Mane Six Vs. The Gimmicky Boss Squad!

by Doctor D

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Celestia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Main 6, Princess Luna, Original Character, Comedy, Adventure
Length: 5133

Canterlot Castle, taken over. Princesses taken hostage. A quest to save them from an evil goup! Note: No evil alicorns included!

One day Twilight Sparkle get's an alarming letter from her mentor Princess Celestia. 'HELP'
The Princesses have been captured and their Castle has been taken over!

Thus begins the journey of the Mane Six to defeat the five evil elite lieutenants, the Gimmicky Boss Squad! Their mission to gather their five keys to gain entry to the castle, face the Maleficent Usurper and save the Princesses. Their journey starts now!

Author's note: Contains absolutely no evil black, red eyed alicorns.

Published 2014-09-14 15:20:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-16 10:05:45 UTC

Prologue: Enter, Maleficent Usurper and his Evil Vassals!

Twilight Sparkle was in her library, organizing books for the upteenth time today with the reluctant Spike as her aid. The dutiful librarian was about to place the final book in it’s place when her dragon assistant burped out large spout of green flames, startling Twilight enough to drop the book.

“Some warning would have been nice, Spike!” Twilight scolded the dragon with a grumpy glare. Only she saw Spike gasping for breath.

“S-sorry.” Spike said before coughing heavily. “There’s *hack* usually some warning before that happens *heave* letter.” The young dragon said, pointing a claw the letter on the ground before going back to hacking out a non-existent hairball.

Twilight ignore the young drake and picked up the scroll. It must have been from the Princess since nopony else knew how to send letters via Spike. However, something struck Twilight as odd.

The letter looked a bit torn and was unsealed, which seemed to imply it was sent in a great hurry. Opening it and reading it’s contents sent Twilight’s eyes wide open and her mouth agape as the letter dropped from her magical grasp. Only one quickly scribbled word was written into it.

HELP

“Now are ya sure tha’ the Princess is in trouble Twi?” Applejack asked over the sounds of the train moving along the rails, as well as the lavender unicorn’s nervous muttering. The Mane Six sat on their own seats in the cart, except for Twilight who kept pacing back and forth.

“Yeah. What if it’s just a prank somepony is pulling on you?” Rainbow Dash added off-hoovedly. But Twilight was not calming down.

“A prank? No it can’t be! I knew the moment I saw the letter. It’s the princesses writing, though very rushed. The way it looked torn up and rustled. All the evidence is there!” The purple librarian said frantically.

“Twilight, dear, we don’t doubt your judgement in this matter. We are as worried as you are.” Rarity said in a calm tone, hoping to calm Twilight down in the process. “But fretting over it won’t help us until we find out what iss wrong.”

“I… I know.” Twilight sighed. “But this was just so sudden and- and I don’t know what could be so important that it would need the Princess to act so hastily.”

“Well… whatever it is, we’ll help.” Fluttershy said in her own meek way.

Then streamers exploded from the ceiling, along with a Pinkie Pie on a rope. “Yeah! Helping is something Pinkie does best, alongside parties!” The pink menace yelled positively, smiling all the while.

“Yeah! I mean, it can’t be bad enough that my awesome skills can’t handle it.” Rainbow Dash chimed in with a hoof pump.

Twilight laughed a bit, feeling more reassured by her friends. “Thanks girls.”

It was then that the conductor came in to inform occupants of the cart that they would be at Canterlot Station in a few minutes. After doing so he went on his merry way. Everypony spent some time with smalltalk, except Pinkie who was looking out the window.

“Uhh, girls?” Pinkie suddenly said something very unnerving. “Has Canterlot always had dark clouds over it?”

In a flash everypony was at the windows looking out at the view of Canterlot. And the menacing dark clouds that loomed overhead and around the castle.

“Oh, this can’t be good.” Twilight said, dreading what they would find when they departed the train.

