't had that much fun since we tamed Cerberus, let me watch a while longer!"

"Every second we spend here is another second without Discord's godly powers in my hooves. Let's just get this over with!"

"Hey, for your information, half of this brain is mine.You're not the only one dictating the orders here, so whatever I say goes, too!"

Sombra groaned. "Maybe I should wish to not be stuck with you all the time instead..."

"I saved you from Tartarus, you should be grateful!"

"Is at moments like these that I wonder if I made the right choice. Wait... 'Right'? That's it!" Diamond Tiara closed her eyes for a moment and, when she opened them, her right eye was red and green with purple smoke coming out of them and her left eye was blue, the sclera once again white.

"What... What did you do?" she asked, but only the left side of her lips seemed to move.

"You claim that half of this pitiful brain belongs to you, right?" now, only the right side of Diamond Tiara's lips seemed to move. "Then by all means, keep it! But of course, you only get to keep one half of our body as well. So sit back and relax as much as you want." using the right hoof, Sombra/Tiara engage the first gear and accelerated. "My half will get down to business!"

"Hey hey hey, that's so not fair!" the left hoof then grabbed the steering wheel, but was slapped away by the right hoof. "Sombra, we're a team, remember?"

"I try as hard as I possibly can not to."

Gold Tooth caught up to Silver Spoon and Scootaloo rather quickly, - despite the fact that Pinkamena's side was constantly trying to stop Sombra's - mostly because the two fillies still couldn't control their vehicle very well and were smashing against all sorts of things: building walls, newsstands, bus stops...

The noise coming from the streets alerted the whole city of the imminent peril, making ponies flee in the most chaotic manners possible; pegasi flew away, constantly bumping against each other, while unicorns and earth ponies ran - only a few lucky ones manage to get into carriages. Discord laughed.

"This reminds me of the old times." he said.

Without thinking twice, the four Wonderbolts jumped out of their cars to help the population escape: since Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot were the fastest of the group, they scouted the city from above, looking for the safer escape routes. Soarin' helped the pegasi form lines so they could escape without hurting or endangering each other. On the ground, Spitfire lead the ground ponies to the escape routes her subordinates traced.

"...and after crossing the bridge, everypony is safely out of town!" Fleetfoot finished her report.

"Great job, you two! Now, Fleetfoot, go help Soarin' evacuate the pegasi. Rainbow Dash, you're with me!"

Dash and Fleetfoot saluted their captain, the latter then flew up.

"What is my mission, ma'am?" Rainbow asked, still saluting her.

"Have you memorized the escape route?"

"And two alternate ones, in case the main option becomes unavailable!"

"Awesome! Now, you go to the front and get those ponies out of town. I'll be on the back, making sure everypony else will follow suit."

"Yes, ma'am!" she quickly moved to the front of the line. "Everypony, follow me, we'll get you out of here."

After instantly recognizing the uniform she was wearing, the ponies of Manehattan did exactly as they were told. On the back of the line, Spitfire saw a car coming straight at them. There was no time to react and it was going to collide against the line at any mom--

Suddenly, a pair of giant wheels fell on top of the car, smashing it and making it stop where it stood.

"Sorry!" the pegasus filly between the wheels shouted as the wheels rolled away.

"What... Just happened?" Spitfire asked, tilting her head.

"Locked on target!" Sombra said. "For once, please, do what I say and shoot."

Pinkamena shrugged. "Whatever, the buzz was gone long ago, anyway."

With the press of a button, Gold Tooth shot a missile at the fillies, but when it was so close to touching their vehicle, the wheels jumped really high.

"What the--"

The missile hit the ground, opening a crater on the asphalt, and the wheels landed on the road behind Gold Tooth.

"Good job, Silvy!" Scootaloo said, patting her friend on the back.

"Should I tell her that it was an accident?" the earth pony filly thought.

"I'm going to kick your Cutie Marks!" Scootaloo yelled at the golden truck in front of them. "Silver Spoon, do the thing!"

Silver Spoon nodded, then twisted her hoof and pressed a button. A faint green glow surrounded the massive wheels, then the vehicle suddenly jumped into the air.

"And now they explode and fireworks fly everywhere!" Pinkamena said full of glee.

But the explosion never happened and the "car" was now coming back down.

"Funny, that's usually how it goes when glowy things fly to the sky."

"I don't think this is going to end well. Pinkamena, engage fifth gear, full speed ahead!"

"Okie dokie lokie!"

She did as she was told and Sombra stepped as hard as he could on the accelerator. When the wheels hit the ground, a green energy wave spread across the area, making giant fissures appear on the asphalt and a few walls on the buldings in the area, as well as making every single glass window in a 50-meter radius shatters, including Gold Tooth's, which was far away enough of the impact area to avoid severe immediate damage, but not far away enough to not be sent flying and smash against the wall of the third floor of a building.

"I... I did the thing..." Silver said between pants.

"Good job!" Scootaloo said, hoofbumping her friend.

"It... It was pretty good, wasn't it? Heheh."

"Well, well, well. After I gave your body back, I didn't even expected to see you competing again, but here you war, in the winner circle once again. I tip my hat to you!" Discord, who was sitting on top of one of the wheels, said while tipping the white Fedora he was wearing. "And just because you were so entertaining tonight, spreading chaos all over Manehattan with that machine of mine, I'll give you two one special gift!"

With a snap of his fingers, Discord released the grip of the wheels on their hooves. The duo lost their balance and faceplanted on the road.

"Now, for the reason anyone plays this game to begin with, your wish! What is it gonna be?"

Silver Spoon looked at the golden car with half of it smashed through a wall of a building. She shifted her gaze to Scootaloo. "Whatever you wish, Scoots."

Scootaloo looked at the concerned expression in her friend's face, then sighed.

"Discord, I wish you to free Diamond Tiara from those demons' control."

Silver Spoon's eyes widened. "S-Scootaloo, you...?"

"We're friends now, Silvy! And, even though I can't stand that filly, if she makes you happy, then... Yes, that's my wish!"

"Awwww, I love true friendship!" Discord said while wiping a tear. "Those are much more fun to destroy. But let's save it for another day! Your wish is granted!"

Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Inside Gold Tooth, Diamond Tiara slowly opened her eyes.

"Owwww, my head... Where... Where am I?" she struggled to open the door and, when she did, she fell on the carpet the ice cream truck was on top of. After struggling to get up, she felt something coming up her throat, which her body gladly got rid of, covering the carpet in front of her with a small pile of a pink material similar to bubblegum. Once Tiara was finished coughing, she looked at it and pressed her back against Gold Tooth, as if the pink mass was going to hurt her.

"Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!" she said. "What is that, and what was it doing inside me?"

The pink mass twitched, and that was the last drop before Diamond Tiara ran away, screaming. Slowly, the pink bubblegum-like pile began to grow and chance its shape to one of a pony. More specifically a mare. A pink mare with pink mane and deep blue eyes with green sclera and purple smoke gently flowing out of them.

"Why am I going on?" she looked at her hooves. "My body is how did this happened? I'm sure Discord, you had something to do with why, Discord? I know you have a second and I am very grateful, but I want an explanation!"

"Nothing complicated, really!" Discord said while coming out of the bathroom of the room they were in, holding a pink towel. "I just had so much fun with you two in these past few months that I couldn't just send you back to Tartarus! I couldn't bring your body back too, Sombrero, but you've been mindmates for so long that I don't think you mind!"

"First, I hate sharing a mind with this pink do realize that you just gave us another chance to steal your powers, right?"

"I know what I did, Pink Sombra, I always know. Well, except that one time a thousand years ago, but I fixed that already. Anyway, looking forward to see you two and your strategies to beat my game next month!"

He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"I am Discord, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

23. The End Is Neigh

Aries sat on his chair, watching the door of his office with a calm gaze, but impatiently tapping his hoof on his table. He was about to get up when he heard a knock.

"Yes, come in!"

A white unicorn mare with brown mane and wearing glasses opened the door with her magic and stepped in.

"Mr. Aries, the three ponies you called are here." she said.

"Great! Let them in."

"But, sir..."

"'But' what, miss Raven?"

"They're over an hour late. Don't you--"

"Miss Raven, do you know who they are?"

"Um... No?"

"Or at least what they do?"

"No, sir."

"That's understandable, then. If you knew them as well as I do, you would know that, if you have an appointment with those three, specially with the older one, you cannot cancel or postpone it. So, just let them in! Am I clear?"

Raven hung her head in shame. "Yes, sir."

Raven then left Aries' office without turning her back and, just a few seconds later, three ponies now stood in her place. They were all mares wearing leather clothes with spikes on them and, even though the designs of their clothes were a little different, all of them had one thing in common: a white mask.

"Oh, girls, it's so good to finally meet you personally!" Aries said while getting up.

"We are here for business." the mare on the right, who had dark grey mane and tail, said.

"Yes, yes, of course. It's just, so few ponies get to meet The Dolls in person that--"

"Your point, please." the mare on the left, this one with light grey mane and tail, said.

"So-Sorry. You see, for almost a year now, this... Thing, Discord, has been hosting a contest called Twsited Metal in our loved homeland of Equestria. It's a safety hazard against every single living creature, especially since last month, when he used one of our biggest cities as his playground! Your mission is to join the next Twisted Metal, play for win and eliminate Discord." Aries then levitated a brown envelope from one of his drawers and placed it on the hooves of the mare in the middle, this one with purple mane and tail. "There you will find the blueprints of the vehicle you will use and instructions on how to handle it. You will also find four pictures of your allies and the records of a recurring contestant who has given us a hard time lately."

The middle Doll opened the envelope then gave the blueprints to the left Doll and the instructions to the right Doll, but kept the pictures and a file with the Blackfield Asylum logo on the cover. The pictures had names scribbled on the back:

Rainbow Dash - Airpony

Fleetfoot - Second Lieutenant

Soarin' - First Lieutenant

Spitfire - Captain

The middle Doll opened the file. The other two Dolls stopped reading the documents they were given to stare at the picture of the mare whose that file belonged to: Pinkamena Diane Pie. After a few moments of silently staring at her picture, the purple maned mare looked up at the Council member.

"Is that all the info you have?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. You see, we are secretly working behind the curtains, without the knowledge or support of the crown, so our resources are... Limited! You have no idea how hard it was to get a car, especially such a large-sized one. Also, we have Aquarius and Capricorn to thank for those blueprints, since we couldn't hire a mechanic to do a more accurate one for us."

The middle Doll stuffed all the pictures, the blueprints, the instructions and the asylum file back into the envelope, then the three mares turned around to leave the room.

"Soooo, are you taking the job?"

"We never refuse a job." the three said at the same time without stopping or turning around, making Aries shiver.

* * *

"DADDY!" Diamond Tiara shouted as she ran toward her father, who welcomed her home with a smile and a hug.

"Oh, my little Diamond!" he said with eyes moist with tears. "You're back. You're finally back home!"

"I'm sorry, daddy! I'm so, so, so sorry!" she said while tears streamed down her face. "It's all that monster's fault! He whispered things in my head and told me to do all those awful things."

"It's ok, Dia, it's ok." he said while petting her mane. "Everything is fine. You're back home, back with me, soon everything will be just like it used to be. Well, sort of."

Diamond Tiara opened her eyes and saw ponies carrying lots of stuff out of their mansion. She gasped.

"Daddy, we're being robbed!"

"No, Dia, we're not. Those fine gentlecolts are... Borrowing them, yes!"

"Dad, I am not a baby. I know something is going on. What is it?"

Filthy Rich sighed. "Fine." he then took a deep breath. "Ever since that thing that was inside you emptied our safes and vaults, Rich's Barnyard Bargains went through some rough times. In short, we're this close to go bankrupt."

"B-B-Bankrupt?"

"Don't worry, though. Your mother and I promised each other not to tuch any of your things without your permission."

Diamond Tiara jumped away from Filthy Rich's hug and went straight into their house.

"She'll be fine." he said, then turned around at the two fillies standing a few feet away from him. "Silver Spoon, can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes, Mr. Rich?" she asked.

"Things are a little crazy in there, so can you ask your parents if my Diamond Tiara can stay there for a few days? Maybe a few weeks?"

"Sure, of course!" Silver Spoon said.

"Thank you. Both of you for bringing her back to us!"

"Not a problem, sir!" Scootaloo said while saluting him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with an old friend of mine who promised me to buy that thing for a good price." he said while pointing his hoof at the slightly smashed Gold Tooth parked not too far away from them. "Maybe it will be enough to help things a little around here. Thank you for driving it all the way back here!"

"Well, we owed you an apology for allowing Tiara to be mind-controlled by those things." Silver Spoon said with an embarrased smile.

"I am grateful nonetheless." Filthy Rich said before walking to Gold Tooth, where another pony was waiting for him.

"Your friend is ok. What now?" Scootaloo asked Silver Spoon.

"I... I... I don't know!" she said. "Is there anything left for us in Twisted Metal?"

"Well, Dash is still participating, trying to stop it! And if she's going to be there to the end, then so am I!"

"And you helped me get what I wanted, so it's only fair that I help you get what you want, right?"

"Thanks, Silvy."

"Always, Scoots."

The fillies shared a brohoof. "Twisted Metal is coming down!"

Author's Note

I told you I was going to draw the ZCE, and here they are. Hope this compensates for the fact that this chapter is short as buck!

Trust The Phoenix Writer™

24. Enter The Dolls

The citizens of the Crystal Empire were all hidden inside their homes. Earlier that day they felt the whole ground shake and not long after that, a giant arena made of crystal emerged from the grassy fields surrounding their sparkly home. There was no doubt that Discord was behind it. It didn't took long for the contestants to come from the most distant corners of Equestria, their minds dead set on winning this month's competition.

The new rulers of that beautiful kingdom were powerless to stop it. If Luna and Celestia, the supreme rulers of all of Equestria were powerless against it, what chances a young Alicorn and her Unicorn husband had? The male wrapped his leg around the female's leg as they watched from their castle's balcony the reunion of ponies that would probably be dead in the next few hours.

Then, the ground shook a second time. But this time nothing emerged from the underground, but from the horizon. It was by far the largest vehicle ever seen in that competition, easily five times taller than an average car, each of its six wheels already taller than almost all of the other competitors. Its bodywork was mostly black with the exception of the pink-colored circles. Two large sets of large metal bars covered the front side of the vehicle, from bumper to windshield, resembling a giant metal mouth with very sharp teeth. Above the cabin sat the upper half of an even larger version of a bobblehead every contestant learned to fear, now looking more menacing than ever, especially with the metal mouth looking like it belonged to said head. The driver was a dark pink earth pony mare. Her mane, now darker than ever - only a few shades away from pitch black - now flowed like a dark flame, even in the absence of wind. She laughed maniacally.

"Now that's something I wasn't expecting to see." Discord said.

"Surprised, Discord? I'll have you know that my powers are slowly but surely returning. I don't need dark crystals and not even an actual horn to channel my strenght is now enough to beat anything you throw at me. Even your unfairly overpowered Gideon!"

"First, my darling's name is 'Minion'. Second, Pinkie Pie--"

"Pinkamena!"

"Whatever! I just wanted to give you a piece of advice. From one backstabber to another!"

"Glad you finally recognize get to the point."

"I've been spying on-- Er... Um... I mean, studying a certain group of ponies, and they hired another certain group of ponies to go specifically after your head. You should watch your back during and after the tournament this time!"

"Why are you warning me?"

"Because I hope that the paranoia of know that you will be followed no matter where you go will slowly drive you mad. Again!"

"Ha-ha-ha, very funny Discord, why not cut to the chase and start Twisted Metal already? I'm itching to test what my newest creation can do on actual living creatures!"

Noo further noise was made once they felt the ground shake the third time that day. From the same direction Dark Tooth came from, now another vehicle approached the arena. It was only half as tall as the black ice cream truck, but the difference in length wasn't very big. A black truck that only the earliest players of Twisted Metal would possibly recognize was racing toward them. Fast!

"That doesn't look very friendly." Discord said as the crystal gates opened. "You should probably hurry inside while you still have time!"

Without thinking twice, most drivers entered the arena. Most.

