The Great Lepidoptera

"Um...are you okay, miss?" asked the small pony who showed me the mirror.

"Yeah...I'm fine..." I replied in a small voice. I actually wasn't. I'd been turned into a moth-human-thingy and I was stuck in a land of magic ponies who wanted my help. It was then I realized I didn't even know what they wanted me to help with.

"Let's go back to the others," I said. "I need to ask them something."

"Sure!" said the filly, trotting back down the hall. When we reached the other ponies, I took a deep breath, and asked the burning question:

"What do you need me to do for you?" A pink unicorn with crystal eyes stepped forward.

"We need to defeat Tirek for us," she said, shuddering at the name.

"Tirek?" I inquired. "Who's that?"

The unicorn replied, "He's a demon. He kidnapped some of the other ponies, as well as a young girl named Megan."

"I see. So, what does he want with the ponies and Megan?"

"We don't know," said the unicorn. "We brought Megan bere, thinking that maybe she could help us. We were wrong, and she was captured." A pegasus in the corner hung her head at this statement. I guessed that she brought this Megan here to Ponyland, and blamed herself for the girl's capture.

"Well, my little ponies," I began. "I don't know if I can beat Tirek..." the ponies' ears began to droop, "but I sure as hell am going to try." Their ears pricked up again, and they cheered.

"LET'S GO KICK SOME DEMON BEHIND!" I shrieked.

A dark castle stood above most everything else in Ponyland. Within the castle stood a handful of ponies, and a girl named Megan.

"You'll never get away with this, Tirek!" she snarled. "You'll be beaten, somehow! I just know it!"

The centaur merely chuckled. "I believe that I have already gotten away with this, you silly child!" he laughed. "Take her to the dungeon, Scorpan. I'll figure out what to do with her later."

The winged demon bowed. "Yes, my lord." He took Megan by the wrist, and led her off to the dungeon. Megan almost thought she saw a flash of pity or regret in his eyes, but now they were blank stones.

Tirek smiled, and stroked the small bag on his lap. "Soon, my precious," he murmured. "Soon, the world shall kno-" He stopped mid-sentence, sensing a new presence enter the world.

"What is that?" he wondered. The power radiating from the presence was incredible...and in opposition to his own dark powers.

"Who dares to defy Lord Tirek?!" he roared. Summoning his crystal ball, he glared daggers at it, wishing to see just who threatened his supreme reign. The sight that greeted him was not what he was expecting: A female human with orange and white hair, a pair of colorful insect wings, and glowing eyes.

He was shocked into silence. He would've expected an especially powerful unicorn, maybe a dragon who did not follow him, even the mythical goo pony seemed more likely than...this. But Tirek didn't care that much about how unusual his opponent was. What he cared about was her strength. She practically glowed with divine power.

"Well, well, well," he hissed. "Looks like taking over the world will be more fun than I thought." His face twisted into a ghastly smile. "I've always loved a good challenge."

"So," I said. "This...Moochick...possesses the only artifact that can save this world?"

"Yep," replied Firefly. She had insisted on coming along, in order to redeem herself. "I just hope he can find it. He's kind of forgetful."

"I'm sure that since the situation is so dire, he'll remember where he put it." I said this mostly to reassure myself, though it seemed to raise the spirits of the ponies as well. We eventually came upon a little clearing filled with mushrooms. An odd little man popped out of a mushroom, and introduced himself as the Moochick.

"And this," he said, gesturing to a rabbit, "is Habbit."

As I tried not to roll my eyes at such an uncreative name, I asked, "Where is the Rainbow of Light?", which I believed was an equally silly name.

"Why, yes! I do," he said excitedly. "I have it right..here." He pulled his pocket inside-out, but it was full of nothing but lint. "It seems as though I've forgotten where it was," he sheepishly said.

I sighed. "Does Habbit know where it is?" I inquired.

"Pfft! He's just a silly rabbit!" the old man said dismissively.

"Well, that doesn't mean he doesn't know where the Rainbow is," I shot back. I turned to the rabbit. "Do you know where the Rainbow is?"

He hopped up and down excitedly. I heard a small voice in my head cry, Yes! Someone finally recognizes my intelligence. It's in my pocket. I blinked in confusion. Where had that voice come from? Had I finally cracked? As Habbit pulled a heart-shaped locket out of his pocket, it clicked. I was hearing Habbit's thoughts! I had somehow gained telepathy. I wondered what else I could do...

"There it is!" cried the Moochick. "I now remember giving it to Habbit so he wouldn't lose it like I would."

I took the locket from the rabbit and draped it around my neck. "Now then," I said. "Let's get Tirek."

Several hours later, we stood at the base of a huge, intimidating castle. We were trying to figure out how to get there without a bridge.

"Can't you teleport, Twilight?" I said.

"Yes, but I can't bring other ponies with me," she replied.

"I'm strong enough to carry a pony with me," piped up Firefly. "But I can only handle one." She then picked up Bow Tie and began the journey across the treacherous river.

"How am I supposed to get across?" moaned Applejack. I did have an idea...but it was dangerous. I hadn't tried what I was about to do, with or without a pony. But I couldn't just leave her there.

"I'll carry you, Applejack," I announced.

"But-" she began.

"No buts," I said firmly. "I refuse to abandon you." With that I wrapped my arms around Applejack, and hoisted her up. She wasn't nearly as heavy as I expected. I began running as fast as I could, and when I reached the edge, I leapt with all my might, spread my wings...

...and I flew.