Chrysbloom

by SwiperTheFox

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Queen Chrysalis, Adventure
Length: 25353

Applebloom's black magical spell traps her and the other Crusaders in Chrysalis' underworld.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders are working on getting their black magical cutie marks, but they suddenly find themselves flung into a disturbing underworld. Separated from her friends and so terrified that she can hardly stand, Applebloom comes across the dark queen of the parasites that crawl in the night. The Queen demands "love", and she's determined to get it one way or another. She subjects Applebloom to certain tests as she flirts, with the feisty filly standing up for herself. Can she save her friends?

Please note that there's no gore or extreme violence, but there's somewhat dark content. The excellent "Sweetie's Mansion" by Moon Shooter has been a large inspiration as well as the wonderful "Silent Ponyville" by JakeHeritagu. Thanks very much for reading.

Published 2012-04-29 04:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-12 05:11:32 UTC

It Begins

"This doesn't even fit me," Sweetie Belle complained, kicking against the edges of her cloak. The brown cloth stuck far over the ends of her hooves.

"Of course it doesn't fit, you silly thing," Applebloom said, eyes buried in the battered ancient book in front of her. She sat down, hooves rubbing up the thick old stump beneath the book. "We swiped it from adult magicians, didn't we?"

A low hum slowly made its way through Everfree Forest. Although it seemed to have no source, it quickly filled up the air around them. The dark grey haze grew even thicker as well. Scootaloo, looking uncharacteristically tense with sweat coating the insides of her cloak, stepped over to Applebloom.

"I d-don't t-think you're r-reading that right," she murmured. She glanced over at the eerie magic swirling around the altar, blue wisps of light mixing in with circling gusts of dust, and she took a deep breath.

Sweetie turned over to look at her friends. She took a step and tripped over her cloak. Applebloom eyes moved over to the mossy spot for moment, seeing Sweetie picking herself back up, but she immediately returned to the book.

"Oh, relax, I've got it totally under control," said the earth pony. She stepped backwards, eyes closing. Sweetie and Scootaloo walked over to each other, rubbing up shoulder to shoulder.

They eyed Applebloom as she muttered what seemed like nonsensical moans. They shivered when Applebloom lifted up her hood. Eyes closed with stripes of thick black and red paint going across her face, the earth pony leaned her head back.

"And reward us, o' great dark one!" She boomed. Blue whisps stretched across the alter over around her cloak, blowing it upwards from the sheer energy. "Reward us, your most humble servants, and allow that thine will shall be done. Let the gates open. Let the spirits arise, for humbling is the hoof that commands the will the nature itself."

Scootaloo looked over at her unicorn friend. She hopped over to the side, shivering from head to toe. "S-s-s-s-sweetie..."

Sweetie jittered in place as he teeth chattered. She stepped over to Applebloom with a very odd, almost floating like movement, lining up side by side besides the altar. The various magical items-- from special tree bark to a blackened skull to vials of potions taken from Twilight's laboratory-- glowed as brightly as the moon. Scootaloo's eyes grew wide as dinner plates as she saw magical liquid trickling through the air from Sweetie's horn into the dark magical brew.

"This is an awful lot, girls, and I don't think it'll get us our cutie marks, really," Scootaloo said. She saw no response from her friends. The horrible humming had risen into a constant clanging with mechanical groaning. She put her hooves to her ears, hearing a torrent of screeches building up underneath the noise. "Girls, please!"

The fillies' opened their eyes up as well, entirely covered with a dark blue aura. They both opened their mouths, and their breaths made long whips in the freezing night air. Scootaloo dug her bottom hooves into the mossy patches below her, feeling like losing all control.

"Oherium, parsh, acticesish onah suteramum! Algreief, anuk anukahe al griedeirs-- poural al bash hikeramah!" Applebloom recited, her voice sounding as if it came from right out of the moonlight sky. Sweetie hummed along with the words.

Scootaloo remained still as a statue, tears going down her face. The dark magical currents swirled around and around the altar. Stretching into a vortex, blue and black sparks rattled down over along the grassy floor and across her friend's bodies.

"Hikeramah!" Sweetie repeated, her hooves pointing straight up. Wind coursed through her mane, her cloak fluttering with sheer energy.

"Hikeramah!" Applebloom declared once more, moving up to her hind legs. Her front hooves seemed to float in the air, holding onto the magical currents themselves.

*Snap!*

The two fillies looked over at Scootaloo, eyes blazing with black auras. Their hooves pointed over in her direction. The vortex grew, spiral waves of something black and reflective whipping through the air.

"Hikeramah! Hikeramah! Hikeramah!" Scootaloo called out, stamping her hooves on the ground. Tears poured off of her face. As she finished, spiral waves of magic shot out from all directions from the altar.

The filly closed her eyes tightly, feeling herself floating up into the air. The horrible noises built up, feeling like some horrible massive machine screaming into her ears. She felt a sudden rush, and things went black.

*Click!*

Applebloom rubbed her face against the ground. It felt like nothing she had ever come across before. Metal something stretched all around; she felt it all across her hooves. She shifted a few inches to side, groaning. Her whole body ached.

She tried to stand up. Her ears flickered. She couldn't hear a thing. She didn't hear her friends. She didn't hear her own breath. She didn't hear the wind blowing around. Everything was totally empty. Somehow, that seemed even worse than all the mechanical noises a few seconds before.

"Or was it a few seconds. It could have been hours," she said to herself. She stopped. I can't hear it. I can't hear myself. She blinked. "I can't hear my own voice." She heard her words in her mind before she said them. She felt her mouth move. She didn't hear a single thing, just that same suffocating silence. She looked down.

Rusty metal grating went out in all directions. Applebloom could see right through the icky feeling red and brown coated black metal arrays to other grating below that. She came to a sudden, horrible realization. It's going on forever. I literally can see it down forever.

Floor after floor of metal gratings made intricate geometric patterns without rhyme or reason. Outside of the metal, a pure, inky blackness covered everything else. She took a gulp. She stepped forwards.

*Plink!*

Applebloom took a little breath and allowed herself a small smile. "At least I can hear myself move," she muttered. She glanced around. Her mane, tail, and the rest of her looked fine. I'd lost control at the middle of the spell. It almost felt like somepony was inside my head, telling me what to do. She shuddered at the memory. Can I really believe that I thought this was a good way to get my cutie mark? She smacked her hooves against the ground in frustration.

She walked to the left. Out of the blackness came a wall. She paused. She reached out with a hoof, scraping some of the rust off of the wall. It's real enough. The endless wall stretched from left to right. It had an odd set of studded dark grey stripes going across the otherwise pale, solid grey metal.

"Well, how am I going to get out of here?" She turned around. She looked up. Everything seemed about the same. She sighed. "I guess the only way is... straight."

She stepped forwards. Her hoof ran along the tiny studs in the wall as she moved. Somehow, the bumping felt comforting. The wall went on for quite a while. She walked at a steady pace, making the 'plink plink' noise sound like a metronome.

She suddenly froze. A noise arose very faintly from deep beneath her hooves. She tipped her head down. She couldn't see a think, but the noise swirled deep beneath her. It sounded something like steam escaping, but she could hardly make it out.

Applebloom kept on walking. She hardly had a choice. She glanced at the wall and over to her path, mouth shifting again and again. It didn't take long until she started to feel a bit of panic rising inside her.

"This can't be right," she murmured. "I'm not going anywhere." She stopped. "I can't be stuck in her, forever, can I?" The rushing sounds far beneath her amped up, almost giving her an answer. "Well, I can't... wait..." She felt something deep inside of her.

She couldn't understand it. It felt like an itchiness, almost as if she had sandpaper rubbing around her insides. Yet it didn't feel bad. It seemed familiar.

"I'm not stuck. I can get out of here," she said. She immediately had an emotional wash go over her, and she knew somehow as if by instinct that she could. "But I can't keep walking this way. I'm going nowhere."

Or is nowhere where I am already? She stepped away from the wall. Wait... did I think that? Or did somepony else think that? She pressed her hooves against her cheeks. Does it matter who thinks it? It's your thoughts, Applebloom.

"No, no, no, that's not right," she moaned, putting her head down against the floor gates. "Please, stop it."

Will you really keep on going forever?

"Going... that's some kind of riddle, right?" she said, rubbing her back against the wall. She put her hooves over to her mane, feeling sweat coming over it.

Call it whatever you like. You just need to know that you don't have much time.

"That's not--" she started to say, but she stopped mid-sentence. Am I really talking to somepony else? Am I just losing it? Am I even here, now? This whole thing seems more like a dream. Even if it is a dream, I probably shouldn't be aruging with my own thoughts. She stood back up, her hoof on the wall just like before.

*Swoosh!*

She looked down. She saw the inky blackness way, way below her-- from beneath floor of grating after floor of grating-- start to turn more gray and wavy. She immediately put two and two together. It's flooding. The bucking room is flooding.

She felt her breathing quickening. Her hooves shook. No, now is not the time to panic! I can't panic! Not when my friends are around her and still in danger too!

"My friends!" She called out. "Will they be okay?" She ran, hooves flying, down the way that she had gone. The ripples of dark liquid deep below her went on churning. She heard the noises building up, and she ran faster. Her hoof broke with the wall.

She immediately brought herself back against the wall. Her body slipped somehow, the ground almost turning from metal to something fluid. She reached out, grabbing the wall's nubs tightly with her hooves. Somehow, she managed to stick to it, as if her body was metal and the nubs were magnetic.

"My friends... oh no..." she whimpered. Were they there around me when I first showed up here? What if they're not okay? They could be hurt. I have to do something.

She reached down, her hooves touching the normal metal floor. Well, that was weird. Stupid floor. She blinked, taking a deep breath. Wait... I think I've realized something. She looked out in front of her, seeing nothing more than a stretch of darkness into the horizon. Oh, it's a riddle-- but it's so obvious! "Nowhere is where I am", and thus "I can't keep going on forever".

Applebloom turned completely around, pointing herself in the opposite direction. She saw the darkness on the horizon leading off into something grayer, something hazy and indistinct. She trotted off that way, smiling. That was so bucking clear. The sound of her hooves grew louder, and the swooshing way below her seemed to stay the same.

She looked over at the wall. She saw signs suddenly appearing. The large white cards, drilled into the wall, said nothing. She felt so offset, a cold chill going over her, but she determined to keep on walking. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. I have to see if they're okay.

To Be Continued...

Beauty Without Brains

Applebloom walked on. Although the signs had scared her a bit at first, the constant appearance of blank sign after blank sign turned dull pretty fast. Are these going to say something at some point? I guess I'd probably be sorry if I asked. She walked further and further, with things lighting up, but she didn't see anything new.

The same dingy floor and walls looked clearer. Some kind of dark liquid still churned far beneath her, under floor after floor. "Something's got to happen. I know it," she said. She paused, wondering if she even wanted to go. "I have to. My friends could be anywhere." She took one more step. As she did, a new sign appeared next to her. She glanced over, and she froze.