"Let's go in, Scoots!" Silver Spoon said with a confident grin. "Scoots?"

Her grin faded and an expression of concern took place when she saw the look on her friend's face; a look of absolute horror.

"I-I-It's... It's... I... That... We..." Scootaloo mumbled.

"Are you ok, Scoots?"

The pegasus turned their car around and drove away from the arena as fast as she possibly could.

"Scootaloo, what are you doing?!"

"I'M NOT GOING IN THERE!"

"Why not? You fine before those two large things showed up. Talk to me, Scoots! Why are we running away?"

"THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE THING! THAT THING IS BACK! IT CAME BACK FOR ME! IT WANTS TO KILL ME! I WON'T LET IT KILL ME AGAIN!"

"So, what you're saying is that one of those big vehicles... Killed you?"

Scootaloo nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping on the driver's seat.

"B-B-Back in the first Tw-Twisted Metal... Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle survived, but I... I... I don't want to go near that again! Ever ever ever again!"

Silver Spoon pat her friend on the back. "I understand your feelings, Scoots. Let's just go home."

Scootaloo nodded again.

* * *

The first few minutes of the competition were a total massacre. Dark Tooth had all kinds of weapons at its disposal: machine guns, homing missiles, napalm bombs, power missiles, drop mines, but its worse weapon was by far the homing napalm missiles, for causing double damage - it exploded when reached the target and spread flames everywhere to ensure certain death. To shoot them, the head on top of the truck was slightly raised, revealing a hidden cannon. Every time a homing napalm missile was shot, an eerie, mechanical laughter could be heard coming from the head.

"This isn't good at all!" Rainbow Dash said while dodging the giant shards of the now ruined crystal arena. "I wasn't expecting Pinkie to get herself a car so cool and so powerful!"

"So, do you want to use that?"

"Which 'that'? That that or that that?"

"That that, of course! Who do you think I am?"

"Alright, let's do this!"

Rainbow Dash pressed a button, opening the trunk of Rainboom, revealing a large cannon.

"Noise at 0.21%!" Fleetfoot said. "Interference at 0.14%! Rainboom Cannon charged. Feedback complete. Shoot when ready!"

Rainbow Dash adjusted the aim directly at Dark Tooth's driver cabin. "Target acquired!"

With the press of a button, the Rainboom Cannon started to gather energy. Rainbow Dash grinned when she saw Dark Tooth driving straight at them. After no longer than five seconds, a multicolored beam was fired from the cannon and straight at the black truck. The flash was too bright for any living creature to witness the beam hit its target, but when the light faded, the two Wonderbolts uncovered their eyes, and smiled when they couldn't find a sign that Dark Tooth survived the hit.

"Yeah!" they shouted at the same time while sharing a hoofbump. But their moment of happiness was short-lived, for they heard the same engine sound now coming from behind. The mares turned around, but saw nothing. Fleetfoot looked up, and her face went pale.

"GET OUT!" she screamed before flying out of the window. Rainbow Dash did the same, mere moments before Dark Tooth's massive wheels smashed Rainboom; the grappling hook it used to pull itself up and out of the Rainboom Cannon's range slowly being recoiled.

"My car!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Not the time, Rainbow Dash!" Fleetfoot said while grabbing her foreleg and flying away. "We're defenseless now. We must retreat!"

"You'll pay for this, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she and her partner fled from the crystal arena.

"Only one left and I can will be able to wish for Discord's unlimited powers. I shall be reborn in the same place I was once destroyed. It must be fate!"

"Not so fast, Sombrero!" Discord said. "You missed one!"

Darkside, the truck from before, slammed itself on Dark Tooth's side. Even with the size difference, the black truck was strong enough to push the bigger vehicle almost very easily.

"Wow, this one is no joke."

PinkaSombra engaged reverse and managed to escape from Darkside's attack. He/She tried to gain some distance so that they could fire their weapons without taking damage, but the truck was both big and fast, catching up with them in mere moments, smashing their fronts together.

SombraMena smirked. "You actived my Trap Card!" After a button was pressed, the "mouth" of Dark Tooth began to move, then "biting" Darkside's driver cabin. Dark Tooth's "teeth" began to move up and down, carrying Darkside with it. After shaking for long enough, the massive ice cream truck threw the black truck up, making it land on its back.

"Well, I guess that's that. Discord, we won the competition. Grant me my--"

Suddenly, the back doors of the fallen Darkside were abruptly opened when a black motorcycle slammed against it and jumped from inside the truck, immediately followed by two other motorcycles, their drivers were mares wearing black clothes and white masks. They all started to drive in circles around Dark Tooth.

"Bugs! I shall squash--" but when PinkaSombra's hoof was about to press one of the buttons. "Huh? Pinkamena? Why do you fight me? Let me finish those three. I don't know why, but I feel that... I know them. It doesn't matter! Whoever they are, they are the only things standing between me and my wish. We shall destroy them."

Sombra managed to force their hoof into pressing a button, shooting a normal homing missile, which was easily dodged by the target. He groaned and accelerated, trying to hit at least one of them, but they were small enough to fit in the rather large space under Black Tooth, an empty space which was used by them as a escape route.

Two of The Dolls escaped from different sides of Dark Tooth, but the third Doll stayed underneath it, analyzing everything. Finally, she jumped from her motorcycle and grabbed on a pipe, pulling herself up. From inside her leather jacket, she pulled a C-4. The Doll attached the explosive to the vehicle and pressed a few buttons, then waved at the closest of the two other Dolls, the one with dark grey mane.

The Doll nodded and went once again underneath Black Tooth. Once she and the truck were driving at the same speed, the first Doll let go of the pipe and landed on the seat of the motorcycle, right behind the first Doll. She then turned around and drove away from Black Tooth and toward the third, purple-maned Doll.

The driver(s) of Dark Tooth wasn't about to give up, though. (S)He kept firing all kinds of missiles at the two remaining motorcycles, but they dodged every single one of them like professional bikers.

Then, it finally happened. The countdown of the C-4 reached zero and the explosion sent Dark Tooth flying. It spinned in midair and landed on its side, rendered completely useless.

SombraMena kicked the door open and got out of the destroyed vehicle, covered in bruises. When their entire body was out of the giant car, they slipped and fell on the ground. Still dizzy thanks to the fall, (s)he failed to notice The Dolls approach and get down from their motorcycles. The purple-maned Doll watched as the other two sat PinkaSombra up and held his/her hooves, so she wouldn't resist.

"Discord." the Doll called, not one ounce of emotion could be indetified in her voice.

"Yes, miss?" Discord asked, appearing right behind her.

"We were hired to come here and kill you." she said.

"Yes, I know!"

"We never refuse a job, but we are not stupid." she continued. "You are strong. Very strong. Some might call you a demon. Maybe even a god! But not me. I see what you really are, Discord. At it frightens me."

He bowed. "You flatter me!"

"You are too much for The Dolls to handle. But your time is almost up. Somepony will put an end to your evil deeds. I can feel it in the rocks of this ground."

"So, you want me to believe that rocks can predict the future? Puh-lease..."

"You shouldn't underestimate, Discord. One little pebble out of place can make an entire building fall."

"That... That voice..." the pink menace in front of them said. "You... You are... Are you...?"

"It's been so long..." The purple-maned Doll unclasped her mask, which fell to the ground with a soft thud! PinkaSombra's eyes grew as large as saucers. "...sister!"

"M-M-M-Maud?!" she nodded. "Wh-Wh-What are you doing here? What are those clothes you're wearing? And those masks? Wait! If you're here, does that mean...?" he other two Dolls removed their masks as well. "Li-Limestone? Marble?"

"Look at you, Pinkie Pie." Maud said while caressing her face. "If we knew this is what you would turn into, we would have never let you leave the farm."

Pinkamena's eyes flashed green. "HEY! Let go of me! You stupid freaks destroyed my masterpiece and ruined another chance of winning Twisted Metal!"

But Limestone and Marble Pie didn't let go of him/her. Instead, they looked at Maud, who turned to face Discord.

"As winners of this tournament, we invoke our right to have a wish granted." she said.

"Well, I guess you did your homework."

"Discord..." she turned back to look at where her sisters were. "Bring her back. Our good, old, dear, sweet, loved Super Party Pony Pinkie Pie! That's our wish!" Marble and Limestone nodded.

"Really?" Discord sighed. "But we were having so much fun..." he sighed again. "Alright, your wish is granted!"

Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared one fraction of second before Maud could plunge a switchblade in his stomach.

"I thought you weren't going to try to kill me!" Discord said, sounding indignant.

"I just wanted to be sure you were as good as I perceived." she placed the switchblade back into the inner pocket of her jacket. "I wasn't wrong."

"Maud!" Limestone called. Maud approached her three sisters.

Pinkamena's whole body was shaking. She tried to free herself, but her sisters held her tightly in place. But this wasn't enough to hold her in place. Pinkamena used all of her strenght to push Marble and Limestone away and ran away. She didn't got far, though, because her legs ceased to respond after a few seconds and she fell on the ground. She tried to crawl away, but she started to cough really hard; with every cough, a small cloud of black smoke was expelled from her body. After several coughs, she fell on her side with her mouth hanging open, smoke still coming out of her mouth. The small clouds marged into a single and giant cloud with giant green and red eyes.

"NO!" the cloud said. "I SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED HERE! NOT SO EASILY!" his eyes turned to the giant city of crystal not too far away from where they were. "OF COURSE. THE CRYSTAL HEART!" King Sombra, now only a giant cloud of smoke, flew toward the Crystal Empire, hoping it could sate his thirst for power. Unbeknownst to him, the Crystal Heart right underneath the Crystal Palace began to spin. The closer King Sombra got to the castle, the faster the Heart spinned.

"CRYYYYYYYYYYSTAAAAAAAAAAAALS!"

But he never achieved his goal, for the Crystal Heart used its power to erect a barrier around the whole Empire. The moment King Sombra touched it, his cloud body vanished and he was no more.

Back in the Crystal Arena, Maud sat on the ground with Pinkamena's head on her lap, while she caressed her sister's mane. Soon enough, the pink pony's eyes slowly opened.

"M... Maud?" she called. "What... What hap-- Ow!"

"Don't move, Pinkie." Maud said, still stroking her mane. "Everything will be fine now. Everything will be fine!"

Author's Note

Originally I was planning on introducing Tower Tooth in this chapter, but that was before The Dolls came into the picture. And since Dollface's trademark vehicle in Twisted Metal Black was the truck Darkside, I thought "Hey, why not make a showdown between two of the meanest vehicles of the franchise?" And that is why Dark Tooth replaced Tower Tooth!

25. The Twisted Turnabout

April 21, 11:35 AM

District Court

Courtroom No. 3

The Judge slammed his gavel. "This court sees no reason to further prolong the trial." he said. "Nor is there any need for more time to decide the case against the defendant. This case is extremely clear. I see no room for misinterpretation of the facts. This court finds the defendant, Ms. Pinkamena Diane Pie..."

Pinkie Pie, now back to her usual colorful self, sighed and slammed her face on the table. Even though she had no memories of anything everypony claimed that she did, - her last memory being of her joining the very first Twisted Metal alongside her friends - their testimonies were enough to convince even herself that she was beyond salvation. The guilty veredict and, most likely, death penalty, waited for her.

"Just throw the book at me and get this over with..." she mumbled.

"HOLD IT!"

Pinkie quickly raised her head. Her defense attorney, a grey young mare, was standing on her hind legs and pointing her hoof at the Judge.

"Your Honor, I cannot allow you to pass judgement when there is clearly one big question left unanswered!" she said.

"A question left unanswered?" the Judge asked. "And what is it?"

She slammed her hooves on the table. "What happened to the real culprit of this case?"

"OBJECTION!" this time it was the prosecutor, a middle-aged dark green stallion, who shouted with his high-pitched voice. "What kind of question is this?" he asked. "It's very clear that Ms. Pie is the culprit, why else would she be the defendant of this trial?"

"OBJECTION! Remember the testimony of our previous witness? She claimed that 'Pinkie wasn't acting like herself since Twisted Metal started, it was like somepony else had taken over her body'!"

"So what? Many ponies show their true colors when the circumstance is just right."

She shook her head. "But not this witness. There is a mountain of evidence that proves she was being manipulated!"

"Oh, yeah? Then why don't you show the court this 'mountain'?"

She smiled. "Not only we have hundreds of witnesses, but the very Princess of the Crystal Empire claimed that she 'felt a dark presence approaching her castle' and that when she 'looked from her balcony, she saw a dark cloud of magic leave the arena and vanish when approaching the Empire', is that correct?"

"This doesn't prove that--"

"Not so fast, Mr. Prosecutor! I have another piece of evidence, one that a pony like you would call 'conclusive'!"

"Wh-What?!"

"TAKE THAT! I have here a Memory Crystal, the one discarded by yourself as 'just another piece of the damaged crime scene'."

"And what does that do?" the Judge asked. "Does it help a pony regain lost memories?"

"Well, not exactly, Your Honor. Why don't you explain to us, Mr. Prosecutor?"

"V-Very well." the prosecutor adjusted his glasses. "A Memory Crystal is a magic artifact natural from the surroundings of the Crystal Empire. It is triggered by direct contact with magic, but it can be triggered by accident when a very powerful spell is cast near it and, once activated, it 'records' the surrounding area. The duration of the recording is very random, and the timespan varies from seconds to hours."

"Why wasn't this piece of evidence submitted to court earlier?" the Judge asked.

"Because, as I said before, it was discarded as trash." the defense attorney explained. "Its true nature was discovered recently, in the last recess."

The Judge nodded. "Very well. I shall accept this evidence in the Court Record. Now, how do we 'play' this Memory Crystal?"

"We just have to charge it with magic. The process is completely harmless!"

"Bailiff!" the Judge called. The bailiff, an unicorn Royal Guard, saluted him and proceeded to charge the crystal. After a couple of seconds, the Memory Crystal started to glow an extremely bright white light.

~ ~ ~

Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared one fraction of second before Maud could plunge a switchblade in his stomach.

"I thought you weren't going to try to kill me!" Discord said, sounding indignant.

"I just wanted to be sure you were as good as I perceived." she placed the switchblade back into the inner pocket of her jacket. "I wasn't wrong."

"Maud!" Limestone called. Maud approached her three sisters.

Pinkamena's whole body was shaking. She tried to free herself, but her sisters held her tightly in place. This wasn't enough to hold her in place, though; Pinkamena used all of her strenght to push Marble and Limestone away and ran. She didn't got far, because her legs ceased to respond after a few seconds and she fell on the ground. She tried to crawl away, but started to cough really hard; with every cough, a small cloud of black smoke was expelled from her body. After several coughs, she fell on her side with her mouth hanging open, smoke still coming out of her mouth. The small clouds marged into a single and giant cloud with giant green and red eyes.

"NO!" the cloud said. "I SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED HERE! NOT SO EASILY!" King Sombra, now only a giant cloud of smoke, flew toward the Crystal Empire.

Limestone and Marble dragged the barely conscious Pinkie Pie to where Maud was standing and placed her down. Maud sat on the ground with Pinkamena's head on her lap, while she caressed her sister's mane. Soon enough, the pink pony's eyes slowly opened.

"M... Maud?" she called. "What... What hap-- Ow!"

"Don't move, Pinkie." Maud said, still stroking her mane. "Everything will be fine now. Everything will be fine!"

Soon after that, Soarin' and Spitfire landed in front of the sisters.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie, you're under arrest!" the yellow mare said.

~ ~ ~

The court was so silent that if somepony dropped a pin, even the Judge, with his hearing damaged due to old age, would be able to hear. The prosecutor and the Judge were both shocked. The defense attorney, who had her forelegs crossed, smiled.

"Well, Your Honor? Is this proof enough? My client was but a puppet this whole time, her actions were not her own. The true culprit of all the crimes commited - or, should I say not commited - by her..." she slammed her hooves on the table. "...Were in reality commited by that creature!"

The prosecutor flinched as if he had seen a ghost, then screamed: "N-NOOOOOOOO!"

Everypony in court was either shocked or confused by such unexpected turnabout. All their gazes then switched to the Judge, who had his eyes closed, pondering his decision.