After reaching the station and getting off the train the Mane Six quickly made their way towards the castle. On the way they saw many ponies who were confused and afraid of the clouds, which apparently had appeared very suddenly.

Rainbow Dash, despite Twilight’s warning, tried to go and pop the clouds, but the second she made impact it just stretched a bit and shot her back. The second time did not fare much better. Only after the third fruitless try did they manage to convince Rainbow it was pointless to try.

So they headed straight towards the castle.

But before they could reach the castle they came upon a peculiar sight. A whole regiment of Royal Guard standing outside the castle gates.

One of them detached from the ranks and approached the Six Ponies. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle and Elements of Harmony. I’m sorry but I can’t let you come closer.” The guard said in a gruff but professional tone.

“What? Why not?” Rainbow Dash was first to ask the question they all wondered.

“We are not sure.” The guard answered in a stoic manner. “In an instant all of the guard were teleported out of the castle and spread around the city. We suspect an invasion.”

“Wait. Something teleported ALL the guards?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “But nothing has that much magical power!”

“We are… aware, which is why we have been trying to gain re-entry into the castle as soon as possible. But...”

Just then a pair of guards tried to ram into the door to open it, only to be flung back as they hit an invisible barrier.

“... As you saw, some sort of barrier is keeping us out. We’ve tried everything, brute force, magic, everything. Not even a teleportation spell get’s through it.” The guard said, his voice faltering a bit. “There is… seemingly nothing we can do.”

The Mane Six looked at each other.

“Well, ah hafta say, Twi. You were right, this just stinks of trouble.” Applejack said.

“And those freaky clouds! You think Discord is behind this?” Rainbow Dash added, her suspicions clear and understandable.

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think it’s Discord. This isn’t… chaotic enough by his standards. And he’s still imprisoned as far as I know.”

Rainbow frowned. “Then who else could’ve-”

“Aah, my guests have arrived.” A voice like no other said from nowhere. Everypony, guards included tried looking around to find the source, but the voice sounded like it came from everywhere.

Then, in front of the gate started forming something that could be only called a wall of constantly shifting darkness. The guards backed away on instinct as it grew till it was wide enough to cover the large wooden door. The darkness started flickering and showed an image.

An Image of a pony stallion, coat dark as the shadows and eyes more menacing than the blood moon. On his long neck an engraved silver medallion with some ancient letters and blood red rubies embedded to it’s sides. Horn sharp like a spear, and to everypony’s shock, a pair of large spread wings could clearly be seen.

“I have waited for a long time for this encounter, my little ponies.” The Alicorn of Darkness said the line as if a perversion of the way Princess Celestia referred to her subjects.

“Who the hay are you?” Applejack was the first to open her mouth.

“What have you done with the Princess?” Twilight followed with a question more akin to a demand. The shadow alicorn simply chuckled casually.

“So, straight to the point? Excellent.” The shadow alicorn said, the darkness shifting to show the image of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, as well as the statue of Discord, trapped inside white magic bubbles. “Allow me to assure you, your precious rulers are fine… For now.”

With that the image shifted back to the alicorn’s silhouette, his eyes glowing with a look of condescension. “Now, as for who I am. I am Shade the Maleficent. But you may start calling me your Lord and Master.”

“Like heck we will!” Rainbow yelled at the screen of darkness.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie chimed in with a serious face. “I’m not gonna have a party for you! …. Unless you ask super nice.”

“PINKIE!” Everypony said in unison, to which Pinkie literally zipped her own mouth shut.

“You won’t get away with this!” Twilight said indignantly. “We’ll stop you!”

“YEAH!” The rest of the Mane Six added in, except Pinkie who was more like “WHEA!”

Shade the Maleficent just laughed. “You wish to resist your fates?” He asked in a bellowing voice, examining the unchanging faces of the six ponies. “Okay.” He finally said, to the Main Six’s surprise, almost gleefully.

“As you wish. Let’s make this more… interesting.” The Alicorn of Darkness said in a mysterious way. “There is a way for you to gain entry to my castle.”

“It ain’t yours, you no good thief!” Applejack interjected.

“Shut up, it is now!” Shade the Maleficent said in an almost juvenile manner. He coughed into his hoof and continued. “As I was saying, if you want to enter to save your precious leaders, then you are welcome to try.”

After he said that something changed. The barrier between the guards, the Elements and the castle became visible. On it’s surface, right above the doorway inside, appeared five locks. Each lock was seemingly made of bronze and brass and had a carving on them.

A hand of cards, a rock, a spout of fire, a… fishbowl and the last one was… some sort of swirly-thingy.

“To undo the barrier separating you from your precious Princess, you will need five keys carried by my most powerful Lieutenants.” Shade the Maleficent said, stopping for dramatic effect and narrowing his eyes menacingly. “The Gimmicky Boss Squad!”

Immediately Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who unzipped her mouth, fell on the ground, laughing their faces off. Even Twilight, Applejack and Rarity snickered a bit. The only one who didn’t laugh was a slightly confused looking Fluttershy.

“T-that is the d-dumbest name I have ever heard!” Rainbow Dash said before going back to laughing.

“It’s HILARIOUS!” Pinkie shrieked in the middle of her chuckle fest.

“S-Shut up! It’s not stupid!” The dark alicorn tried to defend the embarrassingly funny name for an evil elite force.

“I-It sort of is.” Twilight said, holding in her snickers.

Shade the Maleficent scoffed with a mean glare. “Fine. Laugh while you can. We’ll see who’s laughing once you face The mighty Gimmicky Boss Squad-” Pinkie and Rainbow laughed even harder at how serious the dark usurper was trying to sound. “Shut up! Fine, whatever. The first one of my Lieutenants waits in Las Pegasus. Go, save your Princess. Not!”

Then the image as well as the darkness disappeared as the Alicorn of Darkness rage quit like a little foal.

“Do you believe they can beat him?” Female Voice A said in a darkened room.

“Most certainly. Is there any doubt they could defeat him in a duel?” The Alicorn of Darkness said demeaningly.

Female Voice A was quiet before sighing. “Seriously?”

“Well, considering the odds...” Female Voice B started to say.

“Taking bets! Those who say utter defeat, place your bits onto the table! I bet sixty bits that it’ll be all over in one move!” A higher pitched voice added, immediately followed by a load of bits hitting the round table they were seated around.

“I’ll wager… twenty bits for thirty seconds.” Female Voice B said.

“Bah, that isn’t happening. Thirty bits for fifteen seconds!” Female Voice A added.

“... Oh come on! Have some faith!” Shade the Maleficent yelled out.

“One naysayer!” The High Pitched Voice exclaimed from the shadowy room. “So that’s three-on-one. Input your bits if you’ve got the gal, or be a scaredy cat!”

“Hmph!” Shade the Maleficent huffed. “Fine! Because I have actual faith in his abilities I will indulge in this nonsense, so don’t come crying to me when I take your money.” He said, plopping a bag of bits onto the table. “Fifty bits on the victory of Player!”

Author's Note

Continue?
==> Level One: ********'* ****!

Level 1: LLLLLLET'S PLAY!

“Well, this day is starting off rather odd.” Rarity stated as the six friends sat on the train, again, heading to Las Pegasus.

“You can say that again.” Applejack agreed. “Who’s that Shady-feller think he is?”

“I thought he was HILARIOUS!” Pinkie interjected, still coming over her chuckle fest earlier.

Rainbow Dash scoffed playfully. “Yeah! What a dodo! I mean come on, we’re supposed to take that guy seriously? Hah, that’s a laugh!”

“A whole riot!” Pinkie added, getting a good laugh out of Rainbow Dash and herself.

Twilight did her best to stay serious about this whole weird affair, but could not hide her amused smile. “Okay, calm down girls. Let’s try to keep the bigger picture in mind. The Princesses are still captive, even though I question how that is even possible. But we need to help them and if that means playing that Shade pony’s game, then so be it.”

“Umm… about that...” Fluttershy said quietly. “That pony was an alicorn… I didn’t know there were others like the Princesses.”

Twilight let out a sigh with a perplexed frown. “That’s the part I can’t figure out.” She said. “I know for certain there are only three Alicorns in current times, but I’ve never even heard of an alicorn stallion.”

“Not to mention the ghastly way he looked. If I didn’t know better I’d say he was made of solidified shadows.” Rarity added.

“... He looked scary.” Fluttershy admitted in her meek way.

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah right. Didn’t you hear how immature that guy sounded when we laughed at his stupid squad name?”

Fluttershy didn’t know how to properly answer that because, kind as she was, she didn’t want to offend anypony. Even if they were an evil alicorn keeping the Princesses hostage.

Twilight broke that line of questioning though. “Whatever the case it’s not like we haven’t dealt with stuff like this before. I’m sure we can manage to get five keys, no problem.”

“Yeah. They’re just keys, right? How hard can it be?” Applejack stated.

It was still a while before they would reach the supposed location of the first key, Las Pegasus. Meanwhile, back in Ponyville.

Spike sat in the library, alone with only the books and a certain owl to keep him company. He didn’t look all that pleased.

“I never get to go anywhere.” He grumbled.

“Hoo.” Owlowiscious replied.

“Me.” Spike muttered, and you know how this train ride goes.

SPEAKING OF TRAINS!

The train finally arrived to the Las Pegasus Station after a cheap and meaningless segway, and the mane six left out to search for the first lieutenant and by extension the first key.

But there was a big snag on their road.

Las Pegasus was a large place you see. A city of tall building and shiny lights that never went out, thus the nickname “City That Never Sleeps”. A place where ponies came to have a good time, to enjoy and spoil themselves. Or maybe just to try their luck and gamble for profit.

“Uhm… Where do we start looking?” Fluttershy asked quietly, the large city making her a bit nervous.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, the first lock had a hoof of cards engraved on it. Maybe we need to find a casino, or something similar.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “Yeah, that would be great. If only there weren’t a couple dozen of them here. The closest one is the Lucky Coin Casino a few blocks away.”

Everypony looked at Rainbow Dash with identical quizzical looks. Rainbow grew a bit flustered at the sudden attention and blushed a bit. “I-I was here once. Me and… well, Gilda came here when we graduated.” Rainbow explained.

Everypony seemed satisfied with the answer, even if it brought up the mean griffin ex-friend of Dash’s.

“Okay, then let’s start there!” Twilight said. “Rainbow, take the lead since you have some experience with the city.”

Rainbow sighed and trotted ahead, leading the group. “Fine, but don’t expect much. I don’t remember much of that trip and it’s pretty unlikely the first place we look is the right one. Seriously, there’s a dozen of these places spread around.”

Just then a bolt of lightning shot out from a few blocks over, accompanied by the sound of screaming and panicking ponies.

“Well, that seems promising.” Applejack said.

“Come on, let’s go!” Twilight said as the six friends hurried to the origin of the bolt, Rainbow in the lead. The passed many citizens and tourists who fled the scene and saw where they were fleeding from.

The Lucky Coin Casino, a tall and showy building wearing a sign with the name in big glowing letters as well as the image of a golden coin. Ponies were flooding out of the building to escape from something and once the ponies cleared out only two ponies remained near the open doorway.

A stallion trying to enter the building and a mare trying to help him. Both being kept out by an seemingly invisible force field.

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked as the group approached. The mare, whose coat was sandy and mane was golden yellow turned to them. She was wearing a hooded grey cloak that covered her cutie mark. The cloak’s hood was down.

“Something happened in this place and there is a filly still inside.” The mare said urgently. The stallion still tried to fight against the invisible force, but to no avail. “There’s something keeping us out. I don’t know what.”

“The filly is yours?” Fluttershy asked, clearly worried at the news. The golden maned mare shook her head.

“No, she’s his.” She gestured at the stallion. “I was just passing by.”

The stallion turned to the six ponies with a pleading look in his eyes. “Please, you’ve got to help me! My daughter… she is still there with that… thing!”

The six friends exchanged looks. Twilight asked the stallion “What is this thing, exactly?”

The stallion tried to calm down before answering. “It was… I don’t know, I’ve never seen anything like it before. But then it started causing trouble and panic hit…” The stallion’s lip quivered a bit out of worry. “My precious Silver Brush got separated and… Please, you’ve got to help her!”

The golden maned mare sighed. “There is some sort of force field over the area. Nopony can get in.” She explained before adding. “Also, I know this isn’t the best time for introductions but my name is Golden Goblet, but please, call me Gold.”

“Another force field?! Aww, this blows!” Rainbow Dash said, remembering the similar barrier over the castle.

Twilight frowned and her horn flared up and shot a beam of magic at the barrier, making it appear visible for a second before vanishing along with the spell. “It rejects and disintegrates magic? How is that possible?”

Rarity coughed to get everypony’s attention. She then pointed at the doorway that Pinkie was gleefully jumping into the building as if it was nothing.

“Well… that’s interesting.” Twilight said extending a hoof to where the barrier was visible moments before. Her hoof passed through like nothing was there. “Gold, could you try to go through the barrier?”

Gold nodded and tried to push through the invisible force, but could not as predicted. Twilight frowned as she understood the situation. “It will only let us through.”

“You mean this is a trap, dont’cha?” Applejack asked.

“Perhaps,” Twilight said, walking to the door frame. “or maybe it’s an invitation.”

“Twilight, duck!” Pinkie Pie yelled from inside, to which Twilight complied to just moments before what looked like a giant playing card flew over her and out the door and landed on the ground. On top of the ace of hearts sat a filly that was quickly grabbed into a hug by the stallion.

Gold smiled and looked at the six mares present. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you can do something about it, go do it. I’ll make sure things are okay out here.”

Twilight nodded and beckoned her friends. “Come on, let’s go see who is behind this!” The rest followed after Twilight and into the casino, minus Pinkie who had gotten a head start.

The interior was a large hall filled with blackjack tables, roulettes and slot machines. But in the middle of it was a very conspicuous empty space. The door closed behind them and the lights went out in the entire building as a voice echoed inside.

“So, it appears my foes have arrived. Most excellent!”

Two headlights turned on, pointing at the middle of the conspicuous empty space. In the spotlight a tornado of cards appeared and when they dispersed a figure was standing in the spotlight.

A bipedal thing wearing a swallow-tailed white and black checkered suit and light grey slacks and fancy, shiny black shoes. A tall snow white top hat stood dandily on his white haired head, both of which were covering his eyes.

It snapped it’s fingers, bringing all the lights back on before tipping it’s hat. “A fine day to you all, and thanks for joining this day’s activities!” The biped said with a cheshire grin.

“Are you the one who caused a ruckus in this here place?” Applejack asked, having taken a stance that was ready for trouble, as had her friends.

The thing kept it’s grin on and spoke cheerily, if a bit cryptically. “Me, oh me, oh my, oh ye of little faith. Hehe! Supposedly, yes, for this human is ready to play!”

“Are you one of those guys with the ridiculous name?” Rainbow asked, wings ready to charge the so called ‘human’.

“Ridicule and fun are all well and good, but dost thou even hoist, little pony girl?” The human rhymed a bad insult, to which Rainbow acted on and charged at the man.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight yelled after the rainbow maned pegasus, but it was too late. It looked like she was about to crash into the human but for some reason Rainbow was launched back crashing to her original position.

"Are you okay, Dashie?" Fluttershy asked her best friend. She didn't quite answer but she seemed alright.

“What was that? I felt like I hit a bouncy wall.” Rainbow said while getting up and rubbing her noggin.

The human crossed his arms and made a buzzer sound. “BUZZZZ! Sorry, you can’t go and do that! It’s in the rules, but I’ll let you off with a warning since you’re yet to be lectured.” He raised one finger in his left hand. “Rule 1: No direct fighting inside the Game Zone! Rule 2: No magic or other cheatsy-doodle methods!”

Twilight and the rest glared at this human. “Who are you?” Twilight asked. The human laughed, tilting his hat forward a bit.

“My, my. That’s what you ask first, silly-willy!” The human scolded Twilight like a foal. He then raise his arms, causing a massive stream of playing cards to fly out of his sleeves, circling around the human and the ponies before setting in place, enveloping them inside a circular wall of cards.

“You are participants in our leaders game, and not a soul loves GAMES more than I!” The checker coated man said to the ponies, some of whom looked around their now limited arena. Then the human raised his hand to dramatically point at the group of six.

“Now, prepare yourself to play a game for your lives! You stepped into my Game Zone, so now you play against me. I am” -He did a dramatic twirl- “The Player of Fate! You may call me Player!”

“The rules are simple. Play a game, win and you get your key! Lose and that’s Game Over, savvy?” Player continued, magicking a large golden coin out of nowhere. “Heads or Tails?”

There was deafening silence.

“Huh?” everypony asked, confused by this sudden shift in tone.

“I know, right? It’s all or nothing Coin Toss! Fifty-fifty, game of chance! Go on, pick your poison!” Player chuckled with that grin that was growing a bit infuriating.

And before anypony could react Pinkie Pie yelled out excitedly “Tails! I want tails!”

“And so it begins! LLLLLLET'S PLAY!” Player said and flicked the coin into the air with his thumb. Or at least tried but fumbled and dropped it.

It landed square on Tails.

Deafening silence came again(even the crickets were silent), this time broken by Player.

“Well, sh- EEEEEEEEEAAAHOHOOO- LLLLLLET'S STOP-OOOOOAH!” A stream of lightning struck him from the ceiling so hard you could see his skeleton for ten seconds flat. While this happened the card walls around them fell apart and floated all around the floor, along with a very smoking, blackened and charred Player.

The electric force also knocked a golden key out of Player’s reast pocket and shot it in front of the Mane Six. It’s handle was shaped like a tilted playing card.

“... Well, that was anticlimactic,” Rarity said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, talk about a No Effort Boss,” Pinkie quipped.

“What the hay just happened?” Rainbow asked, half confused half frustrated that the whole affair was a buzzkill.

Twilight grabbed the key with her magic. “Well, whatever that was just now we did get the key.”

“I’m… kind of wondering if that-” Fluttershy tried to remember what the thing had called himself “-human got hurt?”

“Fluttershy. That creep got a face full o’ lightnin’. It’d be a wonder if he’s not hurt.” Applejack told Fluttershy, who looked a bit compassionate towards the blackened thing on the floor…

“Uhh...girls...” Fluttershy muttered with a quivering voice, pointing at the body of the human. Around it a darkness had gathered and was enveloping the human’s crisp corpse. It engulfed the body before vanishing, leaving no trace of the man named Player.

“Well, that’s... interesting?” Twilight said, uncertain what had just transpired. She shook the thoughts out of her head. “Never mind. We got the key so let’s get going.”

Her friends agreed and they made their way outside where they saw Golden Goblet was waiting.

“Did you manage to do it? I saw the barrier come to view and disintegrate.” The gold maned mare said.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, we took care of it… sort of.”

Gold laughed and stomped her hoof onto the ground joyfully. “Amazing! I don’t want to know the details, but at least tell me your names.”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“So I can tell the folk here who to credit for taking care of this mess, whatever it was.” Gold said with a smile. The six friend shared the smile in different ways and introduced themselves.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Rainbow Dash, best flyer in all of Equestria!”

“Name’s Applejack.”

“Uhh… I’m Fluttershy.”

“I’m Pinkamena Diane Pie, but friends call me Pinkie Pie!”

“My name is Rarity, or Lady Rarity if you prefer.”

Gold grinned, placing her hoof on top of her chest where her heart is. “I’ll remember those names then. Knights honor!”

“You’re a knight?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Gold just laughed in response.

“Naw, that’s just something I like to say. Means something like: “I swear by my name”, or something like that.” The gold maned mare explained.

The girls all shared a small laugh at how embarrassed Rainbow Dash looked at her jump to conclusions.

“Well, we did what we had to. Let’s get going.” Twilight said to her friends, turning to Gold. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Golden Goblet.”

The gold maned mare just scoffed playfully. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Gold. And same, Twilight Sparkle. Till we meet again.”

With quick farewells the Mane Six departed from Las Pegasus, one Lieutenant down and one key in their possession. Now to find the rest.

Princess Celestia sat in the bubble of magic that was now, unfortunately her prison. The thing had some magic negating properties, which would be very interesting to research were it not keeping her trapped.

Just a small distance away was her sister, Princess Luna in her own if slightly smaller bubble, both floating in the empty throne room.

“How did this happen, sister?” Luna asked, maybe for the hundredth time and like all the other times Celestia could not give a proper answer.

Instead she said “I don’t know,” just like she had said so many times before. And she would be lying if she said anything else.

A swirling mass of darkness manifested before their prisons and they could clearly hear voices from it’s depths.

“-haha, went down like a scrub!” Female Voice A said, accompanied by barking laughter.

“That’s right, and now I have ALL the bits. ALL of them! Nyahahahaa!” A Squeaky Voice said with some villainous laughter.

Then, through the portal walked the one behind this hostage situation. The alicorn so dark it was like his body was made of shadows. He was muttering something along the lines of “*grumble grumble* ...take my bits, will you… *grumble grumble*” before coughing and standing straight as the dark void behind him closed.

“Hello there. How are your… accommodations?” Shade the Maleficent asked with mocking civility.

“Well, the seating could be improved, but the curtains are to die for.” Celestia replied with a smile, matching his civil tone with a more well rehearsed one.

“Charming.” The Alicorn of Darkness deadpanned.

“Whatever thou may be planning, we assure you thine plans won’t succeed!” Luna snapped at the stallion who looked as intimidated as dry paint.

Shade the Maleficent scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Admittedly your precious Elements of Harmony are more of a nuisance than I gave them credit for. This changes nothing.”

“What is your agenda?” Celestia asked, keeping her cool composure.

The Alicorn of Darkness blinked and looked just a tiny bit like a deer caught in headlights.“Uhh...”

“You take over this castle, trap us inside these fascinatingly elaborate spell bubbles. What is your aim with this coup?” Celestia questione her captor with that cool smile of hers.

Shade the Maleficent blinked before glaring at Celestia. “My plans are nothing you need to burden your mind with, Princess.” He scoffed “What your mind should be on is your precious subjects.”

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends are a lot more capable than you obviously believe them to be.” Celestia said coolly, not letting the Alicorn of Darkness get to her. “The one who should be worried is you.”

Shade the Maleficent chuckled demeaningly. “So they defeated one of my Lieutenants. So what? They will never beat the others.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you.” Celestia stated “That arrogance will lead to your downfall.”

Again the dark alicorn scoffed as a patch of darkness opened up behind him. Two amber eyes gazed outwards from the shadows.

“This is your turn. Go and show those six what you can do, Rowen.”

The pairs of eyes narrowed as a sharp, toothy grin rose beneath them. “Oh, this will be a fuuuun day. Hehehe.”

Author's Note

Proceed?
==> Level 2: *** ***!

Alternate title: Scrub Lord

Alternare title: Boss Fatality, for kids!