What motivates you?

"What a crazy question," Applebloom commented. She found herself shivering a little as she stepped a bit more, looking over at the next sign.

You want crazy? I can give you crazy. Going up against Princess Celestia and surviving gives you some perspective on things, my little lovely one.

"Is the bucking sign flirting with me?" She whispered. She rubbed her hooves against the floor. "No, I don't want crazy." She raised her voice to normal, even though she still couldn't hear herself talk. "No thanks, please. Just help me help my friends." Oh, goodness, what am I supposed to say to this... this... magical wall?

Answer the first question.

What motivates me? Isn't it clear? I need to help my friends, to find them. She drooped her head a little bit, feeling a deep, guilty lump inside her stomach. It's all my fault. I talked them into taking that book, running that spell... I have a moral responsiblity. Just like my sister always said, "you fix what you break". She walked to the next sign.

Answer the first question.

"But I just..." She suddenly smiled, sitting down on the grating. Oh, that's interesting. You can't read my thoughts anymore, whomever you are. You fought Celestia... Discord? Nightmare Moon? Wait a moment, the Princess as the protector of the kingdom has fought so many monsters. "Well, it's pretty clear. I guess it's like Applejack would say, 'your friends make you the pony that you are.' And, of course, I'm not going to leave them behind in this... place..." Applebloom kept on.

You love them, right?

"Yeh, ah love 'em!" Applebloom called out, shaking her mane over her face as her accent came out strong. "Like mah own hooves."

I can feel that love. Just like your long, fluffy red mane or your smooth, pretty yellow body, it's delicious.

Applebloom felt as if she had bugs crawling up her skin, barely able to breathe. "I'm d-d-d-delicious?" She fantasized about bucking the sign with all her strength for a moment. She pictured cowering with her hooves over her head in the middle of the floor right afterwards. "Ah don't... ah can't..."

But what good is beauty without brains?

"Brains, well-- mister of misses mysterious creeper-- I can show you brains," Applebloom retorted. She immediately wished that she hadn't, hearing the liquid far below her start to whirl and slosh with sudden speed.

Let's see about that. After all, it'll be fun.

Applebloom took a gulp, walking forwards. Her hooves shivered like never before with each step.

By that I mean, fun for myself. ^licks^

The filly collapsed on the floor. She shut her eyes tight and let out a groan, feeling something cold and slimy curling up her backside. She wiggled, hooves frozen still as if they had been encased in ice. The rubbery slurps tickled across her fur as they moved up to her neck. After the longest ten seconds of her life, she snapped back upwards.

"No, no, no!" Applebloom cried. She reached over and ran a hoof along her back. Somehow, despite everything that she had felt, her back was totally dry. She blinked, trying to calm her breathing. A determined look going over her face, she stepped on forwards.

=>

"What on earth?"

====>

"It's an--" She paused in mid-sentence. "Oh, of course." Applebloom flipped around and faced back the exact other direction. I'm getting rather tired of being toyed with like this! She headed back the way that she had came. Get me out of these circles and back around to my friends!

Not too bright, are we? I guess I'll just have to see.

She took a gulp, and she walked on.

Press this sign.

"Like I have a choice," Applebloom muttered. She rubbed her big bow on her mane, and she tried to stand up straight. With a deep feeling of determination coursing through her body, she pushed the sign.

*Clang!*

Applebloom half fell forwards, feeling something oddly soft and grainy below her hooves. She blinked. She looked back, seeing empty air behind her. Everything had a gray haze around it, and she could hardly even see where she stood. She made out an array of brown and light-brown strips and pellets, laid around haphazardly.

"Oh, please, what is it now?" She stepped forwards. The mist seemed to clear. She immediately spotted a box in front of her. Applebloom paused, eyeing the nondescript pink box. It looked like something Rarity would wrap a hat inside. She reached out with her hooves, taking a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing."

She yanked the lid off, throwing her body backwards into the ground. She laid down with her hooves facing up. Nothing happened. She finally leaned over and peeked into the box.

Do you really think I'd go for a cheap scare like that? I don't do cheap scares.

Alright then... She picked up the huge paper card from the box. She ran her eyes around it, looking no different than a notice that would get pasted into the window at Rarity's botique. She threw it behind her, looking at the next card.

Take a look around.

Applebloom stared forwards. Her eyes grew wide as dinner plates. Row after row of doors stretched out around her. I'm in some kind of dome, or a ballroom, or something like that? It seemed to be as large as a stadium or a theater to house hundreds of ponies. She looked up, and she these rows going right over to the ceiling. She squinted, seeing some kind of symbols on some of the doors. She stepped forwards a little, and she realized that the doors had numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, and it goes on. She made out a number one thousand and fifty three up around where the ceiling began.

She also saw the oddest things around the room. Three gigantic wood poles, each arranged at different heights, were far above her. Various other objects from a massive metal bell to a huge plastic ring to a large blue box coated with mirrors hovered from the ceiling as well. A white mass, looking almost like a shell from some kind of immense beach or a big white piece of soap, stuck to part of the wall.

"Where have I seen these things before?" Applebloom asked. She looked over across at the flooring. Pieces of grey print stuck out at certain spots. She leaned down, brushing some of the brown stuff out of the way. She stared at an enormous letter E. Am I standing on a ripped out page from a book? Or newspaper pages? "This... this.. it can't be!"

*Squak!*

Applebloom looked up. An bird of some kind flew up out of nowhere, perching herself upon one of the wooden poles. "Gilda? Is that you?" She cried. How did she get to be so big? What's the meaning of all this? She trotted over to the box, pulling out another card.

I strongly advise staying away from her.

"What? Why?"

She hasn't taken to my removal of her brains very well, sadly.

"You... removed... her..." Applebloom couldn't finish the sentence. Her hooves curled up around her temples as her ears drooped.

Don't worry, you're too pretty and cutsey to ruin by taking a scalpel to you.

"Okay," she murmured. She fought back tears. If this monster did that to Gilda, what would he or she do to my friends, even if I get out okay?

Are you ready for your test?

"Test? What's the test?" She felt like picking up the box and bucking it right into the wall, biting her lip in frustration.

^Knock Knock^

Applebloom slowly looked up as Door #1 swung open by itself. She saw a solid pane of glass behind it, filled with water. It's like opening the door to a fishtank. She stepped over to the door, waiting with baited breath for something to happen and pushing the box along. She suddenly spotted something.

She screamed.

To Be Continued...

Simple Logic

"Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom sped over to the glass, knocking her hooves against it. She saw the same arrays of grating going floor by floor shrouded in darkness that she had seen before, but a frantic Sweetie Belle ran around trapped on a long rusty strip of metal. "I'll get you out of there! I promise! I will!" Applebloom sat down, feeling against the glass with all four of her hooves. "So, this is-- oh, dear Celestia-- now I'm somehow under the place where I was walking before?" She gasped, and she lifted up another card.

s'taht tcerroc

"That's correct, huh," she said. She kept on looking at the water swirling around in front of her. But it's so weird. The liquid looked black like tar before, but this is just like plain water. And how on earth did I suddenly get flipped over? What about gravity? She strained to remember. I looked down all the time when I was trapped in that awful metal grating world. I didn't see Sweetie anywhere. Was I looking hard enough? She sighed, and she went back to the cards.

I'm impressed that you got that anagram immediately.

"Ah, the apostrophe is a dead giveaway, ain't it?" Applebloom retorted, smiling and leaning up against the open door.

Anyways, you don't have much time.

Applebloom stood backwards. She watched as the water rose from floor to floor, still quite a ways from reaching Sweetie. She can swim a little bit, but that's-- no-- that's not good enough. This monster will drown her if I don't obey. I know it.

Please go back to your spot in the middle of the cage.

"You'd better not kill her, you monster," she spat out as she stepped, pushing the pink box.

*Squak! Squak!*

She looked up, seeing Gilda peck against the massive mirror and squeak. The griffon had a 'cracked' facial expression, eyes permanently bulging outwards. Applebloom shivered from head to toe at the sight.

Everything is up to you.

"You will tell me how to free Sweetie," she declared. "You will tell me now. Right now. No more games." She grit her teeth.

Look over at Door #2.

Applebloom did so, hardly able to breathe. After nothing happened, she lifted up another card.

I'm giving you an initial emotional test as part of Sweetie's Puzzle. I'll give you three hints. First, all you need to do to pass is to stay put right where you're sitting for the next thirty seconds and then pull the next card. Second, moving guarantees with total certainty that you'll get home. Third, you can believe you eyes and ears. ^Knock Knock^

She saw the door creak open. She gasped, feeling her heart sink. Beyond the door, ponies walked to and fro across the front of Sugarcube Corner. Birds chirped as butterflies flew through the air.

"It's beautiful," Applebloom said, "It's just another day." She smiled. It's right there. And it's real. She said that I could believe my eyes and ears.

She leaned over, not moving a hoof. Her head kept bobbing over from the door to Ponyville and the door with a trapped Sweetie besides. No. She closed her eyes. No!

How can I even think for a second that I should ditch my friends? What's wrong with me? She rubbed her face with her hooves, and she opened her eyes. She glanced around at the other doors as she picked up the next card.

Excellent! Your love for your friends is beyond words. I feel honored to just be here with you.

"With me," she repeated, almost spitting out the words. "Just stop." She grabbed the sides of the box and shook it. "I'm bucking sick of this. Tell me how to free Sweetie. Now."

Ow, ow, ow-- no more shaking! Seriously! ^rubs it better^

"Augh!" Applebloom screamed, She ran her hooves across her sides. Something dripping wet curled around her, rubbing patch of fur after patch of fur randomly. She fought back tears as she reached to the box, pulling up another card. "Stop!" She saw some kind of horrible green slime dripping around her hooves

Don't worry. I'm better now. Wow, you have such a snuggly and cuddly figure.

She blinked. The slime and the horrible feelings had disappeared.

Now then, it's time for Sweetie's Puzzle. There are no tricks. It's nothing but simple logic at work. Now, first of all, I want you to look over at the door to Ponyville. It sure would help Sweetie for this to fall on top of her, wouldn't it?

"A door that opens by falling on you?" she asked. She paused, letting out a tiny pained sigh. "Whatever. I have to get her home." She had never felt more determined in her entire life.

There are 1,053 doors in this cage. Door #1 is Sweetie's Door. Door #2 is Ponyville. Somewhere in the mass of other doors is Door P-- the portal door that links two chosen other doors. That leaves 1,050 bogey doors. Rather than define the term 'bogey', I'll just let your imagination go wild. ^smiles^

Applebloom frowned, eyes narrowing into little slits.

I'll make things easy, and I mean painfully easy. Rather than having to physically hop over, pick up the correct door that just so happens to be Door P, lift it over to Door #1, wedge Door P into place, and so on, I'll just ask you to guess the correct number. Then, I'll do all the work myself magically manipulating #1, #2, and P and slamming Sweetie Bell through space and time back home. You have to do nothing more or less to do than to call out the correct number.

"You call that 'painfully easy' you-- you-- you-- sadistic little worm!" She slammed her hooves against the ground, pure rage coursing through her body. "When I have over a thousand bucking doors to choose from? And I have to get the right one, just on the first try!" She dreamed about smashing the box into a million pieces. She picked up the next card, half determined to do just that.

Since when did I say 'just on the first try'? Or 'have to get the right one'? I'll be exceedingly generous and give you an important hint. This isn't a test of your luck. It's a test of your intelligence, to see if you can use simple logic. Keep this in mind. Read this card and the last three cards carefully. Sweetie's Puzzle begins now. I'd wish you good luck, but you don't need it.

"I don't need it?" she repeated sarcastically. She buried her head in her hooves, feeling tears coming down once more. "Oh... I can't... I can't take it. Sweetie Belle is going to drown. She's going to be trapped her forever, just like Scootaloo. Goodness knows where she is."

She glanced over at the box. She picked up the last card, but the next card was blank. She sighed. I probably should face it. He or she has just got us. We're totally lost.

To Be Continued...

Lucky Number

Applebloom looked over at Sweetie, the waters still slowly rising. "I can't talk like that. I won't. No way, no how." She stood up tall grabbing the four clue cards and holding them between her legs. "Cutie Mark Crusaders never give up!"

*Cheep!*

"Shut up, Gilda," she muttered, glancing upwards at the bird hopping from wooden pole to wooden pole.

Well, now what do I do? I need to think about this very, very carefully. She walked over to the wall besides a mass of doors, counting numbers 12 through 32 around her. That last card seemed to say that I didn't have to get things correct on my first try. It also seemed to say that I didn't 'have to get the right one'.

"But that doesn't make sense," she said as she leaned her head to the side, sitting down, "I'm supposed to guess the correct door? Right? That's the point of the whole puzzle." She tapped her cheeks. She peeked over at the blocked door to Sweetie, seeing the filly sitting there in the middle of the huge metal grating as Sweetie cried waterfall tears. "I don't have much time. I have to think."

Applebloom stepped over to Door #12, hearing Gilda fluffing her feathers high above her. She laid out the four cards on the ground in front of her. She took a deep breath.

"There are no tricks. It's nothing but simple logic at work. This isn't a test of your luck. It's a test of your intelligence," she read aloud from the cards, "You have to do nothing more or less to do than to call out the correct number." She stood back up. "Wait a moment." She felt gears clicking into place inside her mind. "I think... I got it." Her face lit up. "Oh, praise Celestia, it's so simple. The central test of 'Sweetie's Puzzle' is in the process of guessing the right result. It's not what number door I end up picking, it's in the process of how I decide which doors to pick. It's in what I do. That's what our captor meant. They're not testing my luck, remember."

She clapped her hooves, feeling a huge wave of relief. I really have to hurry, for Sweetie Belle. But I can pick a door, and I'll get a chance to pick another. That's what the cards seemed to imply. She stared ahead, eyes running up and down the blank surface and the little #12 label besides the door handle. It's carved by something dark and green, just like the rest of the doors. But it's almost glowing, wow, now that I'm looking right at it. What pony has green magic-- and strong enough magic to set up all this?

"Enough of that, don't get distracted," she told herself. "Now, then, one of the cards said that I wouldn't have to 'physically hop over' Door P to grab it off of the wall." She glanced around at the massive sets of doors above her. "There's no chance I could 'hop' way up there." She couldn't see anything-- from a ladder to a set of windows to anything else-- that she could grip onto. "The most I could manage would be to hop to, maybe, one of those doors on the second floor." She stretched herself taller.

Simple, then. The cards implied that Door P isn't one of the hundreds of doors way up there. It's one that I could reach. That narrows things down a lot-- just floors one and two. Still, though, Applebloom had dozens upon dozens of doors left. I guess all I can do now is... guess? I make my first guess? She reached out with her hoof over at Door #12. My lucky number, or so that restaurant's charm treat told me.

"I pick Door #12," Applebloom yelled out, shivering in place. She braced herself, ready to jump over to the side if anything happened.

*Creak!*

The door slowly and un-dramatically shifted open, keeping the filly holding her breath for moment after moment. Each second felt like a hundred years. She saw a bright white light coming out from inside.

*Pop!*

"What the hay is--"

*Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop!*

Applebloom cried out as she stagged in place, thousands of small, bouncy, white things flowing all over her. She tossed herself to the side, landing right atop the cards. She glanced over and shook her head, hooves wiping her mane out of her eyes. "Are those bucking ping-pong balls?"

She stood herself back up, and she glared at the mountain of tiny balls leading into the door, which seemed to have a never ending supply behind it. Finally, the balls wedged against each other and stopped the torrent. Everything grew silent.

"Okay, I know that on is a 'bogey' door," Applebloom said. She held the cards up closer, and she frowned. Is something like this going to happen with every single door? Will I have to just keep guessing-- calling out 'Door #13', 'Door #14', 'Door #15', and so on-- until I find the right one by mere chance? That'll take too long!

She brushed herself off, walking over to the doors around the opposite side of the cage. She eyed Door #42. She opened her mouth to say something, but she immediately stopped. That's not right. It's a test of intelligence just like the cards said. It has something to do with logic, not mere chance. I'm missing something. She looked all around herself. What am I missing?

*Squeak!*

Applebloom glanced up at Gilda, who sounded more like a cornered mouse than a bird. She saw GIlda shimmy backwards on her pole, rubbing up against something like a gigantic fluffy fish toy. She suddenly noticed something else about the top of the cage.

"The doors way above? They're all open? And they're empty?" She blinked as her eyes flew from side to side. Around a third of the doors had flopped open without a sound, revealing nothing but blank white wallpaper behind them. "That's interesting. So, I just need to guess and the process gets easier? That's not what I thought at all." Holy cutie marks, that's actually super easy!

She faced over toward door Door #42, smiling. Hardly a test at all, then... and I think I've heard about this next number being some kind of answer to the meaning of life or something. I dunno, probably heard read it in a comic book. She stepped closer.

"I'll pick you, then, Door #42!" Applebloom yelled. She watched as the door opened slowly. Her smile immediately melted into a huge frown. Nothing but eerie blackness appeared inside. "I should peek inside. Shouldn't I?" She felt something inside of her, some kind of instinct, telling her to look closer. "No jump scares. Whoever's got me promised no jump scares."

She shivered as she took step upon step over, her breaths growing quiet. The darkness seemed to leak out like smoke from a fire, although it made no sense. Parts of the walls around the door grew stained moment by moment. She found herself just two yards away.

"N-n-n-n-n-no j-jump s-scares," she muttered. She made her way right besides the open door, and she took a deep breath. This is crazy. It's not the right door. It's not Door P. I'm wasting time. Or I'm... Yet some steely feeling coming up her back screamed at her to look. She almost bit her lip, and she finally stuck her head inside.

She saw nothing. She turned her head side and side as well as up and down. Nothing? At all? It all seemed like endless darkness.

*Thwack!*

Applebloom jumped backwards, tumbling over to her side. "What is it? No! Wait! Give me--"

*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*

She scurried away from the door, wiggling on her back. She looked up, and her mouth grew wide. Door after door around the cage flew themsleves open, a torrent of loud swinging sounds going off over her head like fireworks. Various things from screamers to balloons to random pieces of furniture to fluffy stuffed animals dripped out of them. Her ears flickered upwards as she jumped straight up.

"Oh, no, I have to get out of the way!" She lept to the side, dodging a pony-sized suffed poodle. She hurled herself backwards. A large green end-table with ugly black stripes smashed in the ground in front of her. "No, that's-- that's enough!"

Up above, Gilda fluttered from side to side, losing it from all of the action. The bird smacked herself against the wall. The whole cage shook, and Applebloom frantically grabbed the end-table.

Somehow, the whole world seemed to slant to the side. Applebloom waved her back hooves around, trying to balance. She closed her eyes, and tears seeped out. Her body shook. "Please, please! Celestia, Luna, somepony, stop this!"

The cage teetered over at a forty-five degree angle. No! I've had enough! Sweetie! Scootaloo! I have to help them! She slid across the floor, waving her hooves helplessly. Her body bounced over a small black couch with numerous green spots and ambled into a pile of basketballs. She saw herself about to smack upon Door #5, and she kicked against the ground.

*Squeak!*

Somewhere up above Gilda had suddenly moved over to the opposite side, pushing against the wall. The whole cage started to right itself. The bird stopped and flew down clutching against it's reflection in a mirror toy. Applebloom blinked, rubbing her hooves against her head.

"Nothing broken?" She glanced around and found herself with her rear pressed up against Door #11 and her back upon the floor. I'm okay. I have to be strong. I think this test has to be over, or at least almost over.

She stood back up straight. As she moved, Door #11 opened by itself. She peeked to the side, and she saw nothing but a solid stack of bricks in front of the cage's wall. Glad that that didn't fall on me. Her eyes wandered around the various piles of random items haphazardly scattered about. Somewhere up above, Gilda had started to lick and slurp her face's reflection in her mirror toy.

"I have to hurry," Applebloom said. Sweetie had just a few floors to go until the water reached her. Meanwhile, Ponyville behind Door #2 seemed as idyllic as ever. "So, I suppose here's bad consequences to making wrong guesses. That's what the whole 'bogey' thing meant. Where does that term come from, anyways?" She rubbed her hoof against her chin, straining to remember.

She pictured Sweetie Belle standing above her head while she stood on top of Scootaloo's shoulders. Sweetie had clutched a pole between her hooves with a stubby piece on the end. Scootaloo had mumbled that this wasn't "going to work very well". They had stood in a huge patch of green grass with a little ball covered in holes, like Swiss cheese, right in front of them.

"Golf, that's it!" Applebloom said, smiling. "So, you get three 'bogeys'. Only three, and then way of counting changes. They say like 'plus four' or something like that, then." She took a deep breath. "Since I'm on my third guess right now, my next 'bogey' will be my final bogey." I suppose that means I'm over and done with?

She stepped over to Door #3. On the way, she glanced at Door #7, which she had somehow fallen onto from such a great height and then emerged unhurt from, and she halted. What! The backside of the open door had big, bright writing on it.

And now, my seductive and sensual little filly, we're finally at the climax of Sweetie's Puzzle.
I'm glad that you made it so far. I had really expected that you would.
But you've been going at a lazy pace, to be honest. You're so cute, but you try my patience sometimes. ^frowns^
Your far less attractive friend with the annoying voice, chunky thighs, and frumpy hair has only minutes left.
Thus, I'll have to be a bit more direct with you. Keep in mind what the cards said. Read this as well, and read this carefully:
1] You're going to call out your next guess.
2] You're going to make your third and final pick to see which door is Door P.
So stop reading this message and get to it. ^snuggles^

A torrent of tickles went along Appleblom's neck with some kind of goo dripping onto her shoulders. "No!" She winced, putting her hooves over her head. She saw a quick flash of something black rubbing into her mane, jostling her bow. She bucked up on her hind hooves, gasping.

She sat back down. Oh, praise Celestia, I can't bear it anymore! She glanced back at the long message. Sweetie has only minutes left! I have to think, and I have to think now!

She surveyed the whole cage for a moment. Gilda had frozen, looking nearly dead except for her breathing. All of the doors seemed to be open. All open? Already? But what-- what do I choose? She hopped around, eyeing door after door. She focused on Doors 3 through 7.

"Those one's are still closed, alright." She hopped over, facing all of them about from three yards away. Alright, it's time. I need to show that monster what I'm made of. I'm smart. I know math. "It's pretty simple. There's five doors left. One of them is Door P. My odds are one in five in a random guess."

But it's not about random guessing. She glanced over at Sweetie through Door #1. The water had reached the floor below the one where the filly wandered around, looking to be in total despair with her hooves tearing through her mane and her legs buckling. Don't get distracted! Be focused! If you want to save her, then just be cool. Be smart.

"Now, the message was carefully worded. It said that first I'm going to make a guess. It said 'guess'. That means that it doesn't necessarily have to be the correct door." She took a big gulp, crossing her hooves below her. I suppose it would be so fitting if the correct door ends up being the one right next to Ponyville's door all along. "I guess-- Door #3!"

The door lit up light a Christmas tree. Applebloom's heart raced. She thrust straight up into the air, making the biggest smile that she could ever remember making. Yes! Is it the right one after all?

*Creak!*

Her heart seemed to stop as her head turned. She watched Doors #4, #5, and #6 all swing open. She leaned backward, afraid to even walk too far. Nothing? She saw blank walls behind them. What the hay is going on? I made my guess, and I thought that this silly thing with more doors opening that I haven't guessed was done. Door #3 still had a bright while light fluttering around on top of it, even though it remained shut tight.

"Wait... wait..." She buried her face in her hooves, remembering something that Appleback had told her. She couldn't think of the words, but she had a sense of deja vu overwhelming her senses. Why did they say 'your next guess' and 'third and final pick' separately? It doesn't matter that much, does it? I guessed before. Now that more doors were revealed as not the right one, does that change anything? Should my guess for Door #3 change?

She flashed over to Sweetie. The filly hopped over to the end of her metal grating, water already pooling around her hooves. Think, Applebloom, think. She smacked her hooves against the ground. It's a logic test. Not a test of luck. It's a logic test. Not a test of luck. She felt a lightbulb going off somewhere.

"Oh, my goodness, of course!" She stood up on her hind legs, eyes flashing with pure determination. She pointed a hoof out at Door #3. "I choose that last door back when I had a one in five chance of it being the right one. Now, with Door #4, #5, and #6 gone, I just have Door #3 and Door #7 left." She panted as she went on, feeling on top of the world. "That means that, now, I have a one in two chance of a new guess being the right one. Before, my odds were worse. Now, my odds are better. That means that the correct thing to do would be to switch."

*Cheep cheep!*

Gilda started to sail downwards, fluttering her wings up wide. Feathers sailed down over behind Applebloom. She barely noticed, let alone cared.

"It's simple logic!" Tears of joy went Applebloom's face, and she pointed both hooves over to the side. "I-- choose--"

Gilda let out a loud whine, beak pointed right at Applebloom's back. The bird hurled through the air with speed building.

"LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN!"

A flash of pure green light exploded into view. Applebloom found herself tossed into the air like a rag doll. As she tumbled with hooves flailing, she saw blackish-grey waves of electricity bursting around beams of green light. Gilda thrust herself right past Applebloom, missing her completely. Gilda's beak rammed right into Door #1.

Glass shattered as water rushed. Applebloom could barely see or hear as pulses of green magic flew through everything, eyes going down below her as she somehow fell into the empty blackness of Door #42. She looked straight upwards, letting out a gasp.

Door #2 swelled in size, shoving other doors and piles of everything else over to the sides. As darkness crept up around Applebloom's legs, she peered right through the door to see Sweetie Belle-- very alive and very safe, her soaking-wet body sitting atop a gigantic pile of ping-pong balls blocking Sugarcube Corner.

Applebloom smiled. She watched Sweetie wiggle her way down the pile as Colgate and Lyra trotted over from across the street to help. Darkness swirled over Applebloom's face, and she took a deep breath.

Everything went black.

To Be Continued...

Best of...

Applebloom first felt her hooves rubbing up against something. It seemed so soft yet so bulky. She nudged herself down, taking in a deep breath. She suddenly smelled something familiar, something that made her think back to last week.

She had stood atop a set of turntables, giggling like crazy as she spun around. Sweetie Belle had pushed sliders up and down on a huge mixing board while Scootaloo buried herself under the table beneath them, trying to get loose of a batch of thick cables. Meanwhile, DJ Pon-3 had stood on the railing behind them and laughed deep belly laughs.

"Where," she muttered, standing up straight. "Where am I?" She looked down and saw herself standing atop a set of burlap bags with dozens of heavy, curvy things inside them. I guess those are A/V cables, right? "What the hay just happened to me?"

*Boing!"

Applebloom's heart raced at the loud noise, hopping over to the side. She blinked again and again, still barely seeing a thing. She leaned up against a wall, feeling as fuzzy and soft as petting a puppy, and slipped against a set of tubes. She smashed her hooves against the other wall.

Suddenly, she found herself falling face down upon a long grey floor. She picked herself back upwards, shaking her head. She glanced around and saw the four walls around her collapsed onto the floor. Well that was... odd... was that some kind of pre-fab closet or something? She guessed that made sense. But what the hay does that mean? Am I at some kind of recording studio?

She took in her sorroundings. Soft, delicate blue lights danced along the edges of her horizon. She seemed to be in some kind of massive dome, soft of like the cage, yet it couldn't have felt more different. Blue and white streams cascaded across her slight. Things looking like stars shone out in the distance.

She took a deep breath and she flung her head backward, walking out across the floor. She had the sensation of flying right through outer space, simulated comets and constellations going past the sides of her face. She stepped backwards into a set of tall gray poles, flipping in a 180 degree fashion.

"Wow, it's like they're going up forever," she muttered. She ran her hoof alongside, and thick globs of glitter stuck to it. She gazed straight upwards, smiling. It feels so welcoming. So relaxed. So calm.

*Pop!*

She saw huge sets of blue fireworks going off overhead. Thick trails of sparks followed. She walked over to the other side of the floor, eyes drinking in the scene. She peered off the end.

"Just more stars. More lights," she commented. Well, I'm trapped. I guess? It hardly feels like danger. Am I standing atop some kind of spaceship or something? She looked up and down the isolated gray floor. It seemed just like a magical door flying through space. "I'll bet that Sweetie would sure have gotten a kick out of this!"

At least she's safe. I did it. I won. I beat that evil piece of garbage that trapped her. At the memory of seeing her friend safe and sound in front of Sugarcube Corner, Applebloom started to cry. She sniffed. But where am I? Where's Scootaloo?

*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!*

The floor suddenly lit up, sharp black and green lights erupting from the edges. Applebloom hopped straight up, heart beating almost out of control. Loud, electronic noises burst out from deep beneath the ground. She shifted around in place, shivering.

"What? What now?" She bucked back in her hind legs. "Enough games! Enough puzzles!" She closed her eyes and screamed. "Where's Scootaloo, you monster!"

The floor lights started to flash in a repetitive fashion. Her ears perked, hearing smooth, soft electronic music starting. She couldn't see any speakers anywhere. The music just seemed to flow from every inch of the entire space around her.

She suddenly felt a hoof on her back. She froze still as as statue, hardly able to breathe. Her eyes slowly moved to the left. She saw somepony that she could hardly of imagined. Her gaze ran up from his slender, slate gray hooves up to his slick cream-colored suit and sharp black tie over to his smooth, handsome face. He looked right at her, and he winked.

Applebloom shifted a few inches to the side, and the unicorn leaned back. He smiled from cheek to cheek, putting a hoof through his his swave greyish-brown mane. Applebloom opened her mouth, but she couldn't manage to put any words out. She wiggled, trying to force herself to go back to her senses.

"You're... you're... Fab Factory?" she called out. "The pop star? The Canterlot singer-songwriter? My sister, she bucking loves you!" She held her hooves out, touching his side. I can't believe it!

"Not quite," he replied, making a suddenly devious expression. As his eyebrows curled up, his horn lit up with ugly green goop dripping off of the top.

"I guess I can't believe it, then," she muttered. She glared at him as he knelt down and breathed on her, thick green magical mist oozing through the air from his mouth. His eyes looked like something she'd see on a wild animal.

"Since I just helped you free Sweetie Belle and all, you little cutie," he whispered, leaning down with his body perched over hers. Applebloom scrunched her face. Fab's voice magically transformed into something more feminine, something raspy. "I think I deserve a nice, good--" He ran a hoof along the tips of her flowing red mane, nudging her bow down. "Reward." His face shone with his horrible green magic. "Don't I?"

Applebloom shook with rage. She glared as his hoof caressed along her neck and moved back down to the floor. He licked his lips, and she trembled. Her face went red, and she had finally had enough.

"You so much as think about touching me again, and I'm bucking you into the next world, buster!" Applebloom threw herself down, legs poised right under Fab's chest.

"Everypony having a good night, tonight?" the stallion suddenly asked, going the impostor's real voice to that smooth as silk voice of Fab's. Cheers erupted around them. As Fab leaned back, taking in the sea of noise, Applebloom sped over to the tip of the platform.

She saw hundreds upon hundreds of ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colors beneath them, all gazing at the platform as they bounced up and down. Her eyes grew wider as she noticed even more strange creatures, big and small, from griffons to dragons to hairless bipedal creatures with peach-like skin that she had never seen before. She started to pant, feeling totally confused. They're cheering for what? What!

Beneath their platform, a band slowly built up chill, cool background music. Fab slanted from side to side, humming. Applebloom stepped backwards and watched as some kind of tall, thin plastic screen lifted up, out of nowhere. It hovered in the air above them, and the screen flashed a green and black checkered background.

"Fab, uh, whoever you are," Applebloom mumbled. The stallion seemed totally overcome by the crowd's cheers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blushing all the while.

"So... much... love..." he moaned, shivering a bit at the bottom of his legs.

"Enough!" Applebloom hopped over and stood right in front of Fab, between him and the crowd. "Tell me where the hay is Scootaloo!"

"Up, and to the right!" Fab gleefully replied, pointing a hoof into the massive audience. He smiled, looking less devious and more drunk on the loving sensations.

Applebloom rushed over to the edge of the platform, trying her best not to fall off as she leaned over. Her eyes scanned the distance of the crowd. "Where-- what are you--"

"Next to the pile of griffons on the upper right side, compared to us. Doesn't she look happy?"

Applebloom's heart just about skipped a beat as she spied Scootaloo sitting atop a tall, skinny griffon's shoulders. The pegasus' hooves tapped against the claws of her apparent friend, gigantic smiles across both their faces. Her wings fluttered up and down.

"I'm coming! I've already got Sweetie Belle! Don't worry!" Applebloom shouted. She could barely hear herself, though, from the noise of the crowd.

"Here, this will help."

Applebloom blinked. She saw a short, stubby microphone hovering in the air in front of her. She thought about having it right up against her mouth, and it immediately swung over. She coughed, and it wiggled from side to side. Wait... how am I...

"Just use your latent earth pony magic. You've got it just as well as your pesky element of harmony sister," Fab murmured, standing over Applebloom. Before she could respond, the stallion moved over to a gigantic white circle in about the middle of the platform right besides the audience. It lit up with his green energy, and he lifted himself up a few feet.

"What's going on?" Applebloom called out, totally confused.

"What the hay does it look like?" Fab laughed, and Applebloom found herself magically hovered through the air over besides Fab. She saw her microphone and the screen flutter over as well. "It's time for Scootaloo's Puzzle.. First off, there's the emotional test. It's also a bit of a talent test as well."

"Talent?" She repeated. It all felt like an out of body experience. Oh, no! This didn't work out at all when all of the Crusaders did it together! How can I even think about doing this by myself?

"Simple!" Fab pointed over at the screen. Applebloom blinked once more, staring, and text started to crawl from the bottom upwards.

Welcome to Karaoke Central! Population: You!

You have to complete two songs. Try your hardest, and remember that the crowd is here for a show. They want to have fun, and they really are on your side. Don't let them down!

Upon the completion of song two, you'll have the opportunity to welcome one lucky audience member to the stage for the 'Encore'. Pull out all the stops, and you'll get a nice surprise. Complete Scootaloo's Puzzle correctly, and you'll have the opportunity to send a pony back home. Fail, and Fab has requested your presence in his backstage dressing room with the rose petals placed along your mane.

"Not bucking likely!" Applebloom shouted. She threw her head back over at Fab, who made a melodramatically pained, sad-puppy-like face.

You don't have much time. The crowd looks pretty restless.

Please select your song menu:

==] Best of Power Pop [==
==] Best of Synth Pop [==

"Uhhhhh..." Applebloom muttered, feeling herself start to shiver from her hooves to her head. No! Don't panic! I have to be strong! I have to save her! "Cutie Mark Crusaders don't give up." She smiled, putting on a determined expression. "We never give up."

"I think you have less than a minute before we start," Fab commented, rubbing his hoof against his suit. He put on a seductive face, kissing the air.

"I pick-- uh-- 'Best of Synth Pop'!" The screen flickered, and a group of songs popped up.

Poison Arrow - ABC

Living In Oblivion - Anything Box

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

Wishful Thinking - China Crisis

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode

Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

Always - Erasure

Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

Cars - Gary Numan

Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones

Don't You Want Me - The Human League

"Stop, stop, stop!" Applebloom took a frantic breath. "I don't-- I-- I just-- who the hay are these groups? I don't know any of these songs." She tossed her head over to Fab.

Fab giggled, kicking a hoof against the floor. "Oh, you're so uncultured. You know that? I'll bet that you've never even left Equestria. Maybe never even left your planet"

"Never l-left m-my p-planet..." she repeated, leaning down and putting her head into her hooves. She heard the crowds cheering growing into restless shouts and calls of impatience.

"Better hurry, you delicious little thing."

"Uh... 'Best of Power Pop'!" Applebloom screamed.

A Different Side Of Me - Allstar Weekend

Flavor of the Weak - American Hi-Fi

Can You Feel It? - The Apples In Stereo

No Matter What - Badfinger

September Gurls - Big Star

Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)? - Buzzcocks

Just What I Needed - The Cars

I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick

Just The Girl - The Click Five

"Noooooo! Stop!" She stared to cry. A few of the crowd yelled out in anger, screaming at her to get on with it. She panted, trying to think. I can't! I don't know any of these? Are these griffon bands? Dragon bands? Alien bands? I can't take it! "This is, is... ugh!" She bucked up on her hind hooves. "This is just what I needed!" Applebloom called out sarcastically."

SONG SELECTED!

Title: Just What I Needed

Group: The Cars

Album: The Cars

Writer(s): Ric Ocasek

Singer(s): Benjamin Orr

"Oh, dear sweet Celestia, help me," Applebloom whispered. She found her microphone held up in front of her face. A guitar riff and bombastic drums started, and the crowd exploded. Fab grinned.

Applebloom stepped up right in front of the massive auidence and opened up her mouth. She panted, heart rattling like a jackhammer. I can do it. She closed her eyes. I can do it. I can. I must!

"Are you ready?" Applebloom yelled out.

The crowd went wild.

To Be Continued...

Just What She Needed

“Better do well, sugar,” Fab murmured, voice going soft with spittle coming from his mouth. “After all, Scootaloo’s spell has worked so well that she only has a hoofull of memories left. Just a matter of minutes left until it’s all been eaten up, leaving nopony in her mind but me. Good thing she wasn’t as resistant as Gilda, but we’ll see I suppose.” He giggled a horrible, unearthly giggle.

Applebloom let out an angry growl. "You monster!" She flipped over to glare behind her, suddenly freezing. He’s gone? What! She was left totally alone atop the platform— exposed by herself to the entire crowd. How did he just vanish into thin air? And what spell? On Scootaloo-- but she looks fine! Didn't she? Whatever it is, I have to stop it!I have to get her out of here and back to Ponyville! Applebloom heard a band playing somewhere right beneath her. Guitars, drums, and bass are there, but where the hay are they?

She moved backwards forwards a few steps, trying her best not to cry. I don’t know! I can’t really sing but I have to do it. I have to give it a shot. She shivered from head to hooves with sheer nervousness.

She suddenly saw parts of the platform melting away behind her left and right, risers sinking downwards. She panted. What? What now? She watched with huge eyes as she saw these horrible ugly creatures. They had black skin coated with holes complete with skinny blue eyes, nasty spikes, and curly clear wings— looking like some kind of insects. Despite their freaky appearances, they smiled wide and sweat as they clutched their instruments.

The biggest one, with a weird checkered grey and white stripe behind his back, threw himself backwards and pumped his guitar into the air. The shiny Flying V rewarded him with a torrent of power cords. Behind him, a short and stubby creature bounced around a drum set.

I guess those things are my backing group. Applebloom turned back to the crowd, watching for Scootaloo. The pegasus filly just wiggled around and clapped, seemingly oblivious to the circumstances.

*Beep!*

Applebloom twisted around and glared at the floating screen.

Instrumental Break Finishing

Prepare for Lyrics

“Here we go,” she whispered to herself. She felt so incredibly worried that she could barely stand, teeth chattering. They’re all looking at me. Thousands and thousands of griffons, ponies, dragons, and whatever else focused on the stage. They’re all. Looking. At. Me! She squealed, ears flicking upwards.

“Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap! Bang-bang!” went the lead guitarist. He swung his body to the side, clicking his bottom hooves as he burst out the notes. “Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap! Bang-bang!”

Applebloom, despite the fear rushing through her, found her body naturally swaying to the sounds. She blinked. She somehow felt the bassline going deep into her insides, becoming like a heartbeat. She sucked in a deep breath. I. Can. Do. This!

*Begin of Just What I Needed by The Cars*

I don't mind you coming here

“I don’t m-mind you c-coming here,” Applebloom chirped, holding the microphone right to her face. The front of the crowd looked a bit deflated, confused looks going over their faces. Applebloom gulped. She felt it, going right into her bones, she had to do better. She had to be the music, sensing the beat inside her heart.

And wasting all my time

"And w-wasting all my t-time,” she sang out, just a bit louder and stronger. Several angry grunts and frustrated waves of claws into the air rippled through the audience as she went on. No, I’m losing them!

She shut her eyes. She suddenly felt a strong, steely pulse of determination. Remember what Pinkie said that one time. You never sing to everypony. You pick your one target, your one fan, and you do it for her. She opened her eyes again. Scootaloo. This is for you. Because I love you. She felt her heart warming up.

'Cause when you're standing, oh… so… near

Her eyes focused right on her best friend. “”Cause when you’re standing!” Applebloom called out, hopping herself forwards. “Oh—” She wiggled her rear in the air. “So!” She flipped to the side, waving a hoof and making an invisible rainbow in front of her. “Near!” He heart raced.

I kinda lose my mind

“I kinda lose my mind!” Applebloom hollered, sinking to her bottom hooves.

Yeah

“Yeeeaaaahhh!” She cried a little as she held the microphone up and sang, feeling the emotions flowing through her.

*Whoom!*

She staggered to the right, trying not to fall over the stage, as some blue pyrotechnic burst out behind her. She caught the numerous eyes of the crowd. They had loved it, but they suddenly didn’t know what she was doing.

Get back up! She shoved herself back in the center of the stage. She heard the guitarist, drummer, and bassist all playing like crazy behind her.

It's not the perfume that you wear

“It's not the perfume that you wear,” she sang, shaking her mane behind her. She smiled from cheek to cheek as she saw ponies bopping in place, many of them clapping. The flashing rights around the dome all flicked up and down, left and right in tune with the music.

It's not the ribbons in your hair

“It's not the ribbons in your hair,” she sang. She reached backwards and stroked around her bow. She slanted over to the far right of the stage, wiggling with each step. A bunch of dragons in the first couple rows of the audience whistled and cheered.

I don't mind you coming here

“I don't mind you coming here!” Applebloom burst out, bouncing along the edge of the stage. She reached out with a hoof and pretended to slap fives with the front row.

And wasting all my time

“And wasting all my time!” She tried winking, rubbing her hooves against her own body. She heard little burst of magical energy going off over her, showering glittery sparks up above. Pony after pony cheered.

*Bang! Bang!*

She shuffled backwards, seeing numerous square blocks light up inside the floor where she had stood. They all glowed a sinister, soft green with black edges. Applebloom gasped.

One of the blocks glowed with a bright, shiny pink light. Without even thinking, Applebloom hopped over to it, hooves held close so that she didn’t touch anything else. She heard a loud synthesizer note bursting out from beneath the stage. Oh, wow, I'm playing the floor? Wow!

Another floor-square lit up. She bounced over to that one. A second later, she hurled herself to the left. She panted as she flew through the air, trying her best to make every last note.

She heard the guitarist let out a sharp yell. She span around, facing back over towards Scootaloo, and the floor blocks vanished.

“I don't mind you hanging out,” she sang, “and talking in your sleep.” She kept on dancing, hooves tapping against the ground. Explosion of light after explosion of light went off as she finished every line.

Scootaloo, don’t you notice it’s me? Can’t you remember anything? Scootaloo looked totally engrossed in the concert. She leaned over and whispered something, getting passed over. She sat atop of fat, huge dragon’s shoulder, pointing at the stage and smiling. Applebloom noticed something weird about her eyes. Like Fab’s, they had an eerie green glow over them.

“it doesn't matter where you've been,” Applebloom sang, “as long as it was deep.” She flipped over backwards to the riser on the middle of the stage. The audience let out a torrent of claps and cheers. “Yeah!”

Oh, Scootaloo! Fight back! Fight it! You’re one of the strongest ponies I know. You have that strong heart. I know you’re still you, deep inside. I just know it. Applebloom looked over at the eyes of the dragon underneath Scotaloo. He had empty, flat eyes, something like a doll would have. Is he just an illustion? Is this whole bucking crowd and everything an illusion of some kind? Other dragons had normal looking eyes.

“You always knew to wear it well!” Applebloom wiggled, clapping her hooves above her. “You look so fancy. I can tell.” I could stop in the middle of this. I could scream out Scootaloo’s name. Would that wake her up? She sniffed. “I don't mind you hanging out, and talking in your sleep.”

I can’t! I can’t go against whatever pony is controlling Fab, or else he might just separate us again! I have to get through both songs. Then, I’ll get her on stage. Applebloom felt an aching feeling at the bottom of her stomach. The monster had trapped Sweetie before, but he had left her mind and spirit intact. The monster viewed Scootaloo like a pet or pawn. Has he even done those kind of physical things to her that he wants to do with me— kissing, rubbing, touching, and worse? She almost vomited at the thought.

The band started to lose it as the chorus began. The guitarist threw himself to the ground and raised the Flying V above him, rattling through notes. The drummer hopped onto the tom-toms and began smashing his face on the kick drum.

“I guess you're just what I needed!” Applebloom sang out with all her might. She ran up right to the far right tip of the stage, pointing over into the audience. “I needed someone to feed!” She shivered a bit at that last word, which felt so ominous given what had happened to Scootaloo. “I guess you're just what I needed!” She shimmed from side to side, dancing with total abandonment. “I needed someone to bleed!”

Wow, that sounds even worse! She blinked. The guitarist started a long, crazy solo, the audience hopping and bopping along to every last nice. Scootaloo, please! Applebloom pointed right at the pegasus filly and winked. Scootaloo simply looked at the stage, eyes glazed over with green magic.

“Don’t bleed me!” Applebloom spat out. She froze. Oh, no! I said lyrics that weren’t on the prompter-thing? To her total surprise, half of the audience sang the ad-libbed words along with her. Wow, I… I didn’t know that! She let out a gasp. That's it! I can't try and wake her up!

Synthesizer dancing and band solo’s finished, Applebloom prepared for the latter part of the song. She took a gulp. She tried to catch her breath, getting ready. Alright, Scootaloo. Time to jog your memory.

“I don't mind you coming here!” Applebloom sang out.

“And wasting all my time!” Applebloom and the crowd sang out together, everypony completely into the moment. Full on dancing erupted all through the concert.

“ 'Cuz when you're standing oh so near, Scootaloo, I kinda lose my mind!” Applebloom screamed. A bunch of confused looking faces appered, while many others simply sang out every single word without understanding.

Applebloom took a happy gasp as she saw Scootaloo shifting from side to side. The pegasus filly shut her eyes and leaned backwards, almost falling off of the dragon’s shoulders. Yes! She’s noticing!

“It's not the perfume that you wear,” Appleboom sang, turning her back to the crowd and wiggling her mane and tail around. “It's not the ribbons in your hair.” She pet her bow once again. “I don't mind Scootaloo coming here!” She flipped over, thrusting both hooves in the air in the mare’s direction. “And wasting all my time!”

A torrent of huge fireworks went off. The whole dome shook, and bright streamers of blue and white light fell atop Applebloom, the crowd, the band, the stage, and everywhere in between. They looked like they were in the middle of some kind of outer space battle.

“I guess you're just what I needed! Scootaloo!” Applebloom sang. Starting to feel exhausted, she moved over to the middle of the stage and poised herself over the crowd. “I needed someone to feed! Scootaloo!” The mare in the crowd had shifted to and fro, the green magical aura over her eyes fading brighter and dimmer. Her wings shot out with force force.

Applebloom repeated the lines several times as the song built up to the climax. Thick, crunchy guitar riffs layered atop a rippling bassline and bombastic drumming soared all through the dome. She watched as Scootaloo finally jumped off of the dragon’s back. Scootaloo slapped her head against a colt’s backside, coughing and shaking her head.

“You're just what I needed! Scootaloo!” Applebloom hollered. She heard her bandmates singing along to the first part, their raspy voices freaking her out. “You're just what I needed!” Applebloom tried to point over once again. “Yeah!” Scootaloo sniffed, staring straight upwards. The magical aura seemed mostly faded, and she made a very confused look.

“You're just what I needed!” All of the creatures, Applebloom and the members of the crowd alike, sang out with all of their hearts.

*Ka-boom!*

Applebloom keeled over on her back, hooves dangling into the air. The stage shook as she saw a serious of massive explosions going off across the roof. Jets of sparks shot out in all directions. She panted, trying to stand back up. She found herself slipping against some kind of green film and sliding over backwards.

Scootaloo? What’s happening? She blinked. She heard a solid wall of happy noise going off behind her, still lying her on back. She’s just about woken up, now. But I’ve only finished the first song! I have one more to go!

“Need a hoof?”

Applebloom instinctively reached upwards without even thinking. She saw Fab perched himself over her, and she tried to shift away. The stallion gripped her sides, lifting her up from half magic and half pure strength. She nudged her hooves against the stage, but she could hardly move— held standing upwards. She felt some kind of magical vice going over her neck.

“Ooooh,” Fab cooed, circling around her magically frozen body. His mouth dripped a horrible, glowing green and gray ooze. His eyes seemed to have turned into dark slits, looking much less like a pony and more like some kind of alien. “Nice to finally get such a close look of your… assets.” His flat face went into a nasty smirk.

Applebloom flinched. She turned her face away, shutting her eyes tight. No! No! You promised me I’d get a puzzle! That I’d get a chance at three songs! Let me go!

“That nice, smooth foal tummy,” Fab murmured, rubbing a hoof over along Applebloom’s midsection. He felt so cold and so sharp against her skin, sending little tingles of pain through her insides. After a horrible second of rubbing, he pulled his hoof away. “Love to see that pretty foal tummy nice and full.” He giggled. “And that wonderful chest, coupled with those tasty flanks, are nothing to sneeze at either.”

“That’s it!” Applebloom screamed out. She didn’t know how she did it, whether from inner earth pony magic that she’d heard about or sheer willpower, but she slipped out of the monster's magical grip as he bucked with her hind legs. She slammed right into Fab’s body with all her strength, screaming in pure rage.

“Owie! Owie!” Fab yelled, shifing over away from her. He looked down at the thick bruises going along his hooves, and he panted for a moment. He held his head up.

Rather than frowning, calling in out in anger, or anything normal like that, he simply made a big grin. That was more terrifying to Applebloom that she had possibly imagined. She kicked against the floor and slid over to the far side of the stage. The crowd still cheering behind her, she looked down.

“It’s a long, hard drop, but it just might be… worth it…” she muttered.

“Oh, wait a moment,” Fab said. Applebloom stood up straight. She glared definitely at the stallion, burning into his smug expression with her eyes. “I confess. I got a bit carried away a few seconds ago. What I meant to do was to congradulate you. Of course, as a clever, clever girl, you managed to cheat a bit during the song. It was only fair for me to indulge myself and cheat a bit right then when the song ended as well.”

“Cheat?” How the hay did I cheat in anything? I'm trying to help Scootaloo, get her out of your reach you monster!

“But that's water under the bridge. Look over at the screen,” Fab replied. He waved a hoof in the air, and he walked up to a microphone that had suddenly appeared in the air. “Are you all ready for the next number!”

“Yeah!” The audience screamed out.

Song Complete!

Congratulations!

Vocal Ability: B-

Stage Appeal: B+

Energy: B

Overall: B

“Sure, sure,” Applebloom muttered. I think I’ve at least slowed Scootaloo’s brainwashing down. Now, I need to get through the next tune to get her up on stage— or so the instructions said. Somehow, she felt like she could trust what the monster had promised while setting up Scootaloo’s Puzzle.

You don't have much time. The crowd looks pretty restless.

Please select your song menu:

==] Best of Power Pop [==
==] Best of Synth Pop [==

I guess I’ll go with, ah, ‘Best of Synth Pop’,” Applebloom called out. The screen flickered once more, and the same group of songs popped up.

Poison Arrow - ABC

Living In Oblivion - Anything Box

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

Wishful Thinking - China Crisis

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode

Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

Always - Erasure

Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

Cars - Gary Numan

Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones

Don't You Want Me - The Human League

Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

Words - Missing Persons

Only The Lonely - The Motels

Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes

Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order

If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears

If You Were Here - Thompson Twins

I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - Wham!

The Promise - When In Rome

Don't Go - Yazoo

*Please Select*

“Oh, hold on a moment!” Fab called out. “Forget about the full twenty-five song listing!” He walked over to the end of the stage besides Applebloom. The filly flipped around, poised to buck the stallion once more. He held out a hoof, making a bemused face. “I’m making a very strong recommendation.”

“Recommendation,” she repeated. She felt determination pooling up inside of her, ready to fight that monster if she had to.

“How about the one from those sexy, charming Duran Duran boys?” he asked.

“I’ll—” She paused, suddenly feeling confused. Is this a trick? Or is it something else? After all, it’s just like any other song, is it? She glared at him, and he simply made a smug, almost seductive grin back. “I suppose I might go for it. Is it a catchy song? Is it not too complicated, not with too much of a vocal range?”

Fab magically pulled up a glass that looked like water from behind him. Applebloom froze. She suddenly felt extremely thirsty, almost too thirsty to keep singing.

“I promise you several things,” Fab said through his pointy, monstrous teeth. “First, it’s just water. Nothing laced in there. Second, it’s a simple song that’s not really harder that what you just did. Third, it’s as catchy as a nursery rhyme and it swings like a gate.”

Would it make a difference if I picked a different tune? Applebloom took a very deep breath. It would make him mad, and it wouldn’t help me one bit.

“Clock is ticking,” Fab commented. “The crowd is getting restless.”

As if on cue, Applebloom heard, “We want the show! We want the show! The show!” Hooves, paws, and other things clapped in anticipation.

“I pick,” she said, and she sighed, “Hungry Like the Wolf!”

*Flash!*

Applebloom wiggled in place, feeling green magic going over her. When she came too, she looked around with her mouth wide open. She was in her bunny outfit— the one that Granny Smith had put on her for Zap-Apple harvesting. She frowned, stepping over to the middle of the stage.

SONG SELECTED!

Title: Hungry Like The Wolf

Group: Duran Duran

Album: Rio

Writer(s): Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, & Andy Taylor

Singer(s): Simon Le Bon

*Please note the color transitions*

She shivered as she saw the stage begin to transform. Images of sandy beaches, ripping ocean currents with sparkly blue water, tall white huts, long, fluffy beach towels, and other things that she'd see in a fashion magazine or travel catalog popped up all around her. The roof of the dome turned from something out of outer space to a clear blue sky spotted with puffy clouds. She heard girly giggling and clicks like that of a hundred fashion photographers going off high above her.

“I have a very, very bad feeling about this,” she moaned, tugging against her long rabbit ears.

She heard a deep, long growl behind her. She hardly wanted to move, even as a bouncy, peppy syntheizer beat got started from the band's part of the stage. She heard panting noises behind her as the beat got louder and even poppier.

"Wolfie's ready for his duet," growled a deep voice, "And he's plenty hungry, too." She heard an awful chuckling.

To Be Continued…

T.W.C.S.S.

At the same time, back in Ponyville...

"It's going to be just okay," Rarity muttered, rubbing her cheek against Sweetie Belle's neck and cradling her even closer, "Just perfectly okay. I promise." She held her hooves against the filly's chest.

"T-t-t-t-the w-w-water... it was... touching... shivering... not just water... like..." Sweetie kept on muttering, eyes bulging out as she shivered ever so often. "Like... touching death. Touching fear." She snorted, letting out a spasm of coughing a moment later.

"Twilight, please," Rarity called out, "she's starting to go back into shock again."

"Try this!" Twilight yelled, speeding through the front door and pulling up a magically enchanted blanket behind her. She took a deep breath as she curled it around Sweetie, folds rubbing up along the filly's hooves.

"L-liquid death. L-liquid death. D-d-death," Sweetie sputtered, shivering even more as her bottom hooves clicked against the floor.

"It's no good," Twilight said, scrunching her face as she stared upon the filly. Sweetie's body contorted, still flashing through her horrible experiences, as she ears curled backwards and her breaths turned into pants. "She's wandering again."

"She needs to 'wander' back to reality, and soon!" Rarity called out, trying not to cry as she enveloped her sister with her still hooves against hers. She locked eyes with Twilight. "Please!" She rubbed Sweetie against the blanket. "Twilight, please!"

"Who the hay was it!" Rainbow Dash screamed, bursting through the doors of Sugarcube Corner with her tail shot out into the air and her face covered in rage. "The second I get my hooves on that monster I'm bucking him straight down to the center of the blasted earth!" Her head shook as she stepped inside, every move just holding back pure energy.

"Dash," Rarity and Twilight quietly replied at the same time, head shaking.

The pegasus' rage deflated slightly, and she moved over to Rarity's side. She looked upon the still terrified filly. Sweetie's eyes seemed locked, staring out into nothingness with her pupils dialted. Her mouth hung open every so lightly, panting.

"Twilight, I... oh, am I interrupting... sorry," Fluttershy said, popping up. The mares looked back blankly at her. "Oh, Spike said that the results turned up, exact words, 'very shiny and very gray but white chalky lines along the top'. The poor baby dragon's face seemed solemn as a statue."

"Oh, goodness," Twilight replied. She leaned over Rarity and her sister, muttering a quick spell. The towel glowed a bright purple, and thick blackish purple splotches appeared across it.

"What does it mean?" Rarity didn't even want to look up at the other mare, totally afraid of what she might say.

"That means that it's not just an elemental spell," Twilight replied, walking over to the counter to get another vitamin and mineral filled drink for the tormented filly, "and it's not just a spell with energy draining and mind control abilities." She took a gulp. "Those kind of things, you fix them easily. And she looked fine just a moment ago."

"She sure isn't fine now!" Rarity retorted, exasperation going over her face as her mane shook against the wall.

"I know, I know," Twilight commented, sticking the drink underneath Sweetie's face. She took the straw into her lips, but her horrible, vacant expression kept on. She lit up her horn, her magic going over Sweetie's body directly once again. She saw little gray ripples of energy going across the poor filly's fur.

Twilight and Sweetie both shivered. Twilight leaned back, letting out a deep breath, and the filly closed her eyes. Sweetie made a huge yawn. Rarity and Twilight smiled wide.

"Oh, thank goodness, she's getting back to normal," Fluttershy commented, walking over besides the two mares. Rainbow just stared at the scene, hardly knowing what to think.

"A spell I can manage," Twilight said as Sweetie sailed off to dreamland. The unicorn rubbed her head against the wall, hooves beating against the floor in frustration. "But... wow... a Clover's Felicity test with both a super high p-count and a chalky white spin-value residual? By Starswirl's beard!" She almost bit her lip.

"Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, stepping over.

"How is that even scientifically possible?" Twilight said to herself, lost totally in thought. "The sheer energies involved with that kind of p-count wouldn't be stable enough to even last a few minutes, let along long afterwards... the Heisenberg compensation effect would kick in immediately. Wouldn't it?"

"Twilight," Rarity said.

"But then the f-spin residual would... have to mean a geometrical particle pattern that doesn't... or maybe..." Twilight muttered. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall, equations flying around in her mind.

"Twilight!" Screamed the other three mares.

The unicorn looked back at them and stepped away from the wall, blushing profusely.

"Darling, I think you need to put this in normal Equestrian speak for us," Rarity said, her huge eyes showing pure apprehension. She held Sweetie, deep in sleep, close to her chest.

"Well," Twilight began, pulling her head to the side and sucking in such a huge breath that she could have inhaled a bird, "I have to put it you straight." She closed her eyes. "It's-- well-- another world."

"Another world?" Rainbow repeated, her anger fading into a purely confused expression with her tail flickering in the air.

Twilight sat down, pressing a hoof against her cheek. She looked over at the windows to see Applejack standing right outside Sugarcube Corner, looking more fearful than she had seen for a long time. "Yes, another blasted world," Twilight called out as Applejack made her way through the bakery's show-floor.

"Twilight, I don't understand," Rarity began.

"I don't understand either!" Twilight yelled, leaping up in the air just like Pinkie would. She panted for a second, and she looked sheepish. Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy glanced at her with open eyes, hanging on every word. "My friends, it's not a spell that's anything that works like I'd read about in my books. It's not an ordinary spell. In fact, it's not even a spell at all, not entirely."

"What is it, then?" Rarity asked. She felt Sweetie's breathing slowing, the filly looking so much younger cradled in Rarity's arms, and she grew even more worried.

"The physics indicate, to put it succinctly," Twilight began, stepping over in front of the stacks and stacks of cakes and cookies. The other four mares moved closer to each other, without even thinking taking emotional strength from each other. "Sweetie was trapped in a place outside of Equestria. Or, more accurately, she was in a place under Equestria itself. What the test results and symptoms indicate is a constant, incessant exposure to magic at the level of Princess Celestia-- foul magic designed to corrupt her by taking her energy and infecting her mind-- that works under different physics than Equestria. She also suffered from direct, physical exposure to--" She strained to think of the right words. "She was bathing in industrial waste, basically."

"My darling was swimming in factory sewers!" Rarity hollered, shivering with pure emotion. She scrunched her face before looking back down at Sweetie. Her breathing had slowed even more, and her sleep had gotten even deeper.

"Oh, Twilight, I think that something's wrong," Fluttershy said, rubbing a hoof against Sweetie's forehead.

"Whatever alternate world, or 'underworld', that she happened to fall into," Twilight went on, sucked into her own spiel, "it had magically spiked air, breathing in affected her like a poisonous fume. That liquid, that water that she kept talking about, had to have been something else. Even more powerful, it represented something like wading into the blood, the very life force, of whatever monster wanted to hurt her-- a physical exposure to that monster's dark desires and--"

"She's not breathing!"

Twilight felt her world come crashing down upon her. She sped over to Rarity's side. The five mares all held Sweetie with their hooves, eyes focusing on her peaceful, formerly sleeping face. They all tapped her on the cheeks, wiggling her body.

"This is bad!" Rainbow yelled.

"Oh, please, Sweetie!" Rarity screamed.

"Sweetie!" Fluttershy repeated.

"Hang in there, sugarcube!" Applejack yelled.

"No... oh, dear Celestia, please no..." Twilight whispered. Her eyes started to fill with tears. "It's my magic... my counter-spell to make her sleep... it's all my bucking fault..." She felt a sharp, painful coating of ice going over her heart.

*Flip!*

"I'm here, what did I miss?" Pinkie Pie asked, stepping out from a side door with a gigantic cupcake in her hoof.

"Pinkie!" Her five friends screamed out, emotions bubbling up inside of them all.

"Not a moment too soon, too!" Pinkie hurled herself through the air onto Applejack's back. She gazed at Sweetie for a second, the unconscious mare looking as still and as beautiful as a door. Pinkie's eyes narrowed.

*Splat!*

Pinkie smashed the cupcake onto Sweetie's face.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Sweetie called out, hopping up into the air and landing onto the table of scones behind her.

"You're alive!" Rarity yelled, kissing her little sister. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Twilight all doted on the filly, making happy noises and congradulating her.

Sweetie made a bubbly yet surprised expression, eyeing the crowd of ponies around her. "Hey, that smells nice." She licked up around her face. She made a happy sigh.

"How did you?" Twilight asked Pinkie, staring at the bouncy, giggling pink mare.

"No pony can stay sad with a fresh Triple White-Chocolate Strawberry Supreme on their plate!"

"But-- but-- she was-- unconscious-- and then--" Twilight stammered.

Shrugging for a second, Pinkie replied, "Just like how no pony can stay sleeping with a fresh Triple White-Chocolate Strawberry Supreme on their face! Like I always say, 'T.W.C.S.S. is your taste-buds best fix'!"

"Since when have you ever said that?"

Pinkie smiled and shrugged once more. Twilight gave up, returning to Sweetie's side. The filly curled around her older sister, her hooves locking tightly against her chest. Rarity just beamed.

"Sweetie, I know you've been through a lot, but I have to ask you some important questions," Twilight said, looking caring yet also determined.

Sweetie nodded. Applejack gave her a quick hug as Rarity watched. Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie stood behind Twilight, feeling total anticipation.

"It's crucial for you to tell us what you know, since Applebloom and Scootaloo have both been missing all day."

Sweetie looked worried for a moment, not sure how the ponies would take her odd story. She took a little breath, and she began. She described how the CMC swiped the outfits from the Canterlot unicorns visiting Twilight's library earlier that morning, eyed one of their carefully held and oldest looking books about forbidden black magic, replaced that with a similar sized book from the waiting room of Colgate's Dentistry, and planned to try for their black magical cutie marks. Rather than get angry, the six mares simply hung on her every word, astonished at what the CMC had done.

Sweetie could hardly believe what they had done herself. She continued, detailing their ceremony in the Everfree Forest and the sudden magical explosion as their spell worked beyond their wildest dreams. That had quickly turned into a nightmare. She spared no detail as she recounted the horrible underworld of rusty metal platforms, endless paths that lead to nowhere, her own voice getting snuffed out with only the sound of her hooftaps left, cryptic and disturbing messages carved on the walls saying that her fellow CMC had abandoned her and could never save her, and-- worst of all-- a horrible rushing liquid that had moved up floor by floor underneath her until she had almost drown in it.

She began to sweat profusely as she remembered the awful liquid creeping up her legs. It seemed to have a life of its own. Horrible voices and images had slammed into her head, elemental kinds of things that almost made it hard to breathe. The liquid, feeling like thousands of horrible slurpy kisses along her fur, seemed to be haunted by these sensations.

Sweetie saw a door, a door looking like any other door that she'd see in a store or house, speeding through the air in front of her right for her. She had frozen, hardly able to breathe, and thought that it meant the end for her. Suddenly, ping-pong balls, thousands of them, had popped up around her body and lifted her up out of the liquid.

She saw a huge blur, and she ended up right in front of Sugarcube Corner. She felt her conscious mind burying itself into her body. She moved inside with a dream-like state, trying to talk to the ponies around her but feeling so sick and overwhelmed that she could barely stand. She somehow collapsed into Rarity's hooves.

"That's... that's... just..." Twilight said, struggling to find her words, "thank you, Sweetie, for telling us all this."

"Twilight, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Applejack asked, scratching her chin. "Even though we all thought that the Princess and us had whooped her, and good?"

"It can't be... oh..." Fluttershy muttered.

Pinkie took a deep breath.

"It's her," Twilight flatly stated, sitting down on the floor and staring out the window at the hustle and bustle of Ponyville. "I know it's her."

Applejack nodded.

"I'm going to squash that bug for good, this time!" Rainbow slammed her hooves against the floor, her mane curling across her shoulders.

"But that's not the-- there's one more thing. One more most important thing," Sweetie said, standing up on her hind hooves and pouring emotion into her voice.

"What?" asked the six ponies in front of her.

"Through the door, as it flew over to me, I saw something. I saw this one last image, and I think I wasn't supposed to see. It was only for a split-second. But it totally burned into my mind," Sweetie recounted, voice squeaking.

"Applebloom?" Applejack asked, hope flashing over her face.

"I saw Scootaloo cowering below a tall stallion with slate gray hooves, a cream-colored suit, a sharp black tie, and a greyish-brown mane. I only saw his back, but he had dark green magic oozing from his mouth over her head."

"Oh, dear sweet Celestia," Rarity murmured.

"That poor... poor filly..." Fluttershy whispered.

"But that's not the biggest thing! No!" Sweetie bounced up and down, totally insistent.

All of the ponies could hardly breathe, waiting on Sweetie to finally spit it out.

"I saw Applebloom!" Sweetie called out. "She was standing back on her hind hooves several feet behind the stallion. She had-- the oddest things with her--" Sweetie strained her face, trying to remember every last detail. "She had a small, fluffy bunny in one of her front hooves. On her back, she had this bird with lots of whitish spots that was blackish and bluish, like a starling I guess. She also had this tall, shiny thing in her hooves like a microphone that she pointed right at the stallion's back."

"My goodness, sugarcube," Applejack murmured.

"The second weirdest thing was that the microphone had glowed with this red aura, the same kind of red aura that she kind of had over her mane and her face just so faintly. Like magic. Not anypony else's magic. It was like her magic."

"Listen to me very carefully, Sweetie," Twilight said, lining up her face just inches from the filly's, "what was the... the first weirdest thing..."

"Applebloom," Sweetie replied, "was smiling."

To Be Continued...

Thrill Of The Chase

Back in Applebloom's new world...

"I'm going to give you quite a headstart, my sweet delicious thing," said the gruff, masculine voice from behind Applebloom. "At least a minute's worth. It's all about the thrill of the chase, after all. The longer the chase, the sweeter your warm, tasty cherry deep inside your pretty flanks-- all ready to be popped-- will taste. So, go."

"But-- I--" she stammered, thrusting her microphone down into a side pocket. "Can't-- I--"

"Go, now! Run!"

Applebloom bounced out into the air, landing atop a long shiny white wooden pier. She looked over to the side as she sped down, seeing a fancy yacht pull out seemingly out of nowhere. A gaggle of ponies in flashy pink, blue, and white suits wiggled around the top deck, posing with their sharp-looking sunglasses as their long, flowing golden manes blew in the oceanside breeze.

"What the hay is this? Am I trapped in a music video or something?" Applebloom spat, leaping up onto the side of the yacht. Her hooves ambled onto the deck, body shivering helplessly. She watched the fashion ponies dance around the deck, totally ignoring her. "Please. Help."

A tall, skinny stallion leaned up against a flag-pole. He grinned from cheek to cheek as he held out a hoof and pulled down his glasses. Applebloom cringed, seeing something like burning magical green orbs instead of eyes. She let out a gasp as she forced herself up, the yacht bending and wiggling in the sparkling blue water.

*Boom!*

Applebloom found herself thrown against the back of the boat, almost falling overboard. As she clung to the back railing, she saw a very tall, very curvy mare riding atop a long, black cannon on the front of the ship. The mare screamed out a passionate, feminine whine as she ground her flanks against the cannon, smoke pouring off of the long, hard tip.

Oh, sweet Celestia, I am stuck in a music video! She crawled up the back railing as she eyed another long, wide white pier on the other side of the boat, leading off into a set of beachside shacks. I can't believe that I fell for it! That's the last time I pick what that monster wants me to pick!

The fashion ponies moved around her, still dancing to the bouncy syntheizeer beat. She hopped forwards and slid between their legs, with her bunny ears rubbing up against their legs. She kicked against the wall and stood atop a huge set of tubes. She spotted a big suitcase right at the tip of the next pier.

She jumped, her bunny tail wiggling in the air. She landed softly atop the suitcase and rolled over, panting. "I've already had enough of this and the blasted lyrics haven't even started yet!" She blinked. She saw the familar floating magical screen popping up right atop her head. Oh, no!

Instrumental Break Finishing

Prepare for Lyrics

She pulled out her microphone. Thank goodness, it didn't fall out of my pocket. She saw it light up with a bright red magical arua, looking just the same color as her mane. How the hay do I even use it, anyway? And why didn't it fall off through all that?

She picked herself up, running down the pier. She heard water splashing around far behind her, and she didn't even want to look back. It's all been a trick, hasn't it? I sort of woke Scootaloo up, but she's now completely hidden from me along with the rest of the crowd. It has to be something to do with the songs. I need to pick my own songs, somehow, and pick the right one. But what! I have no idea what to do!

Partner: Darken the city, night is a wire

You: Steam in the subway, earth is a afire

"Oh, dear," she moaned. She reached the end of the pier, staring at a solid wall of fancy-looking white beach huts. She saw nopony in sight.

*Splash!*

She flipped around, eyes growing huge. She backed up against a shorter hut as a figure melodramatically stepped out of the water. The figure, water flowing from her soaking wet mane and tail around her curvy, slender body, looked a lot like Princess Luna without a cutie mark. Applebloom's eyes ran down the tall mare's hooves, leading into wolf-like paws, over to to the top of her head, seeing fuzzy wolf-like ears perking in the wind. She looks like that one fashion model if she didn't have the animal-y stuff. That new plaything of Photo Finish. Her name was Rio, right?

Rio stepped onto the edge of the pier, sudddenly turning her head twoards Applebloom. They both heard the band amping up their sound, ready to go right into the lyrics. Rio's bright led lips, curved in that cherry-ice cream smile that young colts across Ponyville kept in bedroom magazines, blew a kiss into the air.

Applebloom gulped.

"Darken the city, night is a wire," Rio sang, leaping up onto the pier and leaning her body down against the wood. She wagged her flanks and tail, her eyes glowing with bright green magic.

"Steam in the subway, earth is a afire," Applebloom sang. Despite everything, she forced herself to bolt out the words with conviction.

"Do do do do do do do do do do do do do, do do," Rio cooed, crawling forwards with her back arched. She opened up her mouth and panted.

Applebloom span backwards, grabbing in vain against the hut behind her. She bucked it, kicking the whole thing over. She heard Rio walking over behind her, and she lept over the pile of fabric onto the rest of the beach. She heard a torrent of girly laughs, and more posh fashion ponies cavorted around the beach in front of her.

"Mare you want me, give me a sign," Applebloom sang, hopping over a set of benches and knocking off some white hats from fancy sunbathing mares.

"And catch me breathing even closer behind," Rio sang, leaping over a sandcastle to Applebloom's right.

The filly squeaked as she kicked sand over at Rio's face. As the other mare wiped her face, growling, Applebloom sped over to the left, heading away from the beach. She saw the screen still following her, moving yard after yard overhead them both like a kite. "Do do do do do do do do do do do do do, do do!"

"In touch with the ground! I'm on the hunt! I'm after you!" Rio called out, hopping up onto a trash can and leaping onto the building roofs alongside Applebloom.

The filly ducked into an alleyway, having no idea where she was going. Does this bucking place just magically create new stuff whenever I walk over to it, from nowhere? Is this more like living in a video game or something? She found herself staring at a busy market street, fancy and not so fancy ponies all intermingling around a wide variety of pushcarts, vendors with barrels, and everything else that she could think of.

"I smell like I sound. I'm lost and I'm found," Applebloom sang, holding her mic close as she slammed into pony after pony, trying to move down the street. She curled in between a fat stallions legs, bounced to the left to avoid a tall mare carrying dozens of boxes, and landed on top of a huge, bright red unbrella in front of a diner.

"And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Rio sang, letting out a deep howl after the line. Applebloom looked straight up at the mare on the roof above her. Her heart seemed to stop.

"Straddle the line," she sang, hopping from the umbrella onto the tall sign besides it. "It's discord and rhyme."

"I'm on the hunt. I'm after you." Rio slinked over to the end of the roof, moving down the fire escape.

"Mouth is alive! All running inside!" Applebloom smashed her body through the crowd over to the other side of the street. I've got to get outta here!

"And I'm hungry like the wolf," Rio sang from somewhere behind her.

Applebloom spotted a flat manhole cover, looking like something made out of bamboo. She immediately kicked it to the side, throwing her body over, and she slid the cover back from the inside. She took a deep breath as she landed. Thank goodness! She splashed around for a second in what looked like pure, clean water before she saw a light in the far distance. She bucked her hooves against the wall and sped down the pipeline.

Prepare for Vocal Solo

First Part

The screen appeared out of nowhere right above her head. She groaned, and she took a deep breath afterward. Whatever it takes to finally finish the bucking song! Then, it's my turn to show Rio or Fab or whomever this monster really is what I'm made of. I'll have Scootaloo on the stage and it'll be two against one.

"Stalked in the forest," she sang, coming upon a sudden right turn in the pipeline. "Too close to hide." She ducked to the side and came upon a dead end next to a set of old, gray double doors. "I'll be upon you by the moonlight side." She bucked the doors open, spinning around and heading inside