The Valkyriesby StayAwhileAndListenChaptersPrologue (1): You Really Shouldn't Be Up So Late.Prologue (2): Her Name Is ArmstrongChapter 1: So where is she?Chapter 2: It Usually Works In NovelsPrologue (3): Look At That, I've Mastered MagicPrologue (1): You Really Shouldn't Be Up So Late.After a rather unpleasant awakening, Spike now held a neatly tied scroll in one hand, as he rubbed at his heavy eyelids with the other, “Don't the princesses ever sleep...?” He grumbled to himself, only halfway out of his bed. It took him a moment to slide out the rest of the way, and then another to stop wobbling on his feet. It had to be nearly three in the morning, whatever message Celestia had sent this time better have been important to interrupt the only sleep he had gotten since she had given Twilight her latest assignment. Speaking of which, Spike had not been too surprised to find that Twilight's bed remained completely empty. Still. She had been going for over a day and a half as it was with her research, and while Spike himself usually enjoyed working with Twilight Sparkle, she had only gotten more and more immersed in her research as time had progressed without her seeming to find much success. And the longer it took for her to find whatever it was she was looking for, the longer the poor mare was going without rest... at least, rest not done drooling on valuable tomes. But, no matter how hard the princesses had her working, and no matter how much Spike dreaded heading downstairs for the possibility of being given yet another load of work on top of what they all were already dealing with. With a low grumble under his breath, and a quick puff of his chest to try and ready himself to give Twilight his aid if she needed it, Spike began to descend the dimly lit staircase, “Twilight?” “Yeah, Spike?” Twilight Sparkle's voice seemed distant, it was a tone he had heard hundreds of times over the years. She was about halfway through a book, combing the words for anything that might relate to what she needed. It could be a long process, and Spike knew that more than likely she wouldn't really be hearing a thing he had to tell her if he didn't just pull her away from it. He could only see the back of her anyway, a mane that was in desperate need of both a wash and a combing. Her tail lazily spread over the floor, as opposed to the way she normally would curl it around herself during study. Spike couldn't help but worry for her, “Er, Twilight... maybe we should break for tonight. I'm sure whatever it is can wait until morning.” “Uh-huh.” The response was so tired and lazy that Spike knew she hadn't even attempted to listen. It was notably easy for Spike (As well as most others.) to become frustrated when she would get herself so enamored with her studies, however this time he knew it was different. The Princess had Twilight investigating magic that seemed to be even beyond Alicorn knowledge. Ponies vanishing from their homes all across Equestria, without a trace. It was a terrifying notion, especially with how little Twilight had turned up over a day and a half of constant research, and still she kept on looking for answers that were likely not even there. Spike's lip curled into a soft smile as he approached the exhausted pony, remembering that sometimes she needed to be reigned in as well, putting a clawed hand upon her shoulder. Twilight practically jumped out of her skin before turning to look at Spike, “Ye-heeess,” Her greeted was interrupted by her own yawn. “Come on Twilight, you need some rest.” “Spike, I ca-haaaaa-n't...” She replied, much to Spike's smug smirk and gaze. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back to her books... all of which had been closed over the few seconds she had turned away, with Owlowiscious sitting atop the largest of which and keeping it from being reopened. “Hoo.” It seemed even he agreed it was time for bed. Putting a hoof to her face, Twilight laughed, “But I haven't even been at it that long,” She looked over at the clock, and smirked, “It's only Three thirty-two!” “On Wednesday.” “Wednesday!?” Twilight practically screeched, “Oh no, I promised AppleJack I'd-” Spike was already pushing her toward the steps. “Yeah yeah, we were supposed to go help,” He said with a yawn, “I tried to tell you earlier.” “...I guess I really did get too wrapped up in my study,” She said, heading upstairs on her own now, the sight of her bed like that of seeing a family member who lived across the world, “Still, the magical fluctuations going on all over Equestria could be pointing to danger coming. If I didn't know better, I'd almost have to link all of this with Discord again and...!” Spike pushed her face first onto her mattress, and the young mare was asleep before she hit the pillow. The baby dragon gave a sigh of relief as the sound of Twilight's low snoring went throughout the room. Were he not ready to pass out himself, he likely would have treated himself to the sapphire hidden beneath his pillow. Instead, he simply settled for crawling back into his own bed. That was, of course, the moment he realized that the Princess's letter was still in his hand! He pushed himself upright, and looked over at her bed. He felt terrible about waking her but, “Uh, Twilight? I forgot to mention,” His voice was barely above a whisper. He doubted the message was all that important. Celestia sent messages all the time, after all, “There's a letter from the Princess here. But... you seem to be tired though, so Princess Celestia can probably wait until-” Twilight Sparkle shot out of bed and right over to spike, getting uncomfortably right into his face, “What?! Princess Celestia sent a letter and you forgot?!” Her horn started to glow with a visible pink aura as the scroll was nabbed right from Spike's hands and unraveled in front of her face. She had to cast a small light spell from the tip of her horn, “...it's from Princess Luna?” That was odd in itself, Luna was not the type to spend time writing letters, or if she did, Celestia would be helping. This, on the other hand, was a special case, as within moments Twilight understood why it was that the Princess had to resort to such mundane methods of sending her message. Twilight didn't say another word before she dropped the letter without so much as putting it on the correct shelf. She didn't have the time, as she had already begun bolting downstairs and out of the library, even leaving the door wide open. Spike attempted to follow her down, but the land speed of anypony, even Twilight Sparkle could easily outpace the small dragon. “Twilight! Where are you going?!” He called out after her, before shaking his head slightly and shutting the door behind him. So much for all of the effort in putting her to bed. Still, he was left with a morbid curiosity as to what it was Princess Luna of all ponies had sent to be read. He rushed back upstairs and grabbed a hold of the dropped scroll, only to have to light the nearest candle to even be able to read the single sentence that had been quickly scrawled across the page. 'Twilight Sparkle, Strange magic in Ponyville. Fluttershy in danger. Luna.' Just on the outskirts of Ponyville, right upon the edge of the Everfree Forest, sat a small cottage overgrown with shrubbery and covered in smaller homes and entrances for the various creatures that resided with the owner of the cabin. It was the home of Fluttershy, the Pegasus who had become synonymous with the Element of Kindness. At such an early hour in the morning, her home remained entirely silent. None of her friends inside would stir until the raising of the sun awoke them. Despite housing so many wild creatures, they tended to all work on strict schedules. Fluttershy especially was used to awakening at the crack of dawn, just to make sure her animal friends were all given the same care. Which made it all the more odd that she awoke not to the dim orange light entering her bedroom, but instead to several concerned looking furry critters. The most noticeable of which was the small white rabbit who was continually shaking her head, “Angel? What's wrong?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as she pulled away from her pet's grip and rubbed her hooves into her eyes, stifling the quietest yawn a pony could muster. Angel simply pointed toward the stairwell, from which an eery green light seemed to be oozing its way into the room. The sound of hoof beats and an annoyed tone became more obvious as Fluttershy's senses came back to her, “Such a filthy place, and this form... some kind of cruel joke.” Whoever they were, they didn't seem particularly interested in the fine art of subtlety. Fluttershy yelped and pulled the covers back over her face, someone had broken into her home! Worse yet, the hoof beats were getting closer and closer every second, “Is someone here?” A feminine voice asked, before a loud crash echoed throughout the bedroom, along with the loud grunts of pain of the mare below. Fluttershy gulped, as Angel the rabbit hopped on top of her and began bouncing on her flank. Fluttershy all but leapt out of her skin, flying out from beneath the covers and falling off of her bed and to the hard wood floor. “I can hear you,” The voice sounded further than it had before, “It would be easier if you came down here.” Fluttershy had already curled up on the ground, covering her eyes and shaking. Angel, along with a few of the other creatures in the room, slapped a paw to his face and rushed to her side. “I-I can't go down there,” She whispered, “Ohh, please wake up, please wake up, please wake up!” Her quiet mantra to herself did little to help her confidence as the mare below them grumbled and started up the steps once again. It took nearly a whole minute, but sure enough there was a hot pink pony with a short yellow mane staring down at the pitiful display, “I apologize if I started you,” Her words sounded forced, her teeth gritting together anytime she was not speaking, “I was sent here by a portal that just happened to exit into your home. Do you know a...” Her words seemed strained, as though she were trying to speak utter nonsense, “Twilight Sparkle?” Fluttershy finally came out from behind her hooves, “T-Twilight is m-m-my friend,” She said, pushing herself up, “If you'd l-like, I could sh-show you the way to her home.” She was trying to be strong, after all, this pony just wanted to talk to Twilight, right? She had to take a breath, trying her calming methods of focusing on only the sounds of her animals, before looking back at the intruder. “Please do. I need to meet with the woman who wields this so called 'Element of Magic'.” Her dialect seemed to be from outside of Equestria, using words that seemed far more formal and added another layer to the discomfort Fluttershy still felt. Fluttershy took her downstairs, where a large magical portal floated in the exact center of the room. It bathed the room in a sickly green light, and gave off a soft, yet notable hum. It was no wonder all of the animals had woken up with that thing there! She gasped at the sight of it, “Y-you...are f-f-f-fr-” “Ugh, you're an irritating one. Spit it out already!” Fluttershy gulped and then promptly forgot what she had been trying to say, starting to worry about the intentions of such a rude mare. She whimpered slightly, head down as they stood at the edge of the room. She could hear the chickens clucking outside, birds fluttered all around the room, all of them just as frightened as she was. “Well?!” She felt as though she might begin to cry, wishing that this had happened to anyone else. Rainbow Dash would have been so much more clearheaded, so much stronger. Applejack wouldn't have taken any rudeness from that pony either. Twilight, Rarity, even Pinkie Pie would have been able to make sense out of it all. So why did it have to be her? “C-could you please be a b-bit more...” “A bit more what?” She asked, “Kind? Isn't that what you're about? Fine. I'll ask nicely, one more time. Where. Is. Twilight. Sparkle?” “S-she's in the Ponyville library!” Fluttershy blurted out, just before something lifted her up into the air, a tight grip around her neck that seemed to only grow stronger. “Was that so hard? Things don't always need to be so dramatic.” She stated, before heading for the door, leaving the terrified pony floating in the air, the wind being choked out of her. The mare had just begun to reach for the door, hoof outstretched, before suddenly stopping, “How in the hell does one pull a door with these... things?!” Her temper flared wildly, able to go from zero to one hundred in under a second. Fluttershy's response was low whimper, ending in a cough. She couldn't breathe, this whole situation had escalated in a matter of seconds. It just had to be a nightmare, she was going to wake up at any moment! “Useless.” The pink mare grumbled, before realizing the door pushed open on either side. Turning her head around to stare at Fluttershy... no, her gaze was slightly off, “Get rid of her, she's annoying me.” Fluttershy didn't even have the time to consider just who that comment had been directed at, before her entire body was raised further, and being taken towards the portal. She wanted to scream for help, knowing that whatever was on the other side of that portal could not be good. Unfortunately, she had neither the strength of body, nor of magic to truly defend herself. Even her animals were unable to do anything, leaping up to grab her by the tail, in a vain effort to save her life. The grip upon her neck finally eased as she was hurled into the green abyss that had been in front of her. As she finally filled her pained lungs once again, Fluttershy could hear her friends, all calling out her name. That was the last thing she heard, before all went black. Author's Note So this is kind of a weird story, that actually ties in a lot to a Pathfinder game I am running for a few friends. See, I actually never watched the show until I suggested how funny it would be if there was suddenly a Pony character in our game to a friend of mind. Next thing I knew I was putting Fluttershy into a game, working with some NPC's and well... I also started watching My Little Pony. (For Research, naturally.) Four Seasons Later, I present my first fanfic. Trust me, it has yet to get weird. Also, please give a comment and tell me what you thought, and how I can improve! Prologue (2): Her Name Is ArmstrongTwilight Sparkle could barely see more than a few meters in any direction, making her trek to Fluttershy's home purely by memory. Despite how badly she wanted to see her friend, and be sure of her safety, Twilight could barely keep her pace above much of a trot. Her hooves just refused to carry her faster, her muscles ached and her breathing grew heavy. She could barely even keep her eyes open, only pushing forward through pure willpower. Of all the nights for something bad to happen, why was it that she had to deal with such a thing when her mind and body were already near the breaking point to begin with? Yet, even with all of that, the idea of stopping never once crossed her mind. Sweat worked its way through her fur, her mane and tail flowing with the rush of her movement. She passed by Rarity's boutique, the door left wide open and every light on within the building. A tiny white filly stood just on the stoop, “Twilight!” She called out, “What's going on?! Rarity just-” Twilight did not hear the end of what Sweetie Belle had to say, rushing forward and knowing there was no time to stop. The Everfree Forest came into view after another turn, and with that came the path inevitably leading to Fluttershy's cottage. The sound of hoofbeats seemed to get louder for just a moment, before Twilight realized she was not the only one running. Two ponies were up ahead, their silhouettes the only thing visible under the darkness of night. Behind her, another set seemed to follow up, quickly catching up to her own, “Twilight!” The voice was familiar, that tone gained by many agricultural ponies, “The Princess come to your dreams too?” Applejack had easily caught up to twilight, the bright orange pony always had been the strongest out of all of them. That explained why all of her friends seemed to be making a mad dash toward the same location, “She sent me a letter, I think-” “Fluttershy might be in danger?” They both finished the sentence at the same time, Applejack obviously slowing herself to keep pace with Twilight. Twilight nodded in her response, while Applejack looked forward, “Not to make you feel bad, or nothin', but I can't waste any more time back here!” She bolted off towards the others in front of them, and was gone from sight in under a minute. When it really mattered, she could rival any racepony. She followed along with the rest of the group as well as she could, but eventually her hoof's just refused to carry her so quickly, and she ended up trotting along slowly, just when the cottage came into view. It was an odd sight, really. Light came through the windows, but it was an odd shade of green. The closer she got, the more small animals she could see waiting outside, if not just running into the forest. Whatever was happening then, Twilight knew it wasn't good and likely involved the same magic she had been studying so intently for the past few days. Even her friends seemed hesitant to go up to the front door, though that didn't remain a problem for too long. She just managed to catch up to them as the door opened, revealing a hot pink pony with a rather annoyed expression upon her face. However, she was the last thing that any of them wanted to look at as they saw the danger they had all been warned about that night. A bright green portal had been opened right in the center of Fluttershy's living room, with Fluttershy herself being held right in front of it. Of course, there was something else within that room, something that only those with a unicorn's magic could even see. It floated in the air, adorned in a long white robe that seemed to be empty from the waist down. Its body was odd, a torso that held itself vertically. The clothing it wore only had two sleeves for one's hooves, yet even the limbs that went through them bent at odd angles, and ended in appendages that were more akin to monkey hands than hooves. It was using those hands to grip Fluttershy by the neck, leaving her pained and helpless. The hooded figure turned it's head to reveal a soft, yet empty face. Its furless skin was as pink as the pony it was with, and it stared directly down at Twilight Sparkle with a pair of soulless golden eyes. Before anyone had the chance to say a word, the creature tossed Fluttershy into the portal, using all the effort one would to throw a wad of paper into the trash. Rainbow Dash was the first to move, rushing toward the front door while screaming out Fluttershy's name, “You bring her back, now!” Pure rage had overcome the Pegasus, as Pinkie Pie and Applejack rushed up toward the door to back up their friend. Only Rarity and Twilight herself stood still, Twilight unable to bring herself to move or speak. Her body ached, and combined with the shock of what she had just witnessed she found herself nearly paralyzed. Rarity, on the other hand, had enough energy left to act, “Rainbow Dash, stop!” She hadn't even finished speaking before the robed creature had moved to protect it's partner in an instant, gripping Rainbow Dash by her head and shoulder. It had been pushed back by the sheer force that the Pegasus could put out, but otherwise held onto her tightly. “Huh? Hey! What's going on, I can't move!” She seemed distressed, her wings flapping as hard as she could push them, yet no longer able to move forward. “There's something grabbing you!” Twilight managed to call out, shaking free of her own disbelief and rushing up for the door, an aura of magic gathering around her horn. She focused everything she had left into a single spell. “Where is it? Why can't we see it?!” Applejack shouted, Pinkie Pie and herself grabbing a hold of Rainbow Dash's legs and pulling with as much strength as they could muster. The robed creature stood silently, as it's master behind just watched the situation with a knowing smile on her face. “She's working with an invisible ghost!” Pinkie Pie yelled, before giving a shriek that somehow ended in a giggle. The others took a moment to blankly stare at her, before writing it off and going back to the danger at hand. “First the yellow one cowers in terror, and now I'm being attacked. Honestly, is this how you treat all of your guests here?” The pink pony shook her head, holding back a laugh, “Angel Witch, give this one to me.” Her command seemed odd, until the robed being pulled Rainbow Dash out of the two Earth ponies grip. “Hey! What gives? Let go of me already!” She was still trying to fly herself out of the grasp of... whatever it was that was keeping her from flying! “You heard the lady, let her go.” It was at that exact moment that Rainbow Dash was thrown directly toward the intruder. The blue pony had no chance to change her direction, and no possibility of avoiding what would come next. Instead of a grand crash as the two collided, Rainbow Dash disappeared inside of the other pony! No sooner was she gone, did the pink Earth pony suddenly sprout a pair of wings from her back, “Hm, I always did want to fly.” Her voice seemed to be as flat as ever, her new wings spreading themselves up, and pushing her into the air with a powerful flap. It was impossible, but she was a natural at flight, speeding out of the cottage and shooting up into the night sky. For a brief moment, they could all see her flank, and a familiar lightning bolt cutie mark plastered on the intruder's side. She kept herself hovering above the rest of them, the being she had named Angel Witch floating just beside her, it's robe fluttering in the night air, “Now then, if we're done with the rather petty violence, perhaps we can talk like grown adults here.” There was a confidence in her tone that was quite difficult to not be intimidated by, especially after showcasing just what her silent friend could do. Twilight had nearly lost concentration after seeing Rainbow Dash vanish entirely, trying to focus just enough energy into her horn to deal with this pony. Of all nights, why had it been that one? She needed rest, she couldn't protect her friends as she was. She couldn't even save Fluttershy! Luckily Pinkie Pie spoke up first, Twilight needed a little bit longer to finish her spell, “None of this would have happened if you weren't going around and using your ghost friend to make all of our friends disappear and sending them to who KNOWS where, and acting all tough and scary but you're really just doing it because you're a big jerky meanie who likes to act all spooooky!” The pony had to recoil as her mind needed several moments to just comprehend the sheer stupidity of that last statement, “Let's start simply. You may call me Ms. Armstrong. Just tell me which of you is Twilight Sparkle, and I'll be on my way.” Applejack had been grinding her teeth together, eyes narrowed, “And why exactly would we tell you that?” Rarity was in agreement, her horn beginning to glow, “That's right! After everything you've done to our friends, do you really believe we would allow you to go anywhere near Twilight?” All three of them had began stepping around their friend. Perhaps it was out of a desire to keep her from the hooves of this dangerous pony, or maybe it was simply an unconscious movement on their part, but within seconds they had surrounded Twilight Sparkle. The intruder had found her target, “Angel Witch,” She called forth the invisible being, before bolting directly toward Twilight Sparkle, the speed of Ponyville's strongest flier backing her. When Rainbow Dash flew at her top speed, it was breathtaking. Seeing someone else stealing her ability was downright terrifying. Twilight looked upward toward the pony as she realized suddenly that she only had one chance to get this right. Her spell had been fully prepared, horn glowing brightly. The pony known only as Ms. Armstrong was closing the distance between them faster than the rest of the group could react. Twilight only had one shot, shutting her eyes tightly as she completed her spell, “Sorry Rainbow,” She spoke softly just before the aura that had built around her horn fired off a bright beam, going closer and closer toward it's target. Ms. Armstrong's reaction was nearly instantaneous, as her body turned and twisted just enough to barely avoid the beam. The next several seconds seemed to move in slow motion for the other three ponies, watching as Ms. Armstrong flew right by Twilight sparkle. Only Rarity could truly see what was happening, as the ghostly image grabbed Twilight as it had with Rainbow Dash before her. It ended in an instant, as soon enough Ms. Armstrong stood before the three remaining ponies, a horn adorning her forehead. She stood silently, smiling and spreading her wings out. Twilight Sparkle was gone. Fluttershy felt different, as she finally came back to her senses. Nothing in her body seemed to move right, and everything felt stiff. She kept her eyes shut, and just started to paw around at the ground with a hoof. She was definitely not in bed, so the idea that everything had just been a terrible nightmare seemed to be less and less likely with each passing second. Her body seemed to tense up as she tried to hold off waking up as long as she could. She could feel her fingers and toes curling as she... Fingers and toes? That couldn't be right, she was a pony! Ponies didn't have digits like that. This was something Fluttershy had to check for herself, something strange was going on with her. She opened her eyes, just to find another set staring at her. Someone with big eyes and skin as pale as Rarity's fur... as well as a nose that protruded a bit too far out. “Hi there! Why are you naked?” The resulting screech Fluttershy gave was said to be loud enough to wake people from miles away. Author's Note So admittedly there's less here than I wanted to have in this chapter, but the 4th of July weekend put me a bit behind schedule in terms of what I wanted to write. Besides that, I started to get into some of the (At least in my opinion.) more weird and interesting concepts of the fic. I really just wanted to upload SOMETHING, and while I should probably edit the whole thing, I really just wanted to put up what I've written over the past couple of nights. So apologies if it's got some rough edges, and waaaay more apologies if it just leaves the reader entirely confused. I may still go over it with a fine-tooth comb and edit some things that need it! Also, please give a comment and tell me what you thought, and how I can improve! Chapter 1: So where is she?Author's Note So I made a rather HUUUUGE deletion here, the original scene I had with the villains being all...villainous, is now gone. I felt it didn't fit with the rest of the story, maybe gave too much away, just wasn't very well written, and admittedly also didn't have very much forethought behind it. Since time has passed and well, I now know more so of who the villains are, and where I want the story to go. So that section is officially scrapped, and does not actually have any effect on any chapters to come. Also! Decided to make a Stat sheet for every and any Stand introduced. Why? Because it's done in the manga of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and it highly amuses me soooo... here's the first! Stand: Angel Witch User: Kendal Armstrong Power: C Speed: C Range: C Staying: A Precision: B Learning: A Ability: When it touches any sentient organism, it may force that organism to fuse with the next living thing it touches. The Stand User may decide exactly how those organisms fuse, if she were to care enough to do so. Those fused in such a way may find themselves stuck in a situation where their two minds become forced to share one. Chapter 1: So where is she? Fluttershy had spent several minutes hiding away from the creature that had scared her. Her forehead throbbed, as she had jerked it directly into the other thing's skull. She had made a mad dash into a nearby bush, just staring at her strange new appendages and trying to make sense of what had happened. She remembered a bizarre pony, and there was a portal in her home. She wiped at her eyes with her fingers, tearing up either due to her situation, the pain in her forehead, or both. Her breathing had sped up dramatically, and the only explanation she could come up with was that this was all part of some horrible nightmare. “Uh... you alright there? Do you understand me?” Fluttershy nearly jumped when the person spoke again. They continued to speak to her, though after the first questions their words had become quite foreign to her ears. “I... I'm okay,” Fluttershy whispered back, “B-but I don't know wh-where I am.” There was a moment of silence between the two of them, and Fluttershy looked out of her bush to see the two legged person putting her ear right up to the leaves, “Huh? Did you say something?” her words had gone back to Fluttershy's own language, which was at least slightly more comforting, “I've got some extra clothes if you need a pair.” “I-I'm fine...” She was still whispering, mostly just wanting whoever it was to leave her alone so she could curl into a ball and sob for a while. She needed to wait there, the girls would get her out of this. They always were there when she needed them. “Well, fair enough! I'll be moving along then, was nice to-” The voice, full of energy and a bit boyish, stopped dead in its tracks as the creature it belonged to stared through the branches of the bush directly at Fluttershy. She quickly wrapped her wings around her face as soon as she knew she was being watched. “By Erucaundron's knuckles, you've got wings!” Fluttershy was not certain as to why that of all things was strange, given that her body was a lanky, mess with front hooves that worked vastly differently than the back ones, “And pink hair!” Nor was she too sure why her mane was getting so much attention. The longer this thing stayed by her, the more she just wished they'd go away, “You must be an angel!” Fluttershy never took well to attention of almost any sort, and in such a unique situation as she had found herself in, she simply began to whimper behind her own wings. Perhaps if she didn't say anything long enough, she would have been left alone. But, on the other hoof, the creature in front of her did seem kind enough, if a bit overwhelming. “I'm a pegasus...” She whispered again, only being answered by a moment of silence. She had been about to repeat herself, when a pair of hands gripped her wings firmly and gently pulled them open, revealing a girl wearing a massive grin and two piercing yellow eyes, “Okay, I can't hear you from down here, and it's starting to bother me. Who are you? Can you speak up? Would you like some pants? Also, are you an angel?” Fluttershy stared awestruck at the girl in front of her. Her face had no coat of fur, much as she no longer had. Her mane, on the other hoof, was in dire need of a comb. The shoulder length brown hairs reached out in all directions, which combined with the eyes to give her the appearance of a predator from the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy's instinct to shriek and flail at the sudden touch seemed to be forgotten by the barrage of questions, as she suddenly found her voice, “I'm a Pegasus from Ponyville, my name is Fluttershy, I have no idea what's going on and I'm terrified right now!” She nearly yelled her answers as she turned away from those dangerous looking eyes, and backed herself to the other end of her bush. She had put her hands in front of her eyes as she tried to conceal herself, knowing that she could get out whenever she had a better grasp of where she was, or what she was. Or she could never come out, that didn't sound too bad either. Fluttershy hardly even noticed that the girl had sat down beside her, “I'm Syndra, nice to meet you, Butterfly!” Her voice never seemed to lose it's childlike energy. Fluttershy dared to look again, seeing the now seated creature staring her down, wearing a grin that could rival Pinkie's. Fluttershy's first instinct was to whimper. Instead, she put her limbs down, holding herself up to look at the girl in front of her, “My-uhm my name is Fluttershy, not Butterfly.” She poked her head outside of the bush, trying to get herself back out of it, now that she felt somewhat calmer. Her movement felt awkward, with back legs far too long and a bone structure that didn't seem able to easily support walking as she was used to. Her front limbs seemed to fair a little better, with a slightly wider range of motion, yet they were shorter than the back legs. Her attempt at a simple trot ended up as an awkward crawl with her new appendages pointed at odd angles, and her back arched as though she were stretching out, instead of trying to walk normally. Needless to say, it didn't take long for her not-hooves to slide out beneath her and sent her falling into the dirt. Her sudden humiliation was countered only by Syndra's sudden amusement, the girl letting out a burst of laughter, “Yahahaha! Well, you definitely don't walk like an angel!” Fluttershy started to whimper at the girl's laughter, the harsh words of several young fillies and colts running through her mind. She just couldn't catch a break, everyone was going to be awful to her, and her friends were no where to be seen! Not to forget that she didn't even know if Angel and the other animals were alright, and... “Hey, Flutterfly, let's be friends!” Fluttershy looked up from the ground, a hand extended out to her. For a brief moment, as she looked upon the still smiling face of her new acquaintance, she couldn't help but forget her own fear. She took the strange girl's hand without a second thought. Chapter 2: It Usually Works In NovelsSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Prologue (3): Look At That, I've Mastered MagicRainbow Dash could feel something had changed, her entire body seemed to be out of her control. Her wings and legs moved automatically, and she found herself flying above her friends in moments. She stared down at them as they gathered together, listening to words which came out of her mouth, words which she knew were not her own. “Hm, I always did want to fly.” “Hey, I didn't mean to say that!” Rainbow Dash's voice came not from her mouth, but instead remained trapped inside of her mind. Beside that, the spoken voice sounded nothing like her! Nor was her fur color right. It was only then that she realized who's eyes she was truly seeing things through. The pony who shortly after would introduce herself as Ms. Armstrong. “Come to think of it, she didn't have wings before,” She thought, still unable to make real speech. The lights began to click inside of her head as she began piecing together what had happened. She had been trying to knock the pony out, just to stop her long enough so that she and the others could go and bring Fluttershy back! Then she had been thrown, and suddenly lost any ability to control herself. She was inside that pony's mind, fused into one being that was keeping her from having any control whatsoever, “You stole my wings!” She could feel herself screaming from within her prison, maybe even enough to get her attention! She didn't get much of a chance to really start trying to resist her bonds, as she suddenly felt the cold night air rushing against her. Despite someone else being in control, their skill with her wings was shockingly adept. They used all of her moves like... well, her! She hadn't noticed due to her own struggling, but they were on a crash course with Twilight! “Hey, hold up you... you, wing thief!” They dodge whatever magic Twilight had used to try and defend herself with. It was a good effort, but she had clearly not been on her game that evening. At that moment, Rainbow Dash felt something touch her flank, and then suddenly an odd robed creature came into her view. It reached forward and grabbed Twilight by horn of all places, before allowing them to crash into her. Rainbow watched in horror as Twilight Sparkle quickly vanished, becoming one with that pony, much as she herself had. She was gone in less than five seconds, and instead they all stood there, the pony named Ms. Armstrong standing tall with her wings spread out. In no time flat, she had made herself into an Alicorn! Rainbow Dash knew it was partially her fault for rushing in, frustrated by herself and the situation she had found herself in. But more than anything, she suddenly felt tired. A wave of fatigue seemed to wash over her, and had she control over her eyelids, they would have grown heavy. Of course, she wasn't the only one struck with such exhaustion, “What the hell...” Ms. Armstrong's voice suddenly seemed quite pained, as she drooped her wings, struggling to stand up, “How was she able to sta-haaaaaaaand.” She interrupted herself with a yawn. Rainbow needed to do something, she felt the sudden exhaustion as well, knowing it had to have come from Twilight. All of the sudden she was glad for her bookworm of a friend's obsessive habits as she could feel her muscles starting to respond to her again. Maybe she could still get them out of this! She started focusing every last bit she could on regaining control, fighting off the fatigue Twilight had shared with her. Her wing started to twitch, quickly going into full motions, flapping up and down slowly. It was limp, but it was more than enough to panic the pony who had thought she was in control, “H-hey! Get ba-aaahhh,” Rainbow felt the mare's mind pushing back against her, making her sudden control vanish as she seemed to get locked back tightly. She knew that she only had one shot at freeing Twilight and herself, and using Twilight's state of mind was the only way she would get to do so! Luckily, her friends seemed to catch on that something was wrong, “Rainbow Dash, Twilight?” Applejack called out, charging at the Alicorn in front of her and pushing her into the grass below, holding one side of her down with both hooves. Rarity wasted no time in following her friend's lead, charging forward and taking the other side of Ms. Armstrong to hold down, “Are you in there still? Can you hear us?” She tried to reach out for her friends in a last ditch effort to free them from such a tyrannical mare. Pinkie Pie had begun bouncing around the three mare's, “Oh! What's it like inside of someone else's head, Rainbow Dash? I bet it's all weird, like when Discord was messing with all of us!” She was giggling like crazy, and it was absolutely driving Armstrong nuts. “Shut up, shut up already!” Rainbow Dash pushed again, “Alright Twilight, help me out here!” She tried reaching out for her friend, though her thoughts were met with silence. There was no time to worry about that though, if she didn't react soon she'd be stuck there forever! The mare struggled limply against her captors, Pinkie Pie's babbling not giving up for even a second, “I know you're in there somewhere, ya'll are both stubborn as mules!” Applejack's encouragement was good to hear. The flailing limbs stopped soon enough, Rainbow Dash was able to stop her legs, letting the others pin them down. 'This power of yours, we call it a Stand.' An elderly voice rung out through Rainbow Dash's mind, sudden flashes appearing before her as she fought for more and more control, 'Yours will be instrumental in achieving his dream.' She didn't have time to think about what any of it meant, though their words gave her an idea. If this 'Stand' as it was called, could drag her into this situation, it could get her out! “Twilight! Wake up! We're getting out of here! Fluttershy's still lost somewhere!” The more Rainbow Dash pushed, the more she knew they had a chance. She was exhausted entirely, and her own mind had started to feel strange, no doubt from connecting so deeply into Armstrong's. Yet she kept going, starting to be able to feel the mental connection between them and the ghostly being above. A faint voice finally arose from nothingness, “Uhn... Rainbow Dash? W-where, why am I being held down?” “Don't worry, just stay with me! I've got a plan,” She said, trying to focus on keeping full control. The push from Ms. Armstrong had all but disappeared at this point, Rainbow just focusing on the creature that floated above the group, “Hey! Get us out of here! Come on, listen to me will you!” Rainbow Dash's words had begun coming out of Ms. Armstrong's mouth, much to the surprise of the others. The creature turned its head toward its master, staring down for a brief moment. Every second that it was not doing as commanded, she could feel Armstrong's mind fighting against hers, trying to pull her back into nothingness. She couldn't let that happen, it was up to her to rescue her friends and herself this time! “Come on already!” She called up toward the sky, desperate to free herself, knowing the being known as Angel Witch was her last chance. She began to concentrate, allowing her wings to begin trying to flap as though she were about to take off into the air. It didn't take much more than that for Rainbow Dash to find her comfort zone, the feel of her wings being pushed toward their limits, the open sky before her. From within her mindset, Rainbow Dash reached out toward the being above her. Its response was instant, dashing downward and thrusting an arm directly into her chest. It phased through her skin and fur, and instead gripped onto something less tangible. Rainbow felt her control of the mare slip as she was slowly pulled out of Ms. Armstrong's body, “It's working!” Her voice had become mere thought again, “Twilight, try and... I don't know, just take my hoof!” The command made no sense, but Rainbow Dash tried her best to hold out her front legs anyway. Rarity nearly leapt out of her skin as the creature bolted down right in front of her, backing away from it as it started literally pulling Rainbow Dash out of the mare's body, “She's doing it!” She said, getting excited as her friend was fully pulled back into the outside world, a long purple hoof in her hand, “Come on, everypony! Help me get-” She didn't get to finish her sentence as Angel Witch gripped Rainbow by the head. “You should be respected,” Armstrong growled, “Anyone who can overtake my mind deserves a special fate,” The spirit that had been to that point helping Rainbow Dash suddenly turned against her as the pink mare gained control of her mind back. Angel Witch jerked Rainbow up into the air and slammed Applejack off of her master's body, forcing Twilight back inside of Armstrong and throwing Rainbow Dash aside, “Take your prize!” Ms. Armstrong pushed herself upright just in time to see Rainbow Dash crashing directly into Rarity, both of them falling to the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie called out toward her friend, suddenly brought back to reality from her ceaseless chatter. She rushed over toward Rainbow and Rarity, worried about them and gasping at what she saw when she finally stopped moving. Armstrong herself backed up the pathway toward the house. She had lost her wings, having underestimated this group of ponies. They were stronger than she had anticipated, and on top of that her fusion with the one they called Twilight Sparkle left her drained. She had to get back through the portal while the others were distracted! She turned around and began rushing inside, nearly tripping over her hooves, stupid appendages that they were. “And just where do you think you're goin'?” A heavily accented voice rang out from behind her, just before she felt a powerful kick on her backside, sending her flying through the front door of the house. She landed on her face, barely getting a moment to turn around before an orange pony stood in front of her, blocking her escape from this bizarre world. “Get the hell out of my way!” Anger rushed over her as Angel Witch lashed forward, slamming its fist into her snout. Applejack stumbled back, but held strong. “Not a chance, you ain't leaving with Twilight.” Her eyes narrowed. “Ah yes, your little wizard friend,” She grumbled through her teeth, horn starting to glow, “She's given me more than I could have hoped for!” Her smug attitude was insufferable, “Why don't ya'll see what I'm gonna give ya!” She stepped forward, bruised face seeming to leave her unbothered. She stopped only to shiver as her body suddenly grew very cold, a thin sheet of ice spreading over her body. “Look at that, I've mastered magic.” Armstrong laughed as Applejack's body froze solid, the ice growing over her, entrapping her in a massive chunk that was quickly overtaking the rest of the house, “Arriverderci, ponies.” She called out, before jumping back through her portal, which lasted for only a moment longer before blinking out of existence. Author's Note So, you may have noticed I've recently labeled all of my chapters as the Prologue. This is because after finishing up what I had written here, I figured the first three chapters worked together well enough to really be a single unit on their own. I really only tend to write about 1,000 to 2,000 words at a time. (Call it laziness, desire just to upload things, or some kind of mix of them both.) Anyway, I figured that since this part finally finishes up with the intro of the story and helps to get things in motion, it'd be a a good place to stop what is essentially three parts of one chapter. Hopefully this doesn't mean chapter one is going to be in multiple parts, I would much rather get larger story chunks out at once from this point onward! So... here's hoping to that! As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Prologue (1): You Really Shouldn't Be Up So Late.After a rather unpleasant awakening, Spike now held a neatly tied scroll in one hand, as he rubbed at his heavy eyelids with the other, “Don't the princesses ever sleep...?” He grumbled to himself, only halfway out of his bed. It took him a moment to slide out the rest of the way, and then another to stop wobbling on his feet. It had to be nearly three in the morning, whatever message Celestia had sent this time better have been important to interrupt the only sleep he had gotten since she had given Twilight her latest assignment. Speaking of which, Spike had not been too surprised to find that Twilight's bed remained completely empty. Still. She had been going for over a day and a half as it was with her research, and while Spike himself usually enjoyed working with Twilight Sparkle, she had only gotten more and more immersed in her research as time had progressed without her seeming to find much success. And the longer it took for her to find whatever it was she was looking for, the longer the poor mare was going without rest... at least, rest not done drooling on valuable tomes. But, no matter how hard the princesses had her working, and no matter how much Spike dreaded heading downstairs for the possibility of being given yet another load of work on top of what they all were already dealing with. With a low grumble under his breath, and a quick puff of his chest to try and ready himself to give Twilight his aid if she needed it, Spike began to descend the dimly lit staircase, “Twilight?” “Yeah, Spike?” Twilight Sparkle's voice seemed distant, it was a tone he had heard hundreds of times over the years. She was about halfway through a book, combing the words for anything that might relate to what she needed. It could be a long process, and Spike knew that more than likely she wouldn't really be hearing a thing he had to tell her if he didn't just pull her away from it. He could only see the back of her anyway, a mane that was in desperate need of both a wash and a combing. Her tail lazily spread over the floor, as opposed to the way she normally would curl it around herself during study. Spike couldn't help but worry for her, “Er, Twilight... maybe we should break for tonight. I'm sure whatever it is can wait until morning.” “Uh-huh.” The response was so tired and lazy that Spike knew she hadn't even attempted to listen. It was notably easy for Spike (As well as most others.) to become frustrated when she would get herself so enamored with her studies, however this time he knew it was different. The Princess had Twilight investigating magic that seemed to be even beyond Alicorn knowledge. Ponies vanishing from their homes all across Equestria, without a trace. It was a terrifying notion, especially with how little Twilight had turned up over a day and a half of constant research, and still she kept on looking for answers that were likely not even there. Spike's lip curled into a soft smile as he approached the exhausted pony, remembering that sometimes she needed to be reigned in as well, putting a clawed hand upon her shoulder. Twilight practically jumped out of her skin before turning to look at Spike, “Ye-heeess,” Her greeted was interrupted by her own yawn. “Come on Twilight, you need some rest.” “Spike, I ca-haaaaa-n't...” She replied, much to Spike's smug smirk and gaze. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back to her books... all of which had been closed over the few seconds she had turned away, with Owlowiscious sitting atop the largest of which and keeping it from being reopened. “Hoo.” It seemed even he agreed it was time for bed. Putting a hoof to her face, Twilight laughed, “But I haven't even been at it that long,” She looked over at the clock, and smirked, “It's only Three thirty-two!” “On Wednesday.” “Wednesday!?” Twilight practically screeched, “Oh no, I promised AppleJack I'd-” Spike was already pushing her toward the steps. “Yeah yeah, we were supposed to go help,” He said with a yawn, “I tried to tell you earlier.” “...I guess I really did get too wrapped up in my study,” She said, heading upstairs on her own now, the sight of her bed like that of seeing a family member who lived across the world, “Still, the magical fluctuations going on all over Equestria could be pointing to danger coming. If I didn't know better, I'd almost have to link all of this with Discord again and...!” Spike pushed her face first onto her mattress, and the young mare was asleep before she hit the pillow. The baby dragon gave a sigh of relief as the sound of Twilight's low snoring went throughout the room. Were he not ready to pass out himself, he likely would have treated himself to the sapphire hidden beneath his pillow. Instead, he simply settled for crawling back into his own bed. That was, of course, the moment he realized that the Princess's letter was still in his hand! He pushed himself upright, and looked over at her bed. He felt terrible about waking her but, “Uh, Twilight? I forgot to mention,” His voice was barely above a whisper. He doubted the message was all that important. Celestia sent messages all the time, after all, “There's a letter from the Princess here. But... you seem to be tired though, so Princess Celestia can probably wait until-” Twilight Sparkle shot out of bed and right over to spike, getting uncomfortably right into his face, “What?! Princess Celestia sent a letter and you forgot?!” Her horn started to glow with a visible pink aura as the scroll was nabbed right from Spike's hands and unraveled in front of her face. She had to cast a small light spell from the tip of her horn, “...it's from Princess Luna?” That was odd in itself, Luna was not the type to spend time writing letters, or if she did, Celestia would be helping. This, on the other hand, was a special case, as within moments Twilight understood why it was that the Princess had to resort to such mundane methods of sending her message. Twilight didn't say another word before she dropped the letter without so much as putting it on the correct shelf. She didn't have the time, as she had already begun bolting downstairs and out of the library, even leaving the door wide open. Spike attempted to follow her down, but the land speed of anypony, even Twilight Sparkle could easily outpace the small dragon. “Twilight! Where are you going?!” He called out after her, before shaking his head slightly and shutting the door behind him. So much for all of the effort in putting her to bed. Still, he was left with a morbid curiosity as to what it was Princess Luna of all ponies had sent to be read. He rushed back upstairs and grabbed a hold of the dropped scroll, only to have to light the nearest candle to even be able to read the single sentence that had been quickly scrawled across the page. 'Twilight Sparkle, Strange magic in Ponyville. Fluttershy in danger. Luna.' Just on the outskirts of Ponyville, right upon the edge of the Everfree Forest, sat a small cottage overgrown with shrubbery and covered in smaller homes and entrances for the various creatures that resided with the owner of the cabin. It was the home of Fluttershy, the Pegasus who had become synonymous with the Element of Kindness. At such an early hour in the morning, her home remained entirely silent. None of her friends inside would stir until the raising of the sun awoke them. Despite housing so many wild creatures, they tended to all work on strict schedules. Fluttershy especially was used to awakening at the crack of dawn, just to make sure her animal friends were all given the same care. Which made it all the more odd that she awoke not to the dim orange light entering her bedroom, but instead to several concerned looking furry critters. The most noticeable of which was the small white rabbit who was continually shaking her head, “Angel? What's wrong?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as she pulled away from her pet's grip and rubbed her hooves into her eyes, stifling the quietest yawn a pony could muster. Angel simply pointed toward the stairwell, from which an eery green light seemed to be oozing its way into the room. The sound of hoof beats and an annoyed tone became more obvious as Fluttershy's senses came back to her, “Such a filthy place, and this form... some kind of cruel joke.” Whoever they were, they didn't seem particularly interested in the fine art of subtlety. Fluttershy yelped and pulled the covers back over her face, someone had broken into her home! Worse yet, the hoof beats were getting closer and closer every second, “Is someone here?” A feminine voice asked, before a loud crash echoed throughout the bedroom, along with the loud grunts of pain of the mare below. Fluttershy gulped, as Angel the rabbit hopped on top of her and began bouncing on her flank. Fluttershy all but leapt out of her skin, flying out from beneath the covers and falling off of her bed and to the hard wood floor. “I can hear you,” The voice sounded further than it had before, “It would be easier if you came down here.” Fluttershy had already curled up on the ground, covering her eyes and shaking. Angel, along with a few of the other creatures in the room, slapped a paw to his face and rushed to her side. “I-I can't go down there,” She whispered, “Ohh, please wake up, please wake up, please wake up!” Her quiet mantra to herself did little to help her confidence as the mare below them grumbled and started up the steps once again. It took nearly a whole minute, but sure enough there was a hot pink pony with a short yellow mane staring down at the pitiful display, “I apologize if I started you,” Her words sounded forced, her teeth gritting together anytime she was not speaking, “I was sent here by a portal that just happened to exit into your home. Do you know a...” Her words seemed strained, as though she were trying to speak utter nonsense, “Twilight Sparkle?” Fluttershy finally came out from behind her hooves, “T-Twilight is m-m-my friend,” She said, pushing herself up, “If you'd l-like, I could sh-show you the way to her home.” She was trying to be strong, after all, this pony just wanted to talk to Twilight, right? She had to take a breath, trying her calming methods of focusing on only the sounds of her animals, before looking back at the intruder. “Please do. I need to meet with the woman who wields this so called 'Element of Magic'.” Her dialect seemed to be from outside of Equestria, using words that seemed far more formal and added another layer to the discomfort Fluttershy still felt. Fluttershy took her downstairs, where a large magical portal floated in the exact center of the room. It bathed the room in a sickly green light, and gave off a soft, yet notable hum. It was no wonder all of the animals had woken up with that thing there! She gasped at the sight of it, “Y-you...are f-f-f-fr-” “Ugh, you're an irritating one. Spit it out already!” Fluttershy gulped and then promptly forgot what she had been trying to say, starting to worry about the intentions of such a rude mare. She whimpered slightly, head down as they stood at the edge of the room. She could hear the chickens clucking outside, birds fluttered all around the room, all of them just as frightened as she was. “Well?!” She felt as though she might begin to cry, wishing that this had happened to anyone else. Rainbow Dash would have been so much more clearheaded, so much stronger. Applejack wouldn't have taken any rudeness from that pony either. Twilight, Rarity, even Pinkie Pie would have been able to make sense out of it all. So why did it have to be her? “C-could you please be a b-bit more...” “A bit more what?” She asked, “Kind? Isn't that what you're about? Fine. I'll ask nicely, one more time. Where. Is. Twilight. Sparkle?” “S-she's in the Ponyville library!” Fluttershy blurted out, just before something lifted her up into the air, a tight grip around her neck that seemed to only grow stronger. “Was that so hard? Things don't always need to be so dramatic.” She stated, before heading for the door, leaving the terrified pony floating in the air, the wind being choked out of her. The mare had just begun to reach for the door, hoof outstretched, before suddenly stopping, “How in the hell does one pull a door with these... things?!” Her temper flared wildly, able to go from zero to one hundred in under a second. Fluttershy's response was low whimper, ending in a cough. She couldn't breathe, this whole situation had escalated in a matter of seconds. It just had to be a nightmare, she was going to wake up at any moment! “Useless.” The pink mare grumbled, before realizing the door pushed open on either side. Turning her head around to stare at Fluttershy... no, her gaze was slightly off, “Get rid of her, she's annoying me.” Fluttershy didn't even have the time to consider just who that comment had been directed at, before her entire body was raised further, and being taken towards the portal. She wanted to scream for help, knowing that whatever was on the other side of that portal could not be good. Unfortunately, she had neither the strength of body, nor of magic to truly defend herself. Even her animals were unable to do anything, leaping up to grab her by the tail, in a vain effort to save her life. The grip upon her neck finally eased as she was hurled into the green abyss that had been in front of her. As she finally filled her pained lungs once again, Fluttershy could hear her friends, all calling out her name. That was the last thing she heard, before all went black. Author's Note So this is kind of a weird story, that actually ties in a lot to a Pathfinder game I am running for a few friends. See, I actually never watched the show until I suggested how funny it would be if there was suddenly a Pony character in our game to a friend of mind. Next thing I knew I was putting Fluttershy into a game, working with some NPC's and well... I also started watching My Little Pony. (For Research, naturally.) Four Seasons Later, I present my first fanfic. Trust me, it has yet to get weird. Also, please give a comment and tell me what you thought, and how I can improve!
Prologue (2): Her Name Is ArmstrongTwilight Sparkle could barely see more than a few meters in any direction, making her trek to Fluttershy's home purely by memory. Despite how badly she wanted to see her friend, and be sure of her safety, Twilight could barely keep her pace above much of a trot. Her hooves just refused to carry her faster, her muscles ached and her breathing grew heavy. She could barely even keep her eyes open, only pushing forward through pure willpower. Of all the nights for something bad to happen, why was it that she had to deal with such a thing when her mind and body were already near the breaking point to begin with? Yet, even with all of that, the idea of stopping never once crossed her mind. Sweat worked its way through her fur, her mane and tail flowing with the rush of her movement. She passed by Rarity's boutique, the door left wide open and every light on within the building. A tiny white filly stood just on the stoop, “Twilight!” She called out, “What's going on?! Rarity just-” Twilight did not hear the end of what Sweetie Belle had to say, rushing forward and knowing there was no time to stop. The Everfree Forest came into view after another turn, and with that came the path inevitably leading to Fluttershy's cottage. The sound of hoofbeats seemed to get louder for just a moment, before Twilight realized she was not the only one running. Two ponies were up ahead, their silhouettes the only thing visible under the darkness of night. Behind her, another set seemed to follow up, quickly catching up to her own, “Twilight!” The voice was familiar, that tone gained by many agricultural ponies, “The Princess come to your dreams too?” Applejack had easily caught up to twilight, the bright orange pony always had been the strongest out of all of them. That explained why all of her friends seemed to be making a mad dash toward the same location, “She sent me a letter, I think-” “Fluttershy might be in danger?” They both finished the sentence at the same time, Applejack obviously slowing herself to keep pace with Twilight. Twilight nodded in her response, while Applejack looked forward, “Not to make you feel bad, or nothin', but I can't waste any more time back here!” She bolted off towards the others in front of them, and was gone from sight in under a minute. When it really mattered, she could rival any racepony. She followed along with the rest of the group as well as she could, but eventually her hoof's just refused to carry her so quickly, and she ended up trotting along slowly, just when the cottage came into view. It was an odd sight, really. Light came through the windows, but it was an odd shade of green. The closer she got, the more small animals she could see waiting outside, if not just running into the forest. Whatever was happening then, Twilight knew it wasn't good and likely involved the same magic she had been studying so intently for the past few days. Even her friends seemed hesitant to go up to the front door, though that didn't remain a problem for too long. She just managed to catch up to them as the door opened, revealing a hot pink pony with a rather annoyed expression upon her face. However, she was the last thing that any of them wanted to look at as they saw the danger they had all been warned about that night. A bright green portal had been opened right in the center of Fluttershy's living room, with Fluttershy herself being held right in front of it. Of course, there was something else within that room, something that only those with a unicorn's magic could even see. It floated in the air, adorned in a long white robe that seemed to be empty from the waist down. Its body was odd, a torso that held itself vertically. The clothing it wore only had two sleeves for one's hooves, yet even the limbs that went through them bent at odd angles, and ended in appendages that were more akin to monkey hands than hooves. It was using those hands to grip Fluttershy by the neck, leaving her pained and helpless. The hooded figure turned it's head to reveal a soft, yet empty face. Its furless skin was as pink as the pony it was with, and it stared directly down at Twilight Sparkle with a pair of soulless golden eyes. Before anyone had the chance to say a word, the creature tossed Fluttershy into the portal, using all the effort one would to throw a wad of paper into the trash. Rainbow Dash was the first to move, rushing toward the front door while screaming out Fluttershy's name, “You bring her back, now!” Pure rage had overcome the Pegasus, as Pinkie Pie and Applejack rushed up toward the door to back up their friend. Only Rarity and Twilight herself stood still, Twilight unable to bring herself to move or speak. Her body ached, and combined with the shock of what she had just witnessed she found herself nearly paralyzed. Rarity, on the other hand, had enough energy left to act, “Rainbow Dash, stop!” She hadn't even finished speaking before the robed creature had moved to protect it's partner in an instant, gripping Rainbow Dash by her head and shoulder. It had been pushed back by the sheer force that the Pegasus could put out, but otherwise held onto her tightly. “Huh? Hey! What's going on, I can't move!” She seemed distressed, her wings flapping as hard as she could push them, yet no longer able to move forward. “There's something grabbing you!” Twilight managed to call out, shaking free of her own disbelief and rushing up for the door, an aura of magic gathering around her horn. She focused everything she had left into a single spell. “Where is it? Why can't we see it?!” Applejack shouted, Pinkie Pie and herself grabbing a hold of Rainbow Dash's legs and pulling with as much strength as they could muster. The robed creature stood silently, as it's master behind just watched the situation with a knowing smile on her face. “She's working with an invisible ghost!” Pinkie Pie yelled, before giving a shriek that somehow ended in a giggle. The others took a moment to blankly stare at her, before writing it off and going back to the danger at hand. “First the yellow one cowers in terror, and now I'm being attacked. Honestly, is this how you treat all of your guests here?” The pink pony shook her head, holding back a laugh, “Angel Witch, give this one to me.” Her command seemed odd, until the robed being pulled Rainbow Dash out of the two Earth ponies grip. “Hey! What gives? Let go of me already!” She was still trying to fly herself out of the grasp of... whatever it was that was keeping her from flying! “You heard the lady, let her go.” It was at that exact moment that Rainbow Dash was thrown directly toward the intruder. The blue pony had no chance to change her direction, and no possibility of avoiding what would come next. Instead of a grand crash as the two collided, Rainbow Dash disappeared inside of the other pony! No sooner was she gone, did the pink Earth pony suddenly sprout a pair of wings from her back, “Hm, I always did want to fly.” Her voice seemed to be as flat as ever, her new wings spreading themselves up, and pushing her into the air with a powerful flap. It was impossible, but she was a natural at flight, speeding out of the cottage and shooting up into the night sky. For a brief moment, they could all see her flank, and a familiar lightning bolt cutie mark plastered on the intruder's side. She kept herself hovering above the rest of them, the being she had named Angel Witch floating just beside her, it's robe fluttering in the night air, “Now then, if we're done with the rather petty violence, perhaps we can talk like grown adults here.” There was a confidence in her tone that was quite difficult to not be intimidated by, especially after showcasing just what her silent friend could do. Twilight had nearly lost concentration after seeing Rainbow Dash vanish entirely, trying to focus just enough energy into her horn to deal with this pony. Of all nights, why had it been that one? She needed rest, she couldn't protect her friends as she was. She couldn't even save Fluttershy! Luckily Pinkie Pie spoke up first, Twilight needed a little bit longer to finish her spell, “None of this would have happened if you weren't going around and using your ghost friend to make all of our friends disappear and sending them to who KNOWS where, and acting all tough and scary but you're really just doing it because you're a big jerky meanie who likes to act all spooooky!” The pony had to recoil as her mind needed several moments to just comprehend the sheer stupidity of that last statement, “Let's start simply. You may call me Ms. Armstrong. Just tell me which of you is Twilight Sparkle, and I'll be on my way.” Applejack had been grinding her teeth together, eyes narrowed, “And why exactly would we tell you that?” Rarity was in agreement, her horn beginning to glow, “That's right! After everything you've done to our friends, do you really believe we would allow you to go anywhere near Twilight?” All three of them had began stepping around their friend. Perhaps it was out of a desire to keep her from the hooves of this dangerous pony, or maybe it was simply an unconscious movement on their part, but within seconds they had surrounded Twilight Sparkle. The intruder had found her target, “Angel Witch,” She called forth the invisible being, before bolting directly toward Twilight Sparkle, the speed of Ponyville's strongest flier backing her. When Rainbow Dash flew at her top speed, it was breathtaking. Seeing someone else stealing her ability was downright terrifying. Twilight looked upward toward the pony as she realized suddenly that she only had one chance to get this right. Her spell had been fully prepared, horn glowing brightly. The pony known only as Ms. Armstrong was closing the distance between them faster than the rest of the group could react. Twilight only had one shot, shutting her eyes tightly as she completed her spell, “Sorry Rainbow,” She spoke softly just before the aura that had built around her horn fired off a bright beam, going closer and closer toward it's target. Ms. Armstrong's reaction was nearly instantaneous, as her body turned and twisted just enough to barely avoid the beam. The next several seconds seemed to move in slow motion for the other three ponies, watching as Ms. Armstrong flew right by Twilight sparkle. Only Rarity could truly see what was happening, as the ghostly image grabbed Twilight as it had with Rainbow Dash before her. It ended in an instant, as soon enough Ms. Armstrong stood before the three remaining ponies, a horn adorning her forehead. She stood silently, smiling and spreading her wings out. Twilight Sparkle was gone. Fluttershy felt different, as she finally came back to her senses. Nothing in her body seemed to move right, and everything felt stiff. She kept her eyes shut, and just started to paw around at the ground with a hoof. She was definitely not in bed, so the idea that everything had just been a terrible nightmare seemed to be less and less likely with each passing second. Her body seemed to tense up as she tried to hold off waking up as long as she could. She could feel her fingers and toes curling as she... Fingers and toes? That couldn't be right, she was a pony! Ponies didn't have digits like that. This was something Fluttershy had to check for herself, something strange was going on with her. She opened her eyes, just to find another set staring at her. Someone with big eyes and skin as pale as Rarity's fur... as well as a nose that protruded a bit too far out. “Hi there! Why are you naked?” The resulting screech Fluttershy gave was said to be loud enough to wake people from miles away. Author's Note So admittedly there's less here than I wanted to have in this chapter, but the 4th of July weekend put me a bit behind schedule in terms of what I wanted to write. Besides that, I started to get into some of the (At least in my opinion.) more weird and interesting concepts of the fic. I really just wanted to upload SOMETHING, and while I should probably edit the whole thing, I really just wanted to put up what I've written over the past couple of nights. So apologies if it's got some rough edges, and waaaay more apologies if it just leaves the reader entirely confused. I may still go over it with a fine-tooth comb and edit some things that need it! Also, please give a comment and tell me what you thought, and how I can improve!
Chapter 1: So where is she?Author's Note So I made a rather HUUUUGE deletion here, the original scene I had with the villains being all...villainous, is now gone. I felt it didn't fit with the rest of the story, maybe gave too much away, just wasn't very well written, and admittedly also didn't have very much forethought behind it. Since time has passed and well, I now know more so of who the villains are, and where I want the story to go. So that section is officially scrapped, and does not actually have any effect on any chapters to come. Also! Decided to make a Stat sheet for every and any Stand introduced. Why? Because it's done in the manga of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and it highly amuses me soooo... here's the first! Stand: Angel Witch User: Kendal Armstrong Power: C Speed: C Range: C Staying: A Precision: B Learning: A Ability: When it touches any sentient organism, it may force that organism to fuse with the next living thing it touches. The Stand User may decide exactly how those organisms fuse, if she were to care enough to do so. Those fused in such a way may find themselves stuck in a situation where their two minds become forced to share one. Chapter 1: So where is she? Fluttershy had spent several minutes hiding away from the creature that had scared her. Her forehead throbbed, as she had jerked it directly into the other thing's skull. She had made a mad dash into a nearby bush, just staring at her strange new appendages and trying to make sense of what had happened. She remembered a bizarre pony, and there was a portal in her home. She wiped at her eyes with her fingers, tearing up either due to her situation, the pain in her forehead, or both. Her breathing had sped up dramatically, and the only explanation she could come up with was that this was all part of some horrible nightmare. “Uh... you alright there? Do you understand me?” Fluttershy nearly jumped when the person spoke again. They continued to speak to her, though after the first questions their words had become quite foreign to her ears. “I... I'm okay,” Fluttershy whispered back, “B-but I don't know wh-where I am.” There was a moment of silence between the two of them, and Fluttershy looked out of her bush to see the two legged person putting her ear right up to the leaves, “Huh? Did you say something?” her words had gone back to Fluttershy's own language, which was at least slightly more comforting, “I've got some extra clothes if you need a pair.” “I-I'm fine...” She was still whispering, mostly just wanting whoever it was to leave her alone so she could curl into a ball and sob for a while. She needed to wait there, the girls would get her out of this. They always were there when she needed them. “Well, fair enough! I'll be moving along then, was nice to-” The voice, full of energy and a bit boyish, stopped dead in its tracks as the creature it belonged to stared through the branches of the bush directly at Fluttershy. She quickly wrapped her wings around her face as soon as she knew she was being watched. “By Erucaundron's knuckles, you've got wings!” Fluttershy was not certain as to why that of all things was strange, given that her body was a lanky, mess with front hooves that worked vastly differently than the back ones, “And pink hair!” Nor was she too sure why her mane was getting so much attention. The longer this thing stayed by her, the more she just wished they'd go away, “You must be an angel!” Fluttershy never took well to attention of almost any sort, and in such a unique situation as she had found herself in, she simply began to whimper behind her own wings. Perhaps if she didn't say anything long enough, she would have been left alone. But, on the other hoof, the creature in front of her did seem kind enough, if a bit overwhelming. “I'm a pegasus...” She whispered again, only being answered by a moment of silence. She had been about to repeat herself, when a pair of hands gripped her wings firmly and gently pulled them open, revealing a girl wearing a massive grin and two piercing yellow eyes, “Okay, I can't hear you from down here, and it's starting to bother me. Who are you? Can you speak up? Would you like some pants? Also, are you an angel?” Fluttershy stared awestruck at the girl in front of her. Her face had no coat of fur, much as she no longer had. Her mane, on the other hoof, was in dire need of a comb. The shoulder length brown hairs reached out in all directions, which combined with the eyes to give her the appearance of a predator from the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy's instinct to shriek and flail at the sudden touch seemed to be forgotten by the barrage of questions, as she suddenly found her voice, “I'm a Pegasus from Ponyville, my name is Fluttershy, I have no idea what's going on and I'm terrified right now!” She nearly yelled her answers as she turned away from those dangerous looking eyes, and backed herself to the other end of her bush. She had put her hands in front of her eyes as she tried to conceal herself, knowing that she could get out whenever she had a better grasp of where she was, or what she was. Or she could never come out, that didn't sound too bad either. Fluttershy hardly even noticed that the girl had sat down beside her, “I'm Syndra, nice to meet you, Butterfly!” Her voice never seemed to lose it's childlike energy. Fluttershy dared to look again, seeing the now seated creature staring her down, wearing a grin that could rival Pinkie's. Fluttershy's first instinct was to whimper. Instead, she put her limbs down, holding herself up to look at the girl in front of her, “My-uhm my name is Fluttershy, not Butterfly.” She poked her head outside of the bush, trying to get herself back out of it, now that she felt somewhat calmer. Her movement felt awkward, with back legs far too long and a bone structure that didn't seem able to easily support walking as she was used to. Her front limbs seemed to fair a little better, with a slightly wider range of motion, yet they were shorter than the back legs. Her attempt at a simple trot ended up as an awkward crawl with her new appendages pointed at odd angles, and her back arched as though she were stretching out, instead of trying to walk normally. Needless to say, it didn't take long for her not-hooves to slide out beneath her and sent her falling into the dirt. Her sudden humiliation was countered only by Syndra's sudden amusement, the girl letting out a burst of laughter, “Yahahaha! Well, you definitely don't walk like an angel!” Fluttershy started to whimper at the girl's laughter, the harsh words of several young fillies and colts running through her mind. She just couldn't catch a break, everyone was going to be awful to her, and her friends were no where to be seen! Not to forget that she didn't even know if Angel and the other animals were alright, and... “Hey, Flutterfly, let's be friends!” Fluttershy looked up from the ground, a hand extended out to her. For a brief moment, as she looked upon the still smiling face of her new acquaintance, she couldn't help but forget her own fear. She took the strange girl's hand without a second thought.
Chapter 2: It Usually Works In NovelsSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Prologue (3): Look At That, I've Mastered MagicRainbow Dash could feel something had changed, her entire body seemed to be out of her control. Her wings and legs moved automatically, and she found herself flying above her friends in moments. She stared down at them as they gathered together, listening to words which came out of her mouth, words which she knew were not her own. “Hm, I always did want to fly.” “Hey, I didn't mean to say that!” Rainbow Dash's voice came not from her mouth, but instead remained trapped inside of her mind. Beside that, the spoken voice sounded nothing like her! Nor was her fur color right. It was only then that she realized who's eyes she was truly seeing things through. The pony who shortly after would introduce herself as Ms. Armstrong. “Come to think of it, she didn't have wings before,” She thought, still unable to make real speech. The lights began to click inside of her head as she began piecing together what had happened. She had been trying to knock the pony out, just to stop her long enough so that she and the others could go and bring Fluttershy back! Then she had been thrown, and suddenly lost any ability to control herself. She was inside that pony's mind, fused into one being that was keeping her from having any control whatsoever, “You stole my wings!” She could feel herself screaming from within her prison, maybe even enough to get her attention! She didn't get much of a chance to really start trying to resist her bonds, as she suddenly felt the cold night air rushing against her. Despite someone else being in control, their skill with her wings was shockingly adept. They used all of her moves like... well, her! She hadn't noticed due to her own struggling, but they were on a crash course with Twilight! “Hey, hold up you... you, wing thief!” They dodge whatever magic Twilight had used to try and defend herself with. It was a good effort, but she had clearly not been on her game that evening. At that moment, Rainbow Dash felt something touch her flank, and then suddenly an odd robed creature came into her view. It reached forward and grabbed Twilight by horn of all places, before allowing them to crash into her. Rainbow watched in horror as Twilight Sparkle quickly vanished, becoming one with that pony, much as she herself had. She was gone in less than five seconds, and instead they all stood there, the pony named Ms. Armstrong standing tall with her wings spread out. In no time flat, she had made herself into an Alicorn! Rainbow Dash knew it was partially her fault for rushing in, frustrated by herself and the situation she had found herself in. But more than anything, she suddenly felt tired. A wave of fatigue seemed to wash over her, and had she control over her eyelids, they would have grown heavy. Of course, she wasn't the only one struck with such exhaustion, “What the hell...” Ms. Armstrong's voice suddenly seemed quite pained, as she drooped her wings, struggling to stand up, “How was she able to sta-haaaaaaaand.” She interrupted herself with a yawn. Rainbow needed to do something, she felt the sudden exhaustion as well, knowing it had to have come from Twilight. All of the sudden she was glad for her bookworm of a friend's obsessive habits as she could feel her muscles starting to respond to her again. Maybe she could still get them out of this! She started focusing every last bit she could on regaining control, fighting off the fatigue Twilight had shared with her. Her wing started to twitch, quickly going into full motions, flapping up and down slowly. It was limp, but it was more than enough to panic the pony who had thought she was in control, “H-hey! Get ba-aaahhh,” Rainbow felt the mare's mind pushing back against her, making her sudden control vanish as she seemed to get locked back tightly. She knew that she only had one shot at freeing Twilight and herself, and using Twilight's state of mind was the only way she would get to do so! Luckily, her friends seemed to catch on that something was wrong, “Rainbow Dash, Twilight?” Applejack called out, charging at the Alicorn in front of her and pushing her into the grass below, holding one side of her down with both hooves. Rarity wasted no time in following her friend's lead, charging forward and taking the other side of Ms. Armstrong to hold down, “Are you in there still? Can you hear us?” She tried to reach out for her friends in a last ditch effort to free them from such a tyrannical mare. Pinkie Pie had begun bouncing around the three mare's, “Oh! What's it like inside of someone else's head, Rainbow Dash? I bet it's all weird, like when Discord was messing with all of us!” She was giggling like crazy, and it was absolutely driving Armstrong nuts. “Shut up, shut up already!” Rainbow Dash pushed again, “Alright Twilight, help me out here!” She tried reaching out for her friend, though her thoughts were met with silence. There was no time to worry about that though, if she didn't react soon she'd be stuck there forever! The mare struggled limply against her captors, Pinkie Pie's babbling not giving up for even a second, “I know you're in there somewhere, ya'll are both stubborn as mules!” Applejack's encouragement was good to hear. The flailing limbs stopped soon enough, Rainbow Dash was able to stop her legs, letting the others pin them down. 'This power of yours, we call it a Stand.' An elderly voice rung out through Rainbow Dash's mind, sudden flashes appearing before her as she fought for more and more control, 'Yours will be instrumental in achieving his dream.' She didn't have time to think about what any of it meant, though their words gave her an idea. If this 'Stand' as it was called, could drag her into this situation, it could get her out! “Twilight! Wake up! We're getting out of here! Fluttershy's still lost somewhere!” The more Rainbow Dash pushed, the more she knew they had a chance. She was exhausted entirely, and her own mind had started to feel strange, no doubt from connecting so deeply into Armstrong's. Yet she kept going, starting to be able to feel the mental connection between them and the ghostly being above. A faint voice finally arose from nothingness, “Uhn... Rainbow Dash? W-where, why am I being held down?” “Don't worry, just stay with me! I've got a plan,” She said, trying to focus on keeping full control. The push from Ms. Armstrong had all but disappeared at this point, Rainbow just focusing on the creature that floated above the group, “Hey! Get us out of here! Come on, listen to me will you!” Rainbow Dash's words had begun coming out of Ms. Armstrong's mouth, much to the surprise of the others. The creature turned its head toward its master, staring down for a brief moment. Every second that it was not doing as commanded, she could feel Armstrong's mind fighting against hers, trying to pull her back into nothingness. She couldn't let that happen, it was up to her to rescue her friends and herself this time! “Come on already!” She called up toward the sky, desperate to free herself, knowing the being known as Angel Witch was her last chance. She began to concentrate, allowing her wings to begin trying to flap as though she were about to take off into the air. It didn't take much more than that for Rainbow Dash to find her comfort zone, the feel of her wings being pushed toward their limits, the open sky before her. From within her mindset, Rainbow Dash reached out toward the being above her. Its response was instant, dashing downward and thrusting an arm directly into her chest. It phased through her skin and fur, and instead gripped onto something less tangible. Rainbow felt her control of the mare slip as she was slowly pulled out of Ms. Armstrong's body, “It's working!” Her voice had become mere thought again, “Twilight, try and... I don't know, just take my hoof!” The command made no sense, but Rainbow Dash tried her best to hold out her front legs anyway. Rarity nearly leapt out of her skin as the creature bolted down right in front of her, backing away from it as it started literally pulling Rainbow Dash out of the mare's body, “She's doing it!” She said, getting excited as her friend was fully pulled back into the outside world, a long purple hoof in her hand, “Come on, everypony! Help me get-” She didn't get to finish her sentence as Angel Witch gripped Rainbow by the head. “You should be respected,” Armstrong growled, “Anyone who can overtake my mind deserves a special fate,” The spirit that had been to that point helping Rainbow Dash suddenly turned against her as the pink mare gained control of her mind back. Angel Witch jerked Rainbow up into the air and slammed Applejack off of her master's body, forcing Twilight back inside of Armstrong and throwing Rainbow Dash aside, “Take your prize!” Ms. Armstrong pushed herself upright just in time to see Rainbow Dash crashing directly into Rarity, both of them falling to the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie called out toward her friend, suddenly brought back to reality from her ceaseless chatter. She rushed over toward Rainbow and Rarity, worried about them and gasping at what she saw when she finally stopped moving. Armstrong herself backed up the pathway toward the house. She had lost her wings, having underestimated this group of ponies. They were stronger than she had anticipated, and on top of that her fusion with the one they called Twilight Sparkle left her drained. She had to get back through the portal while the others were distracted! She turned around and began rushing inside, nearly tripping over her hooves, stupid appendages that they were. “And just where do you think you're goin'?” A heavily accented voice rang out from behind her, just before she felt a powerful kick on her backside, sending her flying through the front door of the house. She landed on her face, barely getting a moment to turn around before an orange pony stood in front of her, blocking her escape from this bizarre world. “Get the hell out of my way!” Anger rushed over her as Angel Witch lashed forward, slamming its fist into her snout. Applejack stumbled back, but held strong. “Not a chance, you ain't leaving with Twilight.” Her eyes narrowed. “Ah yes, your little wizard friend,” She grumbled through her teeth, horn starting to glow, “She's given me more than I could have hoped for!” Her smug attitude was insufferable, “Why don't ya'll see what I'm gonna give ya!” She stepped forward, bruised face seeming to leave her unbothered. She stopped only to shiver as her body suddenly grew very cold, a thin sheet of ice spreading over her body. “Look at that, I've mastered magic.” Armstrong laughed as Applejack's body froze solid, the ice growing over her, entrapping her in a massive chunk that was quickly overtaking the rest of the house, “Arriverderci, ponies.” She called out, before jumping back through her portal, which lasted for only a moment longer before blinking out of existence. Author's Note So, you may have noticed I've recently labeled all of my chapters as the Prologue. This is because after finishing up what I had written here, I figured the first three chapters worked together well enough to really be a single unit on their own. I really only tend to write about 1,000 to 2,000 words at a time. (Call it laziness, desire just to upload things, or some kind of mix of them both.) Anyway, I figured that since this part finally finishes up with the intro of the story and helps to get things in motion, it'd be a a good place to stop what is essentially three parts of one chapter. Hopefully this doesn't mean chapter one is going to be in multiple parts, I would much rather get larger story chunks out at once from this point onward! So... here's hoping to that! As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