"Hmm..." he said with a slight nod. "Does the prosecution wishes to raise an objection?"

"I-- I-I mean, th-the prosecution... I object to... To..." he said while sweating bullets.

"And do you have evidence to back up your ojection, Mr. Prosecutor?" the mare asked.

"N-N-No, but--"

She slammed her hooves on the table. "Then it's settled, Your Honor. My client is clearly innocent!"

He nodded. "Well, since the prosecution can no longer prove the guilt of the defendant after this last piece of evidence was presented..." he slammed his gavel once again. "I believe I am ready to pass judgement and bring this trial to an end. The court finds the defendant, Pinkamena Diane Pie..."

A rain of confetti fell in the courtoom.

* * *

April 21, 11:35 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 3

"Whew, that was close..." the defense attorney said while sitting on the couch, feeling completely beat. "I am sorry if I made you almost lose hope so many times, Pinkie Pie, but this was just my third trial, so I'm still a little wet behind the ears."

"It's ok, it's ok." Pinkie Pie said while sitting beside her. "I really appreciate what you did for me, even though I clearly didn't deserved it... I still think I did all of those awful things, and this makes me feel so bad..."

"Pinkie..." she said. "I can't really explain to you, - you probably wouldn't believe me, anyway - but I have a... special ability. And I don't use it very much, only when there is absolutely no other option, but it allows me to know if somepony is hiding deep secrets from me. And I can tell that you aren't hiding anything, Pinkie. I believe you are innocent!"

"Thank you so much, but..." she looked at the door that lead to the corridor and, eventually, outside. "I can't say all of my friends think the same way as you do. Earning back their trust may be complicated!"

* * *

Once outside the building, Pinkie Pie noticed a small crowd of ponies waiting for her outside, each with a different expression on their faces:

Maud, Limestone and Marble - who were no longer wearing their clothes and masks - had tiny, almost imperceptible smiles on their faces.

Twilight Sparkle, who was flanked by Captain Shining Armor and Advisor Trixie, had glasses on and was reading some documents regarding the trial and only noticed Pinkie Pie was there when she was nudged by Trixie. She placed the documents and the glasses back in her saddlebag and smiled.

Rainbow Dash sitting on the ground with her forelegs crossed, glaring at the pink mare.

Rarity was hiding behind the cyan pegasus, still a little afraid of her earth pony friend - after all, she was the one who caused her death.

Applejack, Big Macintosh and Fluttershy were looking at everything but the former defendant, trying their best to not make eye contact.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake were the first to approach her.

"Are... Are you okay... Pinkie Pie?" Mrs. Cake asked.

Her response was a very tight hug. Cup Cake was startled and yelped. Carrot Cake was about to do something to protect his wife from Pinkie Pie's assault, but relaxed when saw what was truly happening.

"I was so scared, Mrs. Cake!" she said between sobs. "So, so, very scared. Forgive me for everything I did! I didn't meant to do any of that!"

Mrs. Cake simply hugged her back. Twilight Sparkle approached them.

"Please, don't send me back to that dark, cold, empty cell! I beg you, Twilight, please, don't do it!"

"Don't worry, Pinkie Pie." she said. "I'll make sure all charges against you willnbe cleared by the end of the week. It won't be hard, given the outcome of the trial and all that evidence collected. You're off the hook!"

She sighed in relief, then looked at her other friends. Applejack, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh were slowly approaching and Rarity was no longer hiding behind Rainbow Dash, who was now the one looking away.

"I..." she said. "I'm sorry I sent you to the nuthouse, Pinkie." she said.

"It's okay, Dashie!" she replied. "You were doing what you thought was right! And it's not like I remember the time I spent there, anyway."

Rainbow Dash tackle-hugged her friend, who was surprised, but soon hugged her back. Twilight was the next to join the group hug, folowed by Fluttershy, Applejack and finally Rarity. Not long after that, Maud pulled her sister away from the group hug between friends and into a group hug between siblings.

* * *

"Princess Twilight is an amateur and a fool." the red unicorn mare, Scorpio, said while slamming her hoof on the table. "How can she just forgive one of Equestria's most wanted criminals just like that? That trial was a farce! A sham!"

"She could have at least consulted us first." Cancer, a green earth pony stallion, said. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt. We're here for a reason, are we not?"

"You think she would take the chance?" Aquarius, the purple pegasus mare, asked. "That mare is not only an Element of Harmony, but one of Princess Twilight's closest friends. If the veredict wasn't 'not guilty', it wouldn't surprise me if she pulled a few strings to bail her out!"

"I blame that little pet of hers." Pisces, the blue seapony mare, said. "Ever since she became the 'Royal Adviser' or whatever the hay she is, she is practically the only pony allowed near her by that stupid captain, and the only pony Princess Twilight pays any attention to. Fifty bits that she's been manipulating everything from behind the scenes!"

"Now, now, those are not very nice things to say about your ruler behind her back, are they?"

"Who's there?" Taurus, the big, brown earth pony asked. "Taurus will smash you for eavesdropping!"

"Who else but little old me?" a flash of light later and Discord was standing on top of the round table, smirking.

"Y-You..." Aries said. "Sagittarius!"

In less than a second, Sagittarius, a light brown earth pony mare, grabbed her bow and shot an arrow at Discord, who grabbed it in midair, turned it into licorice and shoved it into the archer mare's mouth.

"I'm just here to talk so I would appreciate very much if you did not attacked me!"

"You are current Equestria's most wanted criminal!" Aquarius said. "We don't have to listen to you."

Discrd chuckled. "Then I guess I'll just have to show you."

He snapped his fingers and all the thirteen living creatures inside that room were gone.

Author's Note

So? Did you liked my reference/parody? Did you? Did you? Did you?!
Well, only one chapter left and we can wrap things up around here. Stay tuned!

And a little trivia here: in this fanfic, the Pies are descendants of Crystal Ponies who escaped the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago. That's why they work on a rock farm, it was the family business to deal with rocks, gems and other stuff like that. It is also why King Sombra managed to manipulate her so easily without the help of enchanted artifacts, like King Sombra's Door Of Nightmares or whatever that's called.

Also, this:

26. Aim For The Top! [FINAL]

Manehattan. Rainbow Dash was driving Rainboom around town while Fleetfoot looked around at the ponies who were still working on the reconstruction of the big city. The ponies were already leaving town, because it was recently announced that Discord was once again planning on using it as an arena for the next tournament. The Second Lieutenant sighed.

"To think that just a few months ago this town was completely different..." she said.

"Don't worry, Fleets!" Rainbow Dash said. "We will make Discord pay for everything he did. We will kick his sorry snake tail for good!"

Fleetfoot smiled. "Of course we will. It's what the Wonderbolts do!"

"Damn right!" she quickly looked around. "Where are we supposed to go, though? Discord's flyer said it would be in Manehattan, but it never specified where--"

She stopped talking when Fleetfoot poked her shoulder. Rainbow Dash turned to look at her companion, who was pointing to the right side of the road. She looked at where her Senior was pointing at and saw it; a small building, some kind of shop. It could have been easily missed and ignored if it wasn't for the giant Discord head mounted on top of it. Rainbow Dash turned the car and parked in front of it.

"What the hay is that?" she asked.

"'Discord's Little Shop of Dreams'." Fleetfoot read the bulletin billboard located a few meters away from the main building. "'Lamps, figurines and other trinkets to make your home, sweet home a little more unusual', what the...?"

"I just wanted to make a living!" both Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot yelped when they realized those words were uttered by the giant head. "Hosting a tournament isn't enough to put food on the table, you know?" he looked around for a little bit and raised an eyebrow. "Where is everypony else?"

"It's none of your business!" Rainbow Dash said with crossed forelegs.

"I mean, I know your two Wonderpartners as well as some other important figures from Equestria were called by Princess Twilight and her Adviser to keep the chairs of the council warm until they can locate the true counselors, but I expected to see at least half a dozen more contestants."

"Well, I must say, I'm also a little surprised by this..." Fleetfoot said.

"Maybe they were scared off by my awesomeness!" Rainbow Dash said while crossing her forelegs and puffing out her chest.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Dash, but it's more likely that they were scared off by the Dolls." Fleetfoot shrugged. "I mean, even I was a little jumpy when I saw that giant black truck coming toward us!"

"Well, I wasn't." Rainbow Dash pouted. "And that was the second time I faced that behemoth!" she shuddered, being reminded of what happened when she first beat Darkside.

"So, Discord, since we're the only contestants, does that mean we win by default?" Fleetfoot's eyes and masssive grin sparkled.

Discord chuckled. "Fortunately, no!" Fleetfoot frowned. "I was planning on making this tournament a little different. Not only a battle, but also a race."

"Race?" both mares asked at the same time.

Discord nodded. "A race to the top! First pony to reach the last floor would be crowned this month's winner!"

"Top of what?" Rainbow Dash pointed at the shop. "It's not hard to reach the top of this tiny thing, I can do it in ten seconds flat!"

Discord chuckled once again. "No, not my shop. Well, yes, but not the way it looks right now!"

The ground began to shake and cracks started to appear on the ground surrounding Discord's shop. Rainbow Dash engaged reverse gear and drove as far away as she could from the area. Mere moments later, the building began to rise, pieces of the asphalt hanging from all sides. It was slowly revealed that the shop was located on the top of a much larger building hidden underground, easily taller than any of the skyscrapers in Manehattan and much larger. It had twelve sections from bottom to top, each painted with a different color.

"Whoa..." they both said at the same time, their mouths hanging open in awe.

"Welcome to my greatest creation since Twisted Metal itself! Inside, you will find many different levels, each with its own Boss. Once ever boss is defeated, we shall meet in my shop. Good luck, my little ponies!"

The wonderbolts looked at each other. Fleetfoot adjusted her goggles and nodded. Rainbow Dash put on her own goggles and nodded back before stomping on the accelerator. Just as they were about to reach the ramp that led to inside the building, an explosion forced Rainbow Dash to turn around and miss her entrance.

"You didn't thought it would be this easy, did you?" a female voice coming from inside the open door of the first level asked. Lights were switched on inside the metallic monstrosity, revealing that the dark entrance of the tower had a glass wall. The inside was filled with water and, swimming around without a care in the world was a grey seapony mare. "This is the first challenge: drive past me and to the second level." she chuckled. "Of course, I doubt you can do that!"

Panels opened on the walls, revealing two machine guns and two rocket launchers. The machine guns started shooting its many bullets at Rainboom, but Rainbow Dash quickly dodged the metal shower, hiding behind metallic bulletin billboard, which had fallen meters away from its previous location.

"I know her. That's Pisces!" Fleetfoot said. "Discord, I knew it! You had something to do with the disappearance of the Council, did you not?"

He laughed. "Welcome to my best challenge, the Zodiac's Concealed War Council!"

"That bastard. Dash, we're gonna take him down, and we're gonna take him down hard!"

Dash smirked. "The bigger they are, the awesomer they fall!"

Rainbow Dash accelerated Rainboom and, after dodging a couple of Pisces' missiles, she turned their car and drove toward the ramp. Pisces tried shooting a couple more missiles at them, but Rainbow Dash was really good at dodging. Pisces screamed when Rainboom smashed through the glass, but stopped once her face connected with the windshield. Water poured out of the hole on the glass until the room was almost completely drained.

Fleetfoot poked the seapony laying on the hood of their car.

"Is she... Dead?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't think so!" Fleetfoot answered. "Just knocked out."

"But she will be if we don't find her some water to breath!"

"Seaponies don't breath water, Dash. But she will dehydrate if she stays out of water for too long. Luckily, there is still pently of water left here, we can just left Pisces somewhere and she will hang on for a few more hours."

Both mares jumped out of the car and gently placed Pisces on the floor. The moment her body touched the water, the grey on her scales began to fade and she was one again colored light blue.

On the other side of the room, a metal door with the Pisces symbol opened up, revealing an elevator. The Wonderbolts jumped back into their car and entered the elevator. The moment the were inside, the doors closed and the elevator began to rise.

* * *

The second floor was a dark hallway. The only sign of light was the bright, open door at the end of said hallway. The pegasi looked around, but there was nothing else there. They shrugged and Rainbow Dash accelarated.

"Wait!" Fleetfoot said.

"What is it?"

"Go slowly. I don't trust this place!"

Rainbow Dash nodded and engaged the first gear, not going faster than 3 mph. A good thing too, because when they were close to the middle of the hallway they felt the left front wheel sink a little, a spiked plate fell from the ceiling and smashed the floor a few feet away from where they were. The Wonderbolts screamed!

"Wh-What the buck just happened?!" Fleetfoot asked.

"How the hay should I know?!" Rainbow Dash replied.

"Darn!" a third voice said, coming from behind. Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot turned aroundand noticed that a grey pegasus mare with black mane wearing glasses and holding a notepad was sitting on the backseat. "I really expected you to accelerate first and think later." she started writing on her notepad. "Note to self: Wonderbolts are not addicted to speed and think before they act."

"You're Aquarius!" Fleetfoot said. "So you, too, are under Discord's mind control."

She chuckled. "Mind control? Puh-lease! I am not some weak-minded simpleton, nothing can lay one speckle of magic on my brain."

"Then why are you helping Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Discord?" Aquarius began to laugh uncontrollably. "I was personally asked by Princesses Celestia and Luna to prepare some booby traps for you, terrorists!"

"Terrorists?" both mares looked at each other, confused.

"Yes! You gals are Wonderbolts, the worst terrorists Equestria has ever seen since Lord Tirek! But not anymore." she spread her wings, revealing C4 bombs strapped to her, and there were only 15 seconds left before the explosion. "Without its leaders, the Wonderbolts will be an easy prey. Praise the Royal Sisters!"

Their eyes widened, but the Wonderbolts acted immediately; they jumped to the backseat and Fleetfoot immobilized Aquarius the best way she could while Rainbow Dash unbuckled the strap of the C4 belt. Aquarius tried to struggle, but Fleetfoot wouldn't let her go. Rainbow Dash succesfully unbuckled the strap and threw the C4 bombs out of the window, then quickly jumped back to the driver's seat and engaged reverse gear, then drove until the back of the car bumped against the closed door of the elevator. The explosion of the C4 bombs was big, but the radius of damage caused didn't reach the location of the car.

"You might have escaped this time, but the Princesses will punish you for your attempts against--" she was knocked out by a punch to the face given by Fleetfoot.

"Go to sleep." she said.

The unconscious Aquarius slowly turned once again purple, all the grey on her body vanishing.

After slowly driving past all the spiked plates, avoiding them just by not going too fast, Rainboom reached the end of the corridor, which had a glass door with the Aquarius symbol on it.

"What are we gonna do to her?" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at Aquarius.

"Let's take her with us. If she wakes up and forgets about the booby traps, we'll have to explain why Aquarius was never found!"

"Good thinking."

Their car then entered the elevator.

* * *

When the doors to the third floor were opened, a pony jumped and landed on the hood of Rainboom. Her body and mane were already grey, - dark grey and light grey, respectively - so the only hint that she had been brainwashed by Discord was the fact that her usually red eyes were also grey. Strangely, though, her horn was still colored brown.

"Alright, you two!" she said, pointing at the mares. "This is the end of the line! Nopony gets past me!"

"We'll see about that." Dash said with a smug grin. "So, what's your challenge?"

"Nothing too complicated, I'm a cut-and-dry type of pony. Let's just cut to the chase; you have to stop me before I wreck your car." she then pierced the windshield of the car with her horn, then charged a spell. The spell she cast was a light spell, and it forced the drivers to shield their eyes with the wings.

"Ugh, Capricorn was always the short-tempered one..." Fleetfoot said while still rubbing her eyes. "Still not as scary as Scorpio, though! When that mare wants to intimidate, she--"

She was interrputed by the sound of something slamming against metal. Then the sound repeated a few times until they had recovered enough of their vision to see what was going on. Outside their car, Capricorn was boucing around and piercing Rainboom with her horn, opening several holes in it.

"Not my car!" Rainbow accelerated and drove away from that spot. Capricorn just stood there, smiling. "Alright, let's do this, you little goat mare."

She accelerated and drove toward Capricorn. Capricorn also ran toward the car. A collision was imminent, until Capricorn jumped and landed on the roof of Rainboom, then proceeded to pierce it repeatedly with her horn.

"Do something!" both mares yelled at each other. That's when one of the doors of the backseat opened. They looked behind them, expecting to see Capricorn in there, but instead noticed that Aquarius was missing. The horn attack coming from above had also stopped, and both mares rolled from the roof to the hood. Aquarius had immobilized her, but Capricorn was resisting.

"You two, get out of here!" Aquarius said. "I'll handle this one."

The Wonderbolts nodded. Aquarius jumped from the hood and Dash accelerated, driving toward the metal doors with the Capricorn symbol on them.

"That's for all those times you embarrased me in the meetings, you freak!" was the last thing they heard the purple pegasus yell before the doors closed behind them.

"Huh. That happened!" Fleetfoot said.

* * *

"So, how come you know so much about those Zodiac ponies?" Dash asked while the elevator ascended.

"Duh! I'm a Wonderbolt. It's part of the job to know a lot about many ponies."

"Huh, for real?"

"Yup! Well, we're here."

The doors of the fourth floor started to open. But even before the were completely open, an arrow was shot at them, passing perfectly through the hole on the windshield and piercing the backseat.

"Wow, lucky for Aquarius she got off the car on the last stop." the Senior mumbled. "And I can already guess who we're up against this time."

"Took you long enough." the light grey earth pony mare said while grabbing another arrow from her quiver. She looked at ther car full of holes and chuckled. "This is the best Equestria could muster?"

"We kicked many flanks already!" Rainbow Dash said. "You're just another stone in our way!"

"You might as well step away, Sagittarius, unless you want to get hurt." Fleetfoot added.

Another arrow went through the hole in the windshield, hitting the exact same spot the other arrow was stuck to.

"Let's make this interesting,what do you say?" Sagittarius said, already holding another arrow. "Let's see if I can shoot an arrow in each hole of your car! If I miss, I'll let you through. If I don't..." she smirked. "I'll give you one chance to turn around and leave right now. What do you say?"

"We came so far already! You expect us to turn around now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Sagittarius raised an eyebrow. "Far? This is the fourth floor, you're not even halfway through our Concealed War Council!"

"Whatever! The distance doesn't matter." Fleetfoot said. "What matters is that we came here with a purpose, and we're not leaving until we finish what we started."

Sagittarius shrugged and shook her head with a cocky smile. "Suit yourself." she jumped up and shot another arrow, this one going through a hole on the roof. "Two down, twenty left."

Rainbow Dash accelerated, trying to drive away as far as she could from the archer. Sagittarius sat down on the floor with her back turned to Rainboom and yawned, then pointed her bow at the car without turning around and shot another arrow, this one going straight through a hole on the side of the car.

"Nineteen!"

"How the hay did she--"

"Don't let her skills distract you, Rainbow Dash! Just drive away, I have a plan."

Rainbow Dash nodded and kept driving in circles around the room, but that didn't stopped Sagittarius, who kept shooting more and more arrows.

"Eighteen."

"Seventeen."

"Twelve."

"Ten."

"Seven."

"Three."

"Two."

She shot another arrow through a hole on the roof, this one almost piercing Rainbow Dash's thigh, but leaving nothing more than a scratch. Sagittarius smirked.

"One!"

The only target left now was a lone hole on the passenger's door. Rainbow Dash looked at Fleetfoot, sweating bullets. Fleetfoot simply smiled and nodded.

Rainbow Dash accelerated one more time. Sagittarius grabbed the last arrow on her quiver and aimed.

"Victory is mine!" she shot that final arrow, which soared gracefully toward that last hole. Rainbow Dash had pulled the brake lever, bringing Rainboom to a sudden halt, but Sagittarius had already predicted that, and the route of the arrow remained unchanged.

"Yours? I don't think so!" Fleetfoot said with a smile. Sagittarius gasped, her cocky smile changing into an expression of despair.

"I-I... You... How did...?" Sagittarius was now breathing faster. "But-But my aim is perfect. I-I'm the best archer in all of Equestria, I..."

"I know you're a great archer and all..." Fleetfoot raised her right foreleg, which she had convinently put out of the open window and covered the hole on her door; and it now had an arrow piercing it. "...but I don't think you have what it takes to shoot an arrow all the way through flesh and bone!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Fleetfoot, you..."

Sagittarius placed her hoof on her chest, still breathing heavily. "Mercy... Please... I've been..." she lost balance. "A fool." and fell unconscious on the floor. Her coat slowly regained the usual light brown tone.

"What are you gonna do about that?" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at the arrow.

"We can go to an hospital once this is all over." Fleetfoot said.

"B-But what if it gets infected?"

Fleetfoot extended her hoof in front of Rainbow's face. "Want to pull it out? You're welcome to try!"

"What?! Of course not, I'm no doctor! I would probably make it worse."

"Then let's keep going!"

"At least break the shaft or something, that wood sticking out of your hoof is making me nervous. There are some bandages on the glovebox, too."

"Sure thing, Dash!" the pegasus opened the glovebox and her eyes widened. "Is that--"

"Yup!"

"So you're gonna--"

"No doubt!"

Fleetfoot grinned. Rainbow Dash slowly drove toward the door with the Sagittarius symbol on it while Fleetfoot tended to her wound. Once the shaft of the arrow was gone and Fleetfoot bandaged her foreleg, they went to the next floor.

* * *

They could feel the heat even before the doors were opened and, when they did, the Wonderbolt duo was introduced to an inferno. The only parts of the floor that weren't covered in flames were the chains hanging from the ceiling and a very large platform parked on their side of the room. A mad laughter echoed through the room, so loud that even the crackling of the fire wasn't enough to muffle it.

The pegasi looked up and saw an unicorn mare hanging from one of the chains on the ceiling. Discord's brainwashing spell was supposed to turn her completely grey, but she was still a few shades away from losing the bright red of her coat.

"Welcome to my paradise, fillies!" she said while jumping from one chain to another. "So, how does it feel to see your final resting place in advance? Shocking? Terrifying?" she giggled. "Comforting?"

"See?" Fleetfoot said. "I told you Scorpio was scary."

"You only have two options now!" Scorpio said while creating a flaming number 2 with her magic. "One: you step right into one of those platforms and make this fun for me, or two: you accept your fate and dive into my sea of flames. So, what is it gonna be?"

"As if we came here to give up!" Rainbow Dash said while engaging first gear. The moment all four wheels were on the platform, it began to move, slowly carrying the car to the exit on the other side of the room.

"You just sealed your fate." Scorpio grabbed onto one of the chains of the platform. She stared at Rainboom with a vicious smile while the pegasi glared at her. She pointed her horn at the car and charged a spell.

"DODGE!" Fleetfoot yelled. Rainbow Dash engaged reverse, dodging a fire ball on the last second.

"It will take five minutes for us to reach our final stop." Scorpio said before jumping to another of the four chains holding the platform. "What do you think will kill you, my fireballs or your recklessness?"

Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash looked back, noticing how close they were to the edge of the platform.

"Better be more careful from now on, Dash."

"On it!"

Scorpio kept firing her spells, but Rainbow's reaction time was impeccable. Scorpio was getting angrier whilst Rainbow Dash's smile was getting more and more smug. Scorpio looked at their destination and noticed they were already halfway through the ride.

"You are pissing me off!" she said before grabbing one of the chains hanging from the ceiling with her magic. She pulled it as hard as she could, finally tearing it off, pulling a piece of the metal ceiling with it. "Round two!"

She jumped from the chain she was hanging onto, grabbed the chain she was levitating in midair and dived toward the competitors. Rainbow Dash moved Rainboom out of the way just before Scorpio could hit them with her new weapon, which struck the platform with the heavier end, denting it a little. She quickly spun around with her chain, succesfully hitting the driver's door with the sharp metal, piercing the body of the car and almost cutting Rainbow Dassh as well.

"This crazy mare means business!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Let's just beat her and hope she never gets brainwashed ever again!" Fleetfoot said.

Scorpio swung the chain one more time, this time hitting the passenger's door and Fleetfoot grabbed it with her good hoof. The unicorn tried to pull it, but the Wonderbolt was stronger than she looked, even when injuried.

"Do it, Dash!"

Rainbow Dash stomped on the accelerator. Scorpio gasped, let go of the chain and tried to dodge, but it was far too late and she was hit by the car, being thrown to the other end of the platform. Her dark red coat turned back into bright red.

"And another one bites the dust." Rainbow Dash said.

"You mean ashes, right?"

Both chuckled a little. That's when the platform reached its destination.

"So, do we take her with us? She's gonna roast if we leave her here."

"Good point. But I know her far too well, even when not under Discord's influence, she might still be a threat."

"So, what is your plan? Carry her in the trunk like a corpse?"

"This might sound like a good idea, but it would even make her angrier. Let's just leave her in the elevator!"

Rainbow Dash agreed with a nod.

* * *

The sixth floor was bare. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, everything looked so plain that it hardly looked like a challenge. The room would also be empty if it wasn't by the cloaked figure sitting alone in the middle of the room, illuminated by the light of a candle.

"So, who are we up against this time?" Dash asked Fleetfoot.

"That's Libra." she said. "He's... A mystery! Only talks when necessary and likes to keep things to himself. I think I heard him talk, like, once or twice! That's why we need to be careful, we don't know what he has in store for us."

"I've been expecting you." he spoke, startling the mares. "Fear me not, fillies, for I am not a foe."

"How the hay did he heard us?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.

"The same way you heard me." Libra spoke once again. "The emptiness of this room makes any noise much louder."

"So, should we approach him?"

Fleetfoot nodded. "But do not let your guard down!"

Dash gently stepped on the accelerator, driving closer to Libra, then parking the car beside him, inspecting him. Libra wore a brown, dusty cloak with a hood. The cloak also had the Libra symbol painted on it. But what caught the rookie's attention was the pony himself, who had yellowed bandages wrapped around his entire body, even his muzzle and eyes, making him look like a mummy.

"So, you said you are not a foe. Why should we believe you?" Fleetfoot asked without looking away from him.

"You are injured." he said. "It may look like nothing serious now, but it will spread like a disease if not taken care as soon as possible."

"How did he...?" Raibow Dash asked again, more surprised than before. "His eyes are covered!"

"Libra was never a pony easy to understand."

"I was born in the nature and grew up with it. As part of it." Libra explained. "I have knowledge that is available to every living creature, but only a few stop to actually learn it. Years of meditation helped me achieve perfect spiritual balance. My chaos is my order, and my order is my chaos. That is why I need no eyes to see, nor ears to hear. " Libra finally got up on all fours. "And that is why Discord's spell is not effective against me!"

"You sound a lot like a zebra friend of mine." Dash said. "But with much less rhymes!"

Libra approached Fleetfoot and grabbed her bandaged hoof.

"Hey, what are you--"

"Not good." he said. "Not good at all. I need you to step out of the vehicle!"

"Why should I--"

"You can go, Fleets!" Dash said while gently pushing her toward the door. "He sounds like an ok guy!"

"But you... I... Discord..."

"Your wound is more seriously than you believe it to be!" Libra continued. "Would you rather have it treated or be stubborn and lose your leg?"

Fleetfoot gulped, then looked at Rainbow Dash, who winked at her. Fleetfoot sighed and opened the door, stepping out of the car.

"This might take a while." Libra pointed at the exit door. "If you want to stay, I won't forbid you, but time is racing forward."

"Will you be ok, Fleetfoot?"

"Don't worry about me, Dash, I had worse! Go on and kick some major flank! I'll catch up with you later!"

Rainbow Dash nodded and accelerated toward the door with the Libra symbol on it.

* * *

The seventh floor looked like a complete different place. Save for the dirt road that led to the other side of the room, every single inch of the area was covered in plants; grass, flowers, vines, trees, as well as a giant red rose the size of a full grown stallion with a light grey pegasus mare watering it.

"Welcome to my garden." the mare said. "My name is Virgo, first boss of the second half of Zodiac's Concealed War Council, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You are... Surprisingly nice!" Rainbow Dash said. "Especially for somepony brainwashed by Discord!"

"Oh, don't let my politeness fool you, I am going to kill you!"

"...That killed the mood pretty fast! So, what is it gonna be? Race to the finish? Battle to the death? Obstacle course? Bring it on!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I am no fighter. But you can challenge my pet instead!"

"So, where is this pet of yours?"

Virgo patted the giant rose in front of her. "Right here!"

"...A flower? Really? I have to defeat a flower? That's the challenge?"

"You can come out now, Leorosa. There's somepony here to see you!"

The petals of the flower slowly began to open, revealing that it had sharp, white protuberances that looked like teeth. Its center had a hole the size of a little filly's hoof, from which a yellow liquid was oozing from. The moment the yellow drops touched the ground, it evaporated, but not without leaving a burn mark on the spot.

"What is that?!"

"My pet, Leorosa! She is a Lion Flower, an endangered species. But that doesn't mean she's not deadly. Leorosa, lunch!"

The flower thrashed about and the entire room started to tremble. Suddenly, the vines wrapped themselves around Rainboom and proceeded to pull it toward Leorosa.

"Oh, I forgot to mention!" Virgo proceeded. "Lion Flowers are parasitic plants. Once their roots intertwines with the roots of another plants, they become part of it!" she spun around with open hooves. "Every single plant in this room is part of Leorosa! From each and every blade of grass to every single sturdy tree."

The vines lifted the car above the main body of Leorosa. Rainbow Dash simply shrugged and pressed a button behind the steering wheel, revealing the rocket launcher on the trunk of the car, which shot a rocket at the predator. The explosion made the Lion Flower close its maws and shriek before dropping Rainbow Dash's vehicle to the ground. Virgo gasped.

"Forgot I had those, didn't you?" Dash asked with a smug grin.

Leorosa opened its bulb once again and squirted its corrosive liquid at Rainboom. Rainbow tried to dodge and, while she managed to avoid the deadliest amount, some droplets managed to hit the left side of the car, melting parts of the window and the door.

"Whoa!" she said.

"You hurt Leorosa you... You... YOU MONSTER!" Virgo yelled while petting the damaged petals of the plant.

"Those things aren't endangered, they are the danger!"

Virgo hugged Leorosa while still petting her. "Just... Get out of here."

"Huh. If you insist..." Dash drove toward the door with the Virgo symbol while the pegasus kept hugging and petting her flower, her coat slowly turning pink again.

"Mama will never let anything bad happen to you ever again..." she whispered to the Lion Flower as Dash proceeded through the door with the Virgo symbol and to the next floor.

* * *

Rainbow Dash had to cover her eyes when the doors opened because of the bright, flashing lights. She grabbed her trustworthy sunglasses from the glovebox, put them on then reopened her eyes.

"Wow, seizure warning!" she said while looking at the room that looked more like a club. Loud music was playing and all kinds of different colorful lights were flashing. In the middle, Rainbow Dash saw a stage with three mares dancing around a metal pole, which made her blush. In front of the stage was a single round table with a curved red couch behind it. Sitting on that couch was a grey earth pony stallion wearing a shirt, tie and sunglasses. He had a glass of champagne on his hoof and two mares sitting beside him, all of them laughing.

"Oh, master Leo, you are sooooo funny!" one of the mares said.

"It's just my nature, y'know?" he said while lifting the mare's chin. "I like to make mares smile, because it makes them so much more beautiful!"

She looked away, blushing but still smiling. "Oh, Master Leo..."

"Hey! Over here!" Rainbow Dash called.

Leo turned his head, looking over the back of the couch, then smirked.

"Well, my kittens, if you'll excuse me, I have a business meeting with that pretty mare over there." Leo said while shooing them.

"Awww..." both mares pouted, but then got up and jumped on top of the stage, soon joining the other three mares in their pole dancing session.

"So, you're Leo, huh?" she asked.

The stallion bowed. "The one and only! And you are the newbie Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash, correct?"

"I don't like to brag, but..." she said with a smile.

"I was told you had a companion. Where is she?"

"Sadly, Fleetfoot and I had to part ways so, as my friend Applejack would say..." she pointed a hoof at Leo, trying to sport a southern accent. "It's jus' you an' me, hoss!"

Leo chuckled. "That's one lovely accent right there, sugar. Tell you what, if you agree to be one of my companions, I'll let you through. What do you say?"

"Hah! You sit and wait."

"Well, I tried to bargain!"

Leo whistled. A door opened on the stage and a mare wearing sunglasses and leather jacket came out of it driving a black motorcycle. Leo kissed her cheek before she scooted over to the backseat so he could drive his vehicle.

"Ready, my dear?" he asked the mare.

She raised her spiked club and nodded.

"Finally, somepony who will fight me like we're supposed to fight in a Twisted Metal contest!"

"Ready when you are, sweetie!" he said.

"Stop calling me that!" Rainbow Dash said while stomping on the accelerator.

Leo accelerated as well, dodging her at the last second. Her gunner swung the bat, smashing Rainboom's window.

"Great job, kitten! You deserve a kiss!" Leo said. His gunner giggled. "But later. We have to beat our dear Wonderbolt first!"

Dash pressed a button, which lowered the front bumper, revealing two machine guns. Dash started to chase the motorcycle while shooting, but Leo was too fast for her.

"My offer is still up! Are you sure you don't wanna join us?"

"In your dreams!"

Leo turned around and charged toward Rainbow Dash. His gunner tried to smash Dash's windshield, but she manage to dodge. Since the mare swung the club pretty hard but didn't landed the blow, she lost balance. The gunner tried to cling to Leo, but this only made things worse and both fell off the bike.

"You useless piece of trash..." Leo said as he got up, the right lens of his sunglasses missing.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't m-meant to--" the mare stuttered.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled. "I chose you to be my gunner because I thought you were the most competent of all these wenches, but looks like I was wrong." the mare didn't even moved, she just kept lying on the floor, shuddering. Leo grabbed the spiked club. "Excuse me, miss Dash, but I need to teach this whorse some discipline." he raised the club. "The old fashioned way!"

The mare closed her eyes, waiting for her imminent demise. But nothing happened. She opened one of her eyes and saw that Rainbow Dash had grabbed her Master from behind, restraining him while twisting the hoof holding the club.

"If that's how you treat your 'companions', your chances of having me as one of them just lowered from 'absolute zero' to 'a beating you will never forget'." Rainbow Dash flew up while holding Leo and, after spinning backwards a couple of times, flew back down. She flew up a split second before hitting the floor, but no longer holding the stallion, who crashed at full speed. "Now think about what you've done!"

She looked back at the mare. The other five had surrounded her and were making sure she was alright.

"Enough of this!" one of them said while pointing at Leo, who was slowly getting up. "Ever since we came here, you stopped treating us the way you used to! You treated us like you truly cared, but now you see us as your possessions. We tried to understand, see things your way, but now you've gone too far!" she clopped her hooves together in a very menacing way. "It's payback time!"

Rainbow sat back and watched as that mare and two others proceeded to give Leo the beating of his life. With each punch and kick, his coat lost some of the grey. When the mares finally stopped, his coat would be once again light yellow if it weren't for the bruises. He fell down, unconscious.

* * *

A cloud of green smoke overwhelmed Rainbow Dash the moment the doors of the ninth floor were opened and she began to cough.

"How I wish I still had my window..." Rainbow Dash mumbled as she flapped her wings, trying to disperse the green smoke, but to no avail.

She felt that something wasn't right. Rainbow looked to her right and there he was; sitting on the passenger's seat was a grey earth pony stallion with a blank expression, simply looking at her.

"Are you--"

She never finished that sentence. He immediately spun around and locked her neck between his hind legs, pressing herder and harder. Dash grabbed his legs and tried to free herself from his grip. He was strong, but her strength was no joke either, and she was slowly but surely pushing his legs apart.

The pony looked impressed, but his poker face soon returned and he clenched his legs even harder. With difficulty, she reached for the door handle and opened it, then flying out of her car with her attacker. She tried to shake him off in midair, but it proved to be quite a task, for his grip was so hard that she almost couldn't make him let go of her. But gravity eventually got the best of him and the grey stallion fell to the floor, disappearing in the smoke.

"What the buck just happened?!" she asked herself. "Where did you go?!"

She went back to her car, but this time she locked all the doors, then kept an eye on the broken window. She couldn't see him, but she could feel his cold gaze locked on her. She knew he was lurking, but there was nothing she could do at that time.

"Cancer is the name." she heard a familiar voice coming from within the smoke screen. "One of the most cryptical of all the Zodiac Council of Equestria, but easily the most ruthless of all of us."

Two silhouette approached Rainboom and she sighed in relief.

"Fleetfoot! Libra! Boy, am I glad to see you." she said.

"Hey, Dash!" Fleetfoot said while waving her hoof. It was still wrapped in bandages, but the arrow she had in there was long gone.

"Do not lower your guard due to our presence." Libra proceeded. "It is not wise to underestimate cancer under any circumstance. Specially now, when he has the advantage."

The junior Wonderbolt unlocked the doors and Fleetfoot boarded it, then hoofbumped her with her good hoof. Libra, though, did not moved.

"You're not coming in, Libra?" the senior Wonderbolt asked.

He shook his head. "Cancer must be stopped and I'm afraid your vehicle is not the best choice of weapon under these conditions. Cancer's legs are powerful; his signature move is gripping his foes with them, imitating the movement of a crab pincer. He can do much more damage to you than you can do to him." he grabbed from his saddlebag a round flask containing a pink liquid. "But some protection is better than none, so I advise you to stay inside your vehicle, no matter what."

Libra threw the flask on the ground and a wave of pink mist spread throughout the room. It was like both mists were fighting each other for dominance, countering each other until there was nothing but a faint sweet smell left on the air. Cancer was standing a few feet behind Libra, his back turned to him. Libra wasn't quick enough to dodge and was kicked away by Cancer's powerful hindlegs.

"Libra, are you ok?!" Fleetfoot asked.

"It takes more than physical blows to--" he said as he gotten up, but was interrupted by another kick, this one to his muzzle than sent him rolling a few more feet. The yellowed bandages were now stained with the red of his blood.

"We have to help him!" Dash said, already reaching for the handle.

"Come out and you will most certainly die." Libra said as he got up again. "Cancer is even crueler under Discord's influence. If you value your life and your mission, do not come out here."

Another kick to the face, but this time Libra didn't fell down. The bandages around his face came loose and fell down, revealing his light grey coat with dark grey stripes and bright golden eyes.

"He's a zebra?" Dash asked, surprised. "That explains so much, and yet so little."

"I had no idea." Fleetoot said with a smile. "That is so awesome!"

Libra used the bandages that were now hanging from his neck to wipe clean the blood on his muzzle, then removed his cloak and the rest of the bandages wrapped around his head, revealing his imposing striped mohawk.

"Violence is never my first choice." he said before assuming a fighting stance. "But sometimes I am compelled honor the name of the Fallen Caesar Style."

Libra was fast. So fast that Cancer only realized he had been kicked when he was already lying on the floor. The Wonderbolts were fascinated by such speed. Cancer got up and rubbed his muzzle with his hoof. When he looked down at it, he saw a bloodstain. This made a huge, creepy grin appear on his face. He turned back to Libra without making a sound, but his expression made it clear that he was laughing internally.

The fight was ferocious; Cancer's blows were strong and deadly, while Libra's blows were fast and precise. It was an even match between two different fighting styles. Libra's speed quickly earned him the upper hoof, though, for Cancer no longer had time to counter his moves and could only try to dodge. Libra tried to kick his face, but Cancer dodged. That was the zebra's plan, because the earth pony stepped right on where he had left his cloak. Libra pulled the cloak Cancer was stepping on, making him lose his balance, then finished the fight with strong blows on both sides of his head, making Cancer lose consciousness.

"You lack inner balance." Libra said as Cancer's coat turned back green.

"Great job, Libra, you're awesome!" Fleetfoot cheered.

Libra turned around and started to walk toward Rainboom, but fell down on his side.

"Libra!" both mares called before getting out of the car and running to his aid.

"Cancer sure was a formidable opponent." he said, still lying on the floor.

"You need help, fast!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Don't worry about me, focus on your mission."

"But your body, you--" Fleetfoot started.

"I can brew myself a healing potion." he said, pointing at his saddlebag lying not too far for where they were. "I just have to rest for a bit. Now go. Stop Discord and purge the fear that his game spread throughout Equestria."

The mares, though still worried about their ally, nodded and went back to Rainboom. They entered the elevator behind the door with the Cancer symbol and proceeded to the 10th level.

* * *

The next floor was split in two, almost literally. The left half of it was pitch black while the right half was bright white. A dark grey unicorn with light grey mane and eyes was walking from the dark side of the room to the white side. The pony was very androgynous, so neither of the Wonderbolts could say if it was a he or a she. The pony's voice was equally androgynous:

"You gals have no idea how long you kept us waiting, do you?!" s/he asked. "We've been sitting here, doing absolutely nothing for hours!! Do you know how bored we were?!"

The pony, upon reaching the other end of the room, suddenly turned around, revealing that the other side of its body was the exact opposite: his/her right side was light grey with dark grey mane and eyes.

"But that's okay." the pony said, all the annoyance in its voice completely gone. "You're here now, and that's all that matters. We are delighted to finally meet our opponents."

"Uh... Fleetfoot?" Dash looked at her teammate, confused.

"Yes, Gemini was never a pony easy to understand." Fleetfoot shrugged. "The sooner you get used to him, the better!"

"Him? I thought it was a mare."

"Sincerely, I'm not sure either. I just refer to Gemini as a 'he' because if he's a male, then the council is separated by gender equally: six mares and six stallions!"

The looked back at him(?), who had grabbed a deck and was shuffling it with his magic.

"We wish to play a card game, little fillies!" he said.

"What, we talking 52 Pickup?" Fleetfoot asked.

Gemini grinned. "No... More like 52 CUT UP!"

With his magic, Gemini threw all the cards at Rainboom. Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot managed to duck, avoiding the barrage of cards that pierced their windshield and got stuck on the backseat.

"Wow!" Rainbow Dash said. "So this is why dad always told me ganbling is dangerous."

Gemini levitated his cards back to him, then proceeded to make them spin around his body like a belt.

"Your reaction time is impeccable!" he said. "We underestimated you Wonderbolts, but that was the last time."

Gemini attacked again, but they ducked once again.

"He's got magic cards, huh?" Dash asked. "This could be a problem! Any strategies!"

"TO THE BACKSEAT!"

Fleetfoot jumped to the backseat, carrying Rainbow Dash with her, just in time to avoid another barrage of cards coming from the broken window.

"We never leave home without a spare deck!" he said while levitating a third, fourth and a fifth deck around his body, creating a sphere of cards. "Or five!"

"This won't end well." Rainbow Dash said.

"GEMINI!"

Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot peeked out of the window. They saw Gemini with a terrified expression. Following his gaze, they found the source of his fear: a dark grey unicorn with light grey mane and a brown horn. Her eyes were now red and no longer grey, meaning that she was no longer under Discord's influence. Behind her, Aquarius was adjusting her glasses, grinning smugly.

Gemini lost the focus on his magic and all his cards dropped to the floor, as well as himself, bowing before the mare.

"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am?" he asked, still trembling in fear.

"What did I told you about harrassing ponies?" she asked.

"I-It's a bad thing that only less educated ponies do?" he said.

"And did I raised you to be a less educated pony?"

"N-N-No, ma'am..." he said.

"Then will you stop bothering those mares or will I have to punish you?"

"I-I-I'm so sorry!" he said before he started crying on the floor. He didn't changed much once Discord's influence over him was dispersed, his light side only got lighter and his dark side only got darker.

"I am so sorry about this." Capricorn said while removing all the cards stuck on the car. "Gemini is usually very sweet, I swear!"

"Thank you for saving our flanks." Fleetfoot said, returning to her seat.

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do after the way I behaved down there!" she bowed her head. "My most sincere apologies!"

"It's ok, it wasn't your fault." Rainbow Dash said while turning her head to look at Gemini, who was still sobbing on the floor. "He sure do respect you, don't he?"

"Well, he should. After all, he was born from my womb!"

"You're his mother?!" both Wonderbolts asked.

"Why are you surprised?!" Rainbow Dash asked Fleetfoot.

Capricorn chuckled. "Ponies usually react this way, saying I'm too young to be mother of a pony that age, but I'm actually 47!"

"You sure are full of surprises, aren't you Capri?" Fleetfot asked, earning a glare because of the nickname. "A-Anyway, you shattered Discord's brainwashing spell! That takes some serious skill! Was that some super-crazy-awesome unicorn magic?"

"Actually, no! I just scolded him in hopes that something would happen, and it really did. Well, that colt was always pretty smart, but very weak, both physically and psychologically, so it wouldn't surpise me one bit if his fear of my ruthlessness was what actually broke the spell!"

"Sorry to interrupt." Aquarius said. "But I really think you should get going!"

"Oh. Right. Yeah! On it!" Rainbow Dash said, revving the engines.

"You're most likely going to face Taurus next. He has one big weakness: he was never the sharpest pencil in the box. I'm pretty sure you can create a strategy based on that! Go for it, Wonderbolts!"

Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash saluted her, and Aquarius saluted them back. They then went through the door with the Gemini sign and the Zodiac mares turned around.

"Up, now!" Capricorn commanded. "Wipe those tears, straighten your back!" Gemini did exactly as he was told to. "Come with us, make yourself useful! We gotta make sure all the others are fine!"

"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am..." he nearly whispered.

* * *

"CHAAAAARGE!!!" was the first thing they heard once they got out of the elevator. Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot when they saw a bulky grey earth pony running toward them from the left side. He crashed against the car and sent it flying a few meters.

"What the buck just happened?!" Fleetfoot asked.

"How the hay should I know?!" Rainbow Dash asked back.

They looked back to where they were and saw the stallion pawing the ground. He once again charged at them, but this time they managed to dodge. Taurus didn't stopped, though, and kept running until he slammed against the wall.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Did he just...?"

"I didn't really thought Aquarius was serious when she said he wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box, but that's just dumb!"

Taurus shook his head. "You will pay for making fun of Taurus!"

He charged at them once again, but they easily dodged again. This time, Taurus smashed against a pillar, creating a huge crack on it.

"Twice? And how in Tartarus is he still alive?" Fleetfoot asked, sounding indignant. "This is basically the worst strategy in history, and here we are, seeing it happen live and in color!"

Taurus shook his head again, now breathing heavily in anger. "Stop making fun of Taurus!" he pawed at the ground one more time and charged.

"Taurus, that's enough!"

He stopped in the middle of the run, then looked around.

"Virgo, is that you?"

The doors of the elevator opened, revealing a light pink pegasus with poofy yellow mane flying with her forelegs crossed. She had a slightly angry look on her face.

"Stop making a monkey out of yourself!" she said, flying to the stallion and landing in front of him, her forelegs still crossed. "And leave these mares alone, they said nothing but the truth!"

"But-But Discord said--" he started.

"Discord? You're letting him boss you around? Where's that big, strong, dependable stallion that would be no pushover and was always there to protect the weak and helpless? The stallion who nursed me back to health when I was attacked by a pack of Timberwolves in the Everfree Forest? The stallion who I always looked up to and treated me like I was his own daughter?" she presses her forelegs to his chest, her eyes moist with tears. "Where is he, Roid Rage?"

Taurus flinched when he heard his real name that hadn't been pronounced since he accepted the Taurus seat at the Council. He looked down and sighed.

"Taurus was that much of a fool, huh?" he muttered, the grey of his coat fading, and the brown of his fur and pink of his many scars returning. "Virgo, please, forgive Taurus!"

She smiled and hugged him. "I already have!"

"Awww, that's so sweet!" Fleetfoot said while wiping a tear.

"Let's get out of here before even I get all sappy." Rainbow Dash said while driving toward the door with the Taurus symbol.

* * *

"Well, this is it!" Fleetfoot said while the elevator ascended. "Our last challenge! We just have to beat Discorded Aries and we can finally have our wish."

"You know what we're gonna wish for, right?"

Fleetfoot nodded. "He won't even know what hit him!"

The elevator finally came to a halt. The mares looked at each other.

"This is it!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Let's have a go at it!" Fleetfoot said with a smile and a hoofbump.

The doors were opened, and the first thing they saw was a giant stone staue of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. They were both standing on their hind legs and opposite to each other, but their heads were turned and they were touching horns.

"What in the--"

"Stop!"

Rainbow Dash immediately moved her hoof away from the accelerator and looked around, searching for whoever commanded her to stop. The pony was standing in front of the giant statue; a grey unicorn stallion who appeared to be in his early fifties. He was wearing a cassock and a long brimmed hat, as well as sunglasses with red lenses.

"Is that... Aries?" Fleetfoot asked, sounding very confused.

"This is holy ground!" he said, raising his hooves and pointing at the stone pricesses above him. "Nopony shall enter before offering a prayer to our benevolent rulers, the Royal Sisters!"

"I think he's gone nuts." Rainbow whispered.

Aries turned around and bowed. "O, almighty rulers of our land, forgive these lambs for their lack of respect. They have gone down the wrong path in life. But worry not, for I, a humble servant of your holy words, shall straighten them!"

"Yup!" Fleetfoot said with a nod. "Definitely gone nuts!"

Aries adjusted his hat and his glasses. "Those who mock me are mocking the Princesses themselves, and shall be punished accordingly!" his horn started glowing and suddenly dozens of candelabra spread across the room were lit; each candelabrum was placed in front of a bust of either Celestia or Luna. "Your sins shall be cleansed by the holy flames of the Royal Duo. Now come forward and receive your holy forgiveness!"

"We play along or...?" Dash asked, looking at her teammate with a confused look.

"Let's play safe!" Fleetfoot answered.

Rainbow Dash nodded and gently stepped on the accelerator. The moment the front wheels were out of the elevator, the closest bust - one of Luna's - opened its stone eyes, revealing two glowing red gemstones. A flammable liquid was released from a small tube on the statue's mouth, which turned into a fireball after touching the flames of the candelabrum. Rainbow Dash dodged the attack and the flames missed Rainboom by inches, but they just triggered another trap. The Wonderbolts triggered a total of five traps before Dash drove back to the elevator, which still had its doors open.

"Forget what I said, Aries hadn't gone nuts." Fleetfoot said. "He's downright insane!"

"Insulting a preacher carrying the good word of our benevolent rulers is one of the biggest sins a pony can commit!" Aries said. "Maybe far too big for the holy flames alone to cleanse. The immortal souls of the Princesses require a sacrifice. A sacrifice of blood!"

"The Princesses would never wish for such thing!" Dash yelled.

"I am their messanger. I know what the Princesses wish! And right now they wish for your blood and those incompetent fools sitting on their thrones and turning their sacred mission into a mockery to be brought down!" he levitated a bloodstained golden dagger with a dark blue handle from a inner pocket in his cassock. "But first things first!"

He slowly made his way toward Rainboom, levitating the knife in front of his muzzle, inspecting it closely.

"That's not fair!" Rainbow Dash said. "How come you can just walk past the traps without triggering them while we have to dance around them to survive?"

Aries grinned. "Unlike you, I have no sins left unforgiven." he removed his cassock, and the mares gasped; his body was covered in fresh cuts, all of them shaped like Luna's and Celestia's cutie marks. Some of them were still bleeding. "After hours of divine punishment, the Princesses finally recognized me as a pony worthy or their mercy, thus I shall not be harmed by their sacred flames!"

"That pony is sick!" Rainbow Dash said. "And I think I'm gonna be sick, too. Ugh..."

"Aries was always very loyal to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." Fleetfoot explained, then pointed at him. "But this? Discord turned his loyalty into obsession!"

Aries put his clothes back on then jumped on the hood of the car, still levitating the knife.

"Say your prayers, lassies!"

Without thinking, Rainbow stepped on the accelerator. The sudden movement made the preacher lose his balance and fall, but he stabbed the hood of the car and grabbed the handle, which kept him from falling off the car. This wasn't his best idea, though, for his clothes were set ablaze by the flames. Once they were on the other side of the room, Aries jumped down and started running and screaming.

"WHY?!" he screamed. "WHY, MY PRINCESSES?! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!"

Fleetfoot took off her Wonderbolt uniform and used it to put out the flames after Rainbow Dash removed his burning cassock, hat and shades. The flames were finally extinguished and, though Aries was covered in burn marks, his life wasn't threatened. His coat was no longer grey, but once again beige.

"He needs medical attention!" Fleetfoot said, carrying him to the backseat of the car. "Let's finish this as soon as possible!"

Rainbow Dash nodded. They entered the car once again and drove toward the door with the Aries symbol.

* * *

The top of the Zodiac's Concealed War Council was no longer Discord's shop; instead, it was just one large empty area surrounded by dark clouds with a metal throne in the middle made out of broken pieces from vehicles previously used on the tournament. They recognized parts from Friendship Report, Sweet Tooth, Cutie Mark Crossroader, Warhawk, Talon and even Darkside. Discord was sitting on it, eating caramel popcorn.

"Well, I guess I should be surprised but, in fact, I am not!" Discord said, eating all the popcorn in one bite - paperbag included. "Congratulations, you conquered the Zodiac's Concealed War Council, you are officially the best drivers! And that's your second time beating the competition, isn't it, Rainbow Dash? Then double congratulations to you! Now, what can I do for you?"

Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot stepped out of Rainboom.

"Before you grant us our wish, Discord, I'd like you to think about everything you did. Think about every living creature that joined this competition. Every life you destroyed. Every heart you broke. Think about everything you did! What do you feel?"

The draconequus chuckled. "When I think about it, all I feel is..." he grinned evilly. "...amusement!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled dryly. "That's all I needed to hear. Well, here's my wish: bring every contestant here. Every single pony, griffon, zebra and diamond dog. Every living creature that participated of this dreadful contest. I don't want you to bring anyone back from the dead, just the living ones will do."

"Huh, that's a rather silly wish if you ask me, but if that's what you want..." Discord snapped his fingers. One by one, all the previous contestants started to pop up. The Zodiac Council of Equestria were the first, soon followed by Spitfire, Soarin', some noble figures from Canterlot, several ponies from many different places, the Flim-Flam Brothers, Gilda, Lightning Dust, all the bat ponies from the temple-arena of the seventh Twisted Metal, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, the Pie sisters, the Apples, Fluttershy, Rarity and, finally, Trixie and Princess Twilight.

"What was the point of--" Discord interrupted himself when he saw Rainbow Dash retrieving her Element of Harmony from the glovebox. "No!" he looked around and saw that all the other five Element Wielders all had their Elements on. "No no no no NO!"

"Look deep into their eyes, Discord." Rainbow Dash said when her Element of Loyalty began to glow. "Feel the pain you caused them, and receive your punishment!"

The other five Elements of Harmony began to glow as well. The six mares started to levitate and a rainbow slowly connected all of them, forming a circle around Discord.

"Not this again!" Discord flapped his wings and tried to fly away, but the power of Harmony was faster and a beam of multicolored light hit him on the back.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--" Discord yelled while his body turned into stone, only ceasing when his mouth was petrified as well. The statue fell from the sky and on top of the throne, smashing it.

"It's finally over." Twilight said, approaching the statue. "You can no longer harm anyone!"

"What are we going to do with it, Your Highness?" Trixie asked, already levitating a quill and parchment.

* * *

Canterlot Gardens. Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon, Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot, Soarin', Spitfire, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Applejack and Rarity were all gathered around the statue of the Draconequus, who had a terrified expression on its face.

"Are ya sure this is the best idea, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "Ah mean, wasn't this the place he was before he escaped in the first place?"

"I have to agree with Applejack on this one, darling!" Rarity said. "This hardly looks like a safe place for him to be."

"This is just a temporary place." Twilight said. "A place where I can keep an eye on him while I search for a spell that can open a portal to Tartarus." Twilight flew up tapped the statue's snout. "Enjoy the sunlight while you still have it, Discord. Soon you'll be Cerberus' new chew toy for aaaaaall eternity!"

"He deserves no less." Pinkie Pie said with her forelegs crossed. "All meanies must be punished accordingly!"

"Let's go back inside." Twilight said after landing. "Being near him makes me angry! And now that Twistd Metal is over, we can finally celebrate!"

All the ponies cheered before following the Princess back to the castle.

"So, how's the search for the Princesses going?" Fluttershy asked as they walked.

"Nothing so far!" Trixie answered. "But Princess Twilight is working on a spell that can..."

And that's all Discord managed to hear before the ponies were out of his hearing range.

"Tartarus, you say? Can't say I agree with your decision!" he thought. "I am not done yet! The chaos and disorder that my Twisted Metal spread across Equestria will never fade. It's only a matter of time until all that chaotic energy finds its way back to me. Soon, I'll be free once again! Ready your clocks, my little ponies! The countdown for my return has star--"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant yellow road roller fell on top of the statue.

"Oops! My bad!" a grey pegasus mare with yellow mane and tail wearing a bright yellow outfit said before landing on top of the vehicle. She looked around with her crossed eyes an innocent smile on her face. "I finally got my own car! Can I participate now?" the smile was slowly replaced by a look of confusion. "Hello?"

"...Ouch..."

Author's Note

This was a fun ride! It was bumpy at some points, I ran out of ideas, suffered writer's block several times, had to put it on hold a few times because of things that I couldn't control, but fun nonetheless.
What do you think? Had fun? Was it too much for you? Too little? Let me know, I love comments!

And yes, Zodiac's Concealed War Council is a play on both Sweet Tooth's Carnival Of Carnage and Tower Tooth!
And if this chapter reminded you of Saint Seiya... Well, it reminded me too! I was actually halfway through Sagittarius' floor when I realized how similar it was.

EDIT: Over a year later and I finally fixed the mistakes in this chapter I could find. But I could have missed some, so feel free to kindly point them out!

1. Prologue

"Looks like the pony sisters were victorious this time. What are the odds?"

"Quit stalling, Discord."

"We won fair and square, now grant us our wish."

"Alright, alright. After all, I'm a Daconequus who keeps his promises. Now tell me, what do you seek, Princesses?"

"The Elements of Harmony."

"Give them to us, now!"

"Here they are. Now have fun with your colorful rocks. I am Discord, and I thank y--"

"Not so fast, Discord."

"IIIIIIIIIII aaaaaaaam Diiiiiiiiiiiscooooooord, aaaaaaaand--"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Do you want to know why we wanted you to give us the Elements?"

"Ok, you got me. Why?"

"..."

"So, that's it? You're going to make them glow until I'm bored? It's funny, actually! Really, really funny! HAHAHAHAH--"

* * *

One thousand years later...

* * *

"Twists and turns are my master plan. A wish I will grant if winning the tournament you can." Discord said before his image on the stained glass in the Canterlot Tower became still once again.

"Can we go home now?" the shy yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, asked.

"What do ya reckon he meant?" the orange earth pony, Applejack, asked too. "Twists and turns and winning a tournament?"

"This can't be..." Celestia said. "This can't happen again!"

"What can't happen again, Princess Celestia?" the lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, asked her mentor.

"You need to stop Discord before his tournment starts! We can't let that bloodshed happen again."

"Bloodshed?!" they all shouted at the same time before Fluttershy fainted.

Celestia nodded. "One thousand years ago, Discord was the ruler of Equestria before Luna and I. And he had this... Contest every month! A contest where ponies had to use strange machines to hurt each other. And sometimes even kill!"

"And why isn't this in any of the history books I read?" Twilight asked. "In fact, I never read anything about Discord either!"

Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "That was a point in history that I wanted erased. Forever!"

"And what are we doing standing here?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We have a villain to stop and a tournament to prevent from happening!"

"Rainbow Dash is right." Twilight said.

"Good luck, my little ponies." Celestia said before touching both of Twilight's shoulders with her horn. "The fate of Equestria is in your hooves."

"Thanks, Princess. We won't let you down."

With Applejack carrying the unconscious Fluttershy on her back, the six mares exited Canterlot Tower. Princess Celestia heard the laughter of Discord echoing through the room.

* * *

The six mares - Fluttershy now awake again - were standing outside the palace labyrinth, looking at the entrance. The labyrinth looked much bigger and taller than before.

"W-We have to go in there?" Fluttershy asked.

"I agree with Fluttershy, this place looks... Shady! Not to say dirty." Rarity said, straightening her mane.

"Several ponies saw strange lights and heard noises coming from here. It's the only place I can think where Discord can be!" Twilight said, levitating a luxurious box in front of her. She opened it, revealing five necklaces and a crown. She levitated each Element and gave them to their respective wielder. "We'd best keep our elements on at all times until further notice."

"Check!" the five mares said at the same time.

"Never fear, girls. We have each other!"

Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed. "Like Twilight said, there's nothing we can't overcome if we all stick together!"

"All right, girls, let's do this!"

"Together!" they all shouted at the same time while taking their first step into the labyrinth. Suddenly they were all thrown back as a wall blocked the entrance. As they got up, they heard Discord's laughter coming from within the labyrinth.

"Really?" his disembodied voice asked. "Did you really thought it was going to be that easy? Just walk in and turn me back into stone?"

"Well... Actually, we thought!" Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

"Then let's make it a game. You can come in and go Cockatrice on me all you want, but first..."

"But first...?" Twilight asked.

"First you need to win my tournament!"

"What?!" they all shouted at the same time.

"Bu-Bu-But that's exactly what we're here for!" Applejack said. "To prevent ya from startin' that dreadful tournament again!"

"Well, too bad. You either win the tournament or I'm free forever. Your choice, little ponies!"

"That ruffian..." Rarity said, pawing the ground with her hoof.

"Darn it!" Rainbow Dash said, stomping on the ground with both forehooves. "If only I could fly in there and finish him on my own..."

"Oh, please, do try, Rainbow Dash!" he said.

"Don't do it, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said. "He must be planning something."

"Won't you even give me the benefit of the doubt, Twilight Sparkle?"

"NO!"

"Oh, well... But still, if you want to get me, you have to join Twisted Metal!"

"'Twisted Metal'?" they all asked at the same time.

"My tournament, duh! Seriously, I would have expected Celestia to at least say the name of my masterpiece. Anyway, I'll see you... In Twisted Metal!"

He started to laugh, his voice slowly fading until it disappeared.

"What now, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"Only one thing left to do..."

* * *

"What is so important that thou had to interrupt Our slumber, Sister?" Luna said with a yawn.

"This is more than important, Sister." Celestia said. "Discord is back, and you know what that means!"

Luna's eyes widened, her sleepiness completely disappearing. "Nay! That dreadful contest cannot return!"

"I'm afraid it's already happening. Specially after that riddle..."

"Riddle?"

"'Twists and turns are my master plan. A wish I will grant if winning the tournament you can'."

"This does not sound pleasant. And what makes the matter worst is the fact that we are no longer connected to the Elements of Harmony!"

"Don't worry, my Sister. The new wielders of the Elements..." Celestia magically opened the door of the Throne Room, where the six mares were patiently waiting. "...are right here!" she approached her student and her friends. "Thank you all for waiting. Luna, if you please?"

"Sister, thou cannot be suggesting that--"

"According to them, Discord won't allow anypony to approach him unless they're contestants in the tournament. It's the only way!"

"What the hay do y'all think they're talkin' about?" Applejack whispered to her friends.

Princess Luna sighed. "We understand, Sister..."

Together, the Princesses levitated the massive throne, revealing a trap door hidden underneath it.

"What... What's down there, Princess?" her faithful student asked.

"Things that I hoped to never have to see again..."

"Follow us, Twilight Sparkle and company." Luna said, opening the trap door with her magic, revealing a stairway. "This is important!"

The eight mares went down the stairs. It got darker and darker as they went further down. Celestia and Luna lit up their horns at the same time, revealing several large objects, all covered by equally large blankets.

"What... What are those?" Fluttershy asked.

"These are the vehicles Discord... 'Created' for his tournament!"

"Which is highly unlikely, since Discord isn't bright enough to craft such exotic and complex machines!"

"What are those 'machines' yer talkin' about, Princess?"

Celestia and Luna nodded at each other and levitated the blankets away, revealing several weird-shaped metal boxes. They were empty on the inside and had wheels underneath them. Most of them had weapons above, below, in front, behind or on their sides.

"Ohhhh, they look so cool!" Pinkie Pie said, inspecting them closely. "What are those? What are they used for? How do they work? What are their names?" Pinkie Pie pressed a button on one of them.

"Pinkie Pie, wai--" Celestia tried to stop her but was too late; the weapon shot bullets at the car in front of it, opening several holes on its side. All the six mares were speechless.

"O-Oopsie..."

"A-Anyway, Discord call them 'cars'. They are machines that, as long as they have a pilot inside controlling it, can... Move on their own, in a manner of speaking!"

"Cooooool..."

"They're so... Unfabulous!" Rarity said. "Maybe with some paint, a garnish here, an ornament there..."

"Not everythin' is about beauty, Rarity!" Applejack said. "We need to know if they're durable, strong an' stuff!"

"Applejack is right, Rarity. According to what Princess Celestia explained, they're supposed to be used as weapons or something like that. Remember what she said, it was a tournament where ponies had to hurt to win!" Twilight explained.

"Does... Does that mean we'll have to hurt each other?" Fluttershy asked, cowering.

Celestia smiled. "Not exactly! There are two other alternatives. First, you can go in there together. There are no rules against forming teams!"

"We do not recommend that!" Luna said, interrupting her sister. "If you form teams, it will mean less vehicles participating and less vehicles mean less chances of winning! While you six have the best intentions, the prize is very attractive and can bring every kinds of ponies."

"'A wish I will grant if winning the tournament you can'." Twilight quoted. "Wait, does that mean the prize is an actual wish? Discord can do that?"

"Discord is a fiend capable of doing the unimaginable!" the Night Princess explained.

"And what's behind door number two, Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Celestia smiled again. "The second alternative is actually a flaw in the rules."

"Rules? Seriously?" Applejack asked skeptically. "Pardon me, Princess, but that Discord feller really doesn't sound like the kind of... Thing that would go by the rules!"

"Discord is a trickster." Luna explained. "He likes to have fun at others' expenses, so even he has to establish rules to his game in order to have the best fun possible. Even if his concept of 'fun' is selfish and cruel!"

"And what is this flaw?" Twilight asked.

"One of the rules is 'one winner can only be decided once all other contestants are incapable of keep competing'. It doesn't say you have to hurt or kill others! In fact, it was using that strategy that we managed to win Twisted Metal one thousand years ago!"

"You were contestants too?" Rarity asked, surprised, just like the other five.

"We had to!" Luna said.

"My sister is right. We read about the Elements of Harmony and its seeming limitless power, but we had absolutely no clue to where they were or what they looked like. Together, we created our own car by studying the wreckage of the discarded cars that used to belong to... Unfortunate ex-contestants!"

"And after you won, you wished for him to give you the Elements, right?"

"Exactly, Rainbow Dash! But now that he is free again and we are no longer connected to the Elements of Harmony, so I have to ask the six of you to do that. I'm sorry about that!"

"Don't be, Princess." Applejack said. "We're the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, it's our job to protect Equestria and its citizens!"

"Thank you for understanding."

"Now please, choose one of the cars." Luna ordered. "The one that suits thee better. Thou need to know how to handle thy vehicle well in order to have a chance in Twisted Metal! The contestants can be quite cruel. Specially the... 'special ones'!"

"'Special ones'?" the six mares asked at the same time.

"Sometimes Discord tends to... Brainwash, for lack of better word, certain competitors when it was convenient to him. To make the game more 'interesting'!"

"I usually try to love and tolerate my foes, but Discord just makes it impossible..." Twilight said before moving toward the cars. "Anyway, how does these work?"

"Technology. Very advanced technology." the Sun Princess explained before lifting the hood of the car, revealing its engine. "Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, Discord unconsciously helped Equestria's technological advance with these!"

"Impressive... Does is still work? After one thousand years?"

"Probably not! But my sister and I have a great knowledge regarding those, after studying the parts and assembling and disassembling them over and over. Once you choose yours, we will do whatever we can to help make them run again!" Celestia looked at Luna, who nodded.

"Thank you very much, Princesses!"

It didn't took long for the six mares to decide which vehicles they wanted: Twilight chose a Corvette, Rainbow Dash chose a Lamborghini, Applejack chose a farm truck, Rarity chose a Mustang, Fluttershy chose a Buggy and Pinkie Pie chose an ice cream truck.

Together, the Princesses worked for the rest of the day and the whole night to make all the six cars work once again. The next morning, the six friends were taught by the Princesses how to drive the vehicles and handle their weapons. After the classes were over, the cars were given to the wilders of the Elements of Harmony so they could customize them to their liking, which was Rarity's idea.

Twilight's car was painted purple with a violet and a purple streaks on the side, with her Cutie Mark painted on the hood. She named it "Friendship Report".

Rainbow Dash's car was painted cyan with her Cutie Mark painted on the doors and, with Twilight's help, she enchanted the fuel of the car to make the smoke come out of the exhaust in seven colors. She named it "Rainboom".

Applejack's truck was simply painted red. She named it "Bad Apple".

Rarity's car was painted white and her Cutie Mark was painted on the hood. She also encrusted several diamonds all over the car. She named it "Rare Gem".

Fluttershy's Buggy was painted yellow with pink details, with several animal-shaped garnishes hanging from it. She named it "Mother Nature".

And Pinkie Pie's truck was painted bright pink. There were cupcakes, candies and balloons painted all over it. There was also a giant Pinkie Pie head above it, looking like a jack-in-the-box. She named it "Sweet Tooth".

"You're all ready." Celestia said. "You have the vehicles and know the basics of how to handle them. I want you to practice your driving skills whenever you can until the day of the tournament!"

"Do ya know when is it going to be, Princess?" Applejack asked.

"Discord has been spreading those flyers all around Equestria since he broke free." she then levitated a paper in front of the six mares.

I am Discord, and I invite you to play Twisted Metal.
The prize is anything you may want, even if it is impossible.
All you have to do is join my tournament, where you have to fight for it.
The weapon shall be provided by myself, as well as the instructions of how to use it.
Are you going to pass the opportunity?
See you at the entrance of the labyrinth in Canterlot Gardens,
at sunrise of the first day of next month.
Don't drop the ball, or it might get kicked away!

"I only hope nopony takes this seriously..." Fluttershy said.

"We never know, Fluttershy!" Twilight said. "There might be a desperate pony naïve enough out there to accept his invitation."

"I-I see..."

"I'm going to teleport you and your cars to Ponyville." Celestia explained. "When the time of the tournament comes, I will bring you all back to the labyrinth."

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie Pie said before jumping into her ice cream truck.

The other five mares nodded and got into their vehicles as well.

Princess Celestia closed her eyes and, after a flash of light, the mares and their cars were gone from the throne room. She sighed. "I only hope Twisted Metal does not affect their friendship and drive them apart, like it did to many others..."

Author's Note

I wanted to write this for sooooo long! The cover picture was standing around on my external HD, just waiting for this day. And now it's finally real! I can't wait to work on the Twisted Metal tournament. And what do you think of Discord starring as Calypso? Great choice or lame choice? And sorry if they're not similar, specially when it comes to wish-granting. Anyway, let me know, leave your opinion in the comments below. Feedback makes me smile and makes me eager to continue!
See you in the next chapter, readers!

4. The Second Twisted Metal

The first thing the six ponies noticed was that their cars were on a very white and soft road in front of a big, white coliseum surrounded by smaller buildings. Rainbow Dash gasped.

"Don't get out of your vehicles, no matter what happens!" Rainbow Dash said. "We're on top of a cloud!"

"Good work noticing it so fast, Rainbow Dash." Discord's voice said. "But there's no need to worry, those clouds are special, crafted by myself! Ground ponies can step on them for as long and as hard as they want. Why do you think your cars are still up here?"

"Well..."

"But I can't do anything if one of you fall off the edge, so be warned!"

Rarity gulped, memories of her time on the Best Young Flyer competition suddenly returning. "F-Fall?"

"But you're all capable drivers, I doubt any of you will fall off the edge, right?"

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack said.

"Eeyup!" her brother agreed.

"But anyway, without further ado, let Twisted Met--"

"Wait a second." Fluttershy said, looking around. "Where are the other contestants? Or are we the only ones?"

"Oh they're around! I didn't wanted everypony to start in the same place, so I sent all of them to different places of the cloud. And no more interruptions, Twisted Metal begins now!"

Fireworks came out of the coliseum, meaning that Twisted Metal had started.

* * *

Inside the coliseum, Discord approached the grey car and the black motorcycle in the middle of the arena. Floating above him were two semitransparent cloud spheres, each with a pony inside, but it was impossible to see who they were.

"It's time to wake up, my secret weapons. Time to wake up and have some fun outside!"

The spheres landed each on a vehicle that were surrounded by the clouds as well. After a few seconds, the clouds dissipated. The motorcycle now had a grey pegasus wearing a helmet and a leather jacket sitting on it. The grey car also had a new driver: a grey alicorn mare with an evil smirk on her face.

"Twisted Metal will not last long this month!" Twilight said while revving the engine. She looked at the motorcycle driver. "What do you think, Ghost Rider?"

The biker didn't said anything. She didn't even moved.

"She agrees!" Discord said. "Now go, my little puppets! I want to know if this month's winner will be the Disharmony Report or the Ghost Rider."

"Hah! It's definiely going to be me." Twilight said, using her hoof to move her fringe away from her eyes. "Ghost Rider is a capable driver, but an amateur compared to me. I am an almighty Princess! She is a mere pegasus."

Ghost Rider turned her head and looked at Twilight, who simply smirked evilly at her.

"Ok, that's enough! Don't get me wrong, I love some good chaos now and then, but you two have a Twisted Metal to win!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Race you to the exit, Ghos--"

Before Twilight could finish the sentence, Ghost Rider accelerated and disappeared through the now open entrance of the coliseum.

"Eager to start, aren't you?" Twilight accelerated and exited the coliseum as well.

Discord laughed. "Those ponies don't stand a chance against my chaotic duo!"

* * *

"YEEEEEHAAAAW!" Applejack shouted after her brother shot the tires of another racer, incapacitating him of keep going. "Doin' good, Big Mac!" the stallion smiled.

"Why are you cheering, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash asked angrily. "This is not a fun game, this is serious!"

"Gee, don't be such a meanie, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie said. "We're not hurting anypony, so try to have a little fun."

"What happened to you, Pinkie? Your concept of fun suddenly changed from 'harmless foalish games' to 'murder attempt during evil tournaments'! Don't think I forgot about that last mare."

"But she was frowning."

"You almost crushed her!"

"Eyes on the road, Pinkie Pie!" Applejack shouted.

But it was too late and Pinkie Pie crashed her truck at full speed on the back of Rarity's car. Rarity screamed as her car was thrown toward the edge of the cloud. The front wheels of Rare Gem were hanging on the air and the rear wheels, who were still on the cloud, started tomove toward the longest fall of her life - and this time Rainbow Dash couldn't save her.

"Oops!" Pinkie Pie said with the ghost of a smile on the corner of her mouth.

Big Macintosh jumped from the truck and tied a rope to the rear bumper of Rarity's Mustang. When he tied the other end of the rope to Applejack's truck front bumper, the white car fell.

The fashionista slammed her face against the windshield, making it crack. "Help me! HELP ME!" she screamed.

"Hang on, Rarity!" Applejack said before she started to pull Rarity's car.

Pinkie Pie jumped from her truck and approached the edge of her car. When she looked down, she grinned.

"Splat!" she said before giggling.

"Why the hay ya said that, Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asked.

"Because that's the sound it makes when a pony hits the ground after a veeeeeery looooooong fall!"

When Applejack pulled the car back up, they all noticed that both the windshield and the driver were missing. Pinkie Pie giggled before jumping back on her truck and driving away.

"Pinkie Pie, come back here!" Rainbow Dash called before driving after the ice cream truck.

Since she was a lot faster, she caught up quickly, but suddenly an explosion happened below Sweet Tooth, sending it flying towards a cloud building; she landed upside down on top of it.

"Cloud Mines, never join Twisted Metal without 'em!" said a very familiar voice from within the mist that resulted from the explosion on the cloud.

"That voice..."

After the mist dissipated, Rainbow Dash saw a grey car with a grey alicorn driving it, with only a hole on the cloud keeping them apart.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said, flapping her wings. "Long time no see."

"Twilight? What Discord did to you?"

"He granted my wish."

"And what are you doing here? Are you working for him now?"

"Don't get me wrong, Rainbow! I don't need Discord. I don't need anypony! I'm just having some fun."

"You call this fun? What if you killed Pinkie Pie? She's acting really weird, but she's still our friend!"

"Your friend, Rainbow. I don't need friends! I'm by myself now, thank you very much."

"You are not the Twilight I know!"

"Exactly! I'm not her. I'm a better Twilight. One that knows how strong se can be if she works by herself, without nopony else to hold her back or tell her what to do. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and, once I win this tournament, all of Equestria will know it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Celestia's reign is over. Twilight's reign is about to start!"

"We'll see about that once I knock some sense in your head, egghead!"

"Then come and do it, Lamebow Crash!"

* * *

Fluttershy stopped her Buggy when she saw Big Mac and Applejack outside their truck, staring at Rarity's car. Worried, she approached them.

"Something happened?" she asked. "And where's Rarity?"

"She... She fell!" Applejack said. Fluttershy gasped.

"WH-WHAT?! H-How did that happened?"

"There's somethin' wrong with Pinkie Pie! Ah don't blame her for hittin' Rarity, she wasn't lookin' at the road, but then..."

"Then what?"

"She started gigglin' an' makin' fun o' Rarity's death!"

"Wh-Why would she do such thing?"

"Ah have no idea, but Ah'm winnin' this thing an' bringin' Rarity back! It's a promise! Are ya ok with that, Big Mac?"

The stallion nodded. "Ee-"

He gasped when a chain suddenly wrapped around his neck. Following the chain, they saw a grey pegasus wearing a helmet and a jacket. She was sitting on a motorcycle and with the other end of the chain wrapped around her right hoof.

"Wh-Who are--"

The pegasus didn't said anything. She accelerated the motorcycle, not letting go of the chain or Big Mac, who got dragged by her.

"BIG MAC!" the mares shouted at the same time. Applejack jumped back into her truck and they followed the pegasus.

"Yer gonna regret takin' mah brother, ya skank!"

"GIVE BIG MACINTOSH BACK!" Fluttershy shouted as loud as she could, surprising Applejack.

Ghost Rider looked back at them and quickly turned around. With supernatural force, she spinned Big Mac as well, then threw him at Bad Apple, shattering the windshield. Applejack braked the truck.

"Are ya ok, Big Mac?"

"N-Nope..." he coughed. "But Ah'll be!"

"You two, look out!" Fluttershy shouted.

Applejack didn't noticed how close they were to the edge of the cloud until Ghost Rider pressed a button on the handle of her motorcycle, making blades appear on both wheels. She started driving in circles around Bad Apple until they were no longer on the cloud arena, but on a smaller cloud that was slowly floating away. Ghost Rider then grabbed a stick of dynamite and a lighter from the inner pockets of her jacket.

"Ah have a bad feelin' 'bout this..." Big Mac said.

"Don't do this..." Fluttershy said. Ghost Rider lit up the dynamite and threw it at the truck. "NO!"

The Apple siblings looked at the dynamite that slowly rolled to under the truck.

"Applejack?"

"Yes, Big Mac?"

"Close yer eyes!"

Applejack nodded and closed her eyes. She felt her brother embrace her.

"Ah love ya, lil' sis."

"Ah love ya too, big bro."

She felt his lips touch her forehead. She then felt herself being lifted. Applejack slowly opened her eyes and saw her brother holding her above his head.

"Big Mac, what are ya doin'?"

"Ya have to live, Applejack!"

"Big Macintosh Apple, ya'll put me down this inst--" he threw her before she could finish speaking. She landed back on the cloud arena. "BIG MAC!"

He smiled and waved at her. He turned at Fluttershy and winked at her. And then...

BOOM!

* * *

"I don't know what Discord did to you..." Rainbow Dash said, slamming her car against Disharmony Report. "...but I'll bring you back to our side, no matter what!"

"I told you, I'm not on Discord's side." Twilight said, slamming her car against Rainboom. "I'm on my own side! I'm only here because it's fun."

"Not buying it!"

A motorcycle appeared between Rainboom and Disharmony Report. She slowly turned her face to Rainbow Dash.

"Friend of yours?" she asked.

"Ghost Rider, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked. "Go after the other racers, the Elements of Harmony are all mine!"

Ghost Rider looked at Twilight and shook her head.

"I said GET OUT!" Twilight pressed her car against the motorcycle, "sandwiching" it between hers and Rainbow's. "Now be a good filly before I send you back to where you belong!"

"You are not going to hurt Rainbow Dash." she said with a very sinister voice, that sounded like several males and females were speaking at the same time.

"Aren't you a bold one? Discord brought you back from the afterlife..." she levitated pegasus and moved away from the motorcycle, making it fall, leaving the biker with no vehicle below her. "..and I can send you back!" she reduced her levitation spell to the biker's helmet only, making her slip out of it and fall on the soft cloud below her.

"Was that..." Rainbow Dash only saw her face for a split second, but she was almost sure it was who she thought it was. "...Scootaloo?"

"It doesn't matter!" she said before dropping the helmet as well. "You're my opponent here, and no Blank Flank dead filly is going to stop me."

"What a low blow, Twilight Sparkle!" Discord's voice said. "Sending a teammate flying like that? Low blow. I loved it!"

"She was not my teammate!"

"Eh, whatever! Well, here's the news: apparently Fluttershy fainted after that farm truck exploded and Scootaloo did you the favor of wiping out most of the competition, so you two are the only racers left. Make me proud!"

"Farm truck, huh?" she sighed. "I'm so sorry, Applejack..."

"You're going down, Rainbow Dash!"

"I'm gonna mess you up, Twilight Sparkle!"

"I have an idea: how about we settle this in a way you like?"

"And that would be...?"

"In an awesome way!"

Rainbow Dash smirked. "Now we're talking."

"Then follow me!"

* * *

Cloud Coliseum. Rainboom was on once side of the arena and Disharmony Report was on the other. Discord was sitting on a throne on the highest spot of the Coliseum.

"Now that is what I call fun!" he said while munching some popcorn.

"Laugh while you can, Discord!" Rainbow Dash said. "Your time will come, sooner or later."

"Is that supposed to be threatening?"

"Enough chit-chatting!" Twilight said. "Are we gonna do this or not?"

"We can start whenever you want, Twilight."

"Then let's start right now!"

Both cars accelerated and bumped against each other.

"Your car is fast, but lacks strenght and durability!" Twilight pointed out. "You won't last much longer."

"I know. This is why I have some trick up my sleeve."

"What are you talking about?"

Rainbow Dash pressed a button behind the steering wheel, revealing a gatling gun on the left side of her car. Twilight's face lost all color and Rainbow Dash smirked while aiming it at her car.

"I won!"

She started to shoot, making holes all over the right side of her car, doing her best to not hit Twilight, who was hiding under the panel. After a few seconds of loud and fast shooting, Rainbow Dash let go of the trigger of the gatling gun. The right side of Disharmony Report was completely destroyed and the engine wouldn't work again.

"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash, well done!" Discord said, clapping while approaching her.

"Shut up and grant me my wish!"

"Gee, ok. Apparently nopony likes to appreciate their victory! What do you want? Oh, let me guess: your wing, right? I can do that!"

"My wing, huh?" she looked at the stub where her wing used to be. "Yeah, that would be nice!"

"Alright, then! A new wing coming in three, two--"

"BUT!" she said. "That's not my wish."

"Are you sure, Rainbow Dash?" he touched her forehead with his finger and she slowly started to turn grey. "But what about your freedom? Your happiness? Your job? Are you really going to leave all that behind? Now tell me, what do you truly wish?"

"I wish..."

"Yes?"

"...my wing..."

"Yeeeees?"

She slapped his hand away from her face.

"I wish my winged friends back! I know you brainwashed them, Discord. Free Scootaloo and Twilight this instant. That's my wish!"

Discord groaned and sighed. "Your wish is granted!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"I am Discord, and I thank you for playing Twisted Metal."

Rainbow Dash turned around and looked at Twilight's car, which was lavender once again. She approached it and opened the door. Twilight was there, looking at her. Her coat was no longer grey, but her wings were still there.

"Rainbow..." she said. "Wha... What happened?"

Rainbow Dash pulled her friend to a hug. "Welcome back, Twilight!"

Author's Note

A mare that doesn't care about friendship and would rather do everything on her own than trust others to do her job. That's how I see Discorded Twilight!

18. The Darkness Strikes Back (Part 2)

Pinkamena was running as fast as she could, fleeing from the rampaging three-headed dog chasing her, all of the heads barking at her. The stallion simply grinned.

"Well done, Pinkamena." he said.

She got as close as she could to the crystal bars without touching it, since the smallest touch could inflict severe pain, then stopped. "What do I do now?"

He got close to the bars as well. "Just get out of the way and leave the rest to me."

Pinkamena nodded and jumped to the side. Once Cerberus was close enough to the cell, even more smoke started to flow out of his eyes.

"What are you--"

Before Pinkamena could finish asking the question, Sombra's purple smoke left the cell and went straight into the eyes of Cerberus' middle head, making the canine stop. The grey stallion's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Sombra?" she called.

"Right behind you!"

She quickly turned around and noticed that the middle head's eyes, instead of read and yellow, were now crimson red and green. The other two heads looked at each other, confused.

"You're... Cerberus?"

"For a while, yes!"

She looked at his body lying in the cell, then back at Cerberus, then back at his body, then back at Cerberus. "How did you...?"

"Soul transfer! Isn't dark magic so convenient? And now, if you don't mind, I'll be doing the same to you."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Why do you think I asked you to lure Cerberus here, Pinkamena, my dear? Cerberus is our ticket out of this filthy hellhole!"

"Can't I just, I don't know, walk out of here?"

"One does not simply walk out of Tartarus. You don't have a body of your own, the sunlight would disintegrate you in a matter of seconds!"

"Ouch! Sounds painful. But then what, are we just going to walk around in the body of a giant dog with three heads?"

"Will you ever learn, my dear young mare? Do you really think that I, King Sombra, Lord of Darkness, would die without having a backup plan?"

"Well, from what you told me, you've been dead for a thousand years now. Since you can revive yourself, why didn't you do it before?"

"Several reasons, but the most important of them is that my special trinket was only activated recently."

"'Special trinket'?"

"I'll explain it later! For now, let's tame this beast, shall we?"

Pinkamena nodded. Her eyes flashed green and pink smoke slowly came out of her mouth, then lazily drifted toward Cerberus' right head.

* * *

Ponyville Town Hall. Trixie sat on a big, red velvet cushion with gold tassels, while watching the Cakes polish her crystal throne.

"You two! Hurry up with Our throne." she said before turning her gaze to Applejack, who was inside a large vat, stomping on apples. "And you, how long do We have to wait for Our applesauce facial?"

Applejack stopped and crossed her forelegs. "Forget it, Trixie! Ah ain't doin' nothin' 'til ya tell us what you did to Twilight!" she gasped when she felt the collar getting tighter. Trixie levitated the mare closer to her, until they were almost touching muzzles.

"Twilight Sparkle is no more. Gone in a cloud of smoke. She was not match for Us, and paid the ultimate price. Now, will you shut your trap and go back to your job or do We have to turn you into another example?"

"A-A-Ah understand..." she said between gasps.

"I understand...?" Trixie said, the collar getting tighter.

"Gr-Greater and... M-Most Powerful... Trixie..." she said, almost whispering due to the lack of oxygen. Trixie threw her back into the vat and loosened her collar, but just enough so Applejack wouldn't die.

"That's better!"

"I don't believe it." Rarity whispered while sewing one of Trixie's flags. "I don't believe it one bit! Our Twilight couldn't be... Dead." she accidently pricked her hoof with a needle and whined in pain. "Could she?"

"Uh... Miss Trixie?" a mint-colored unicorn mare called.

"Greater and Most Powerful Trixie!" the Alicorn corrected.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, Greater and Most Powerful Trixie! But I just witnessed something, and I think you would like to see it."

"What is it?"

"I... I'm not realy sure! I was hoping you could tell."

Trixie groaned and got up from her cushion. The mare lead her to outside of the Town Hall, where she gasped.

"T... T... T... Twilight Sparkle?!"

"Yes, Trixie!" Twilight said, looking very serious. If one would inspect her body carefully, they would notice that her body was slightly taller. Her mane and tail, on the other hand, were considerably larger, a change easy to notice.

"But... We... We killed you!"

"Well, you failed."

"But... But how?"

~ ~ ~

Twilight only had one moment to act before the bombs touched Friendship Report. She cast the first spell that came to mind: teleportation; since she cast it in a hurry, she had no time to visualize a destination. She successfully teleported in time, but because she didn't chose a specific place to go, she was dropped in a random location: an empty void.

I learned the hard way that the last arena was actually a pocket universe. A pocket universe is a small area that exists outside of our reality. Not big enough to be an alternate universe, and not developed to be an alternate dimension. I don't know how Discord discovered it of if he created it himself, but I knew one thing: nopony knew how to enter a pocket universe, let alone exit one. So I did what I do best: study.

I was entirely sure that I spent years locked in there, doing all I could to understand how the pocket universe worked. It wasn't easy, specially when I had no books to use as reference and work simply with I had memorized. If I am standing here today, it's thanks to two things: my Alicorn longevity and how time works there.

You see, time works in a completely random way in pocket universes! One second there could be a month here, one day here could be a century there, nopony knows. Even I'm not sure how long I spent there, but it felt like a really, really long time.

"Alright, I think I'm ready this time." Twilight said. She pointed her horn to the front and fired a magic beam. First, nothing happened. But after a few moments, a hole appeared in the middle of nothingness. One hole that led back to Ponyville. She smiled and walked through it.

~ ~ ~

"Of course, nopony can do something on their first try, so I was able to open... 'Windows' from time to time. You know, failed attempts to open doors big enough for me to go through! That's why there's no need to explain. I know everything you did to my friends, Trixie."

"Let Us guess." she said before she stared speaking in a mocking tone: "Oh, Trixie, you meanie, you're going to pay for what you did!" she cleaned her throat and started speaking normally again while grinning. "Are We right, Sparkle?"

Twilight grinned back. "You know, Trixie, during my time in exile, I could think with a clear mind. And guess what? I figured everything out." she pointed at Trixie's necklace. "I know what that is! It's the Alicorn Amulet, isn't it?"

"I'm surprised anypony knows the Alicorn Amulet, since We were very lucky to even stumble across information about its existance and location."

"And while whoever wears it is blessed with untold powers, it also corrupts the user. That is why, Trixie, I know you're not doing this on purpose. It's the Amulet, not you!"

"Whatever are you talking about, Sparkle? Did you finally lose your mind after being away from your precious books for over an hour? We do whatever We want!"

"Why do you think you keep saying 'We' instead of 'Trixie'?"

"Because... Because it is tradition to speak using the royal 'We', of course! Afterall, We are like royalty now."

Twilight shook her head. "Not even you can believe in yourself, can you, Trixie? The Alicorn Amulet is taking over your mind, and you're too blind to notice it."

"Assuming she had a mind to be taken over." Rainbow Dash whispered to Fleetfoot. "With that much empty space, I bet that thing simply opened the front door and made itself at home." her partner chuckled.

"But no more, Trixie. The Amulet may have a magical lock that can only be undone by the wearer, but I can still do this!"

Her horn started glowing and she pointed it at Trixie. The Alicorn tried to shield her necklace with a foreleg, but Twilight's magic beam was able to hit it anyway.

She opened her eyes. All she could see was darkness but, while in the empty void of the pocket universe she was floating around, there she could feel the floor under her hooves. After taking a deep breath, she began walking.

"This looks familar." she muttered while looking around. Suddenly, she felt warmer. The more she walked forward, the warmer it got. It didn't took long for Twilight to localize the source of the heat: a glowing, heart-shaped red crystal with a big crack. It felt so alive that she could swear that it was beating like a real heart would.

"This must be the source of its power." Twilight said while stretching a foreleg toward it. Her hoof was only a few inches away from it when she suddenly stopped. "Huh? I-I can't move my body!"

Her body slowly started to float and purple, shapeless limbs made of smoke started to wrap themselves around her body, specially near her neck. She gasped when the source of the smoke - a pair of giant, glowing, red and green eyes - appeared right in front of her.

"That's... That's just like my nightmare!" she said, then moaned in pain when the limbs around her neck started to choke her.

"That is mine!" the owner of the huge pair of eyes said with his deep, mighty voice.

Twilight thrashed, trying to free herself, but to no avail. She then looked down at the heart and used her magic to apply pressure to the crack.

"No." he said again. "No! Stop!"

Finally, it broke in half.

"What is going on?" Applejack asked. For a few moments, Trixie just lied on the ground, spasming like she was being electrocuted. Meanwhile, Twilight just stood there, her eyes closed. Finally, Trixie stopped moving, the red crystal on the Alicorn Amulet shattered and Twilight opened her eyes.

"It's over." the purple Alicorn said.

From the empty socket where the gem used to be, a dark tendril arose. After a quick spin on the sky above Trixie, it quickly flew toward a small filly, burying itself on her chest. The filly was Diamond Tiara.

She coughed and pressed a hoof against her chest, taking deep breaths. The whole town directed their attention to her.

"Diamond Tiara, are you ok?" Silver Spoon asked, sounding very worried, wrapping her friend's foreleg around her neck, so she wouldn't fall.

"I... I... I'm fine." she said, coughing a couple of times more.

Twilight approached her and touched her horn to the filly's chest. She then smiled.

"It's ok, Diamond Tiara." she said, petting her. "Whatever that thing tried to do with you, it didn't worked! You're still the same as ever."

"So, Diamond Tiara will be ok?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Completely!"

The filly sighed in relief. Twilight then walked back to the pony she had just defeated, who was still lying on the grass. Her body was now considerably smaller, the color of her coat was back to normal and her eyes were once again pink with white sclera, but she still had a pair of wings on her back.

"S... S... Sparkle..." she tried to speak while panting.

"Shhh, everything is fine now, Trixie. You're free." she kneeled and nuzzled the other Alicorn's neck. "Everything is fine."

Trixie started crying. "I'm sorry..." she said between sobs. "I'm so sorry..."

The collars around everypony's necks fell to the floor and turned into dust. The crystal barrier around the town disappeared as well, allowing the Royal Sisters to enter Ponyville and land.

"It's just like we feared." Luna said. "There is another Alicorn."

"There's nothing to fear, Princess Luna." Twilight said while getting up. "Trixie is harmless now."

Celestia and Luna looked at each other and nodded.

"But we still need to bring her to Canterlot." Celestia said.

"We have a few things we'd like to discuss with this 'Trixie'!" Luna finished, levitating the sobbing Alicorn and placing her on her sister's back.

"Will you take care of her?" she asked with true concern in her voice.

Celestia smiled. "Rest assured, Twilight. Trixie is in good hooves!"

Twilight approached Trixie, who was now finally calming down. "I'll check up on you eventually. I, too, would like to ask you some questions."

Trixie wiped her tears and nodded. Twilight watched as they took off. In the background, nopony noticed Diamond Tiara grin evilly, her eyes glowing red and green for less than a second.

Author's Note

I did lots of things while writing this! I watched Blind Commentaries, Nostalgia Critic, listened to music, played Silent Hill 4: The Room, Manhunt 2... Well, guess my dream of being able to multitask is finally coming true! :trollestia:

Does that mean I'm slowly turning into a woman? :applejackunsure:
My girlfriend won't be pleased by this...
Y'know, 'cause women are so amazing that they can multitask with ease and stuff like that... :coolphoto:

Also, all the build-up and presentation of the new contestants is over. Back to Twisted Metal, everyone! :pinkiecrazy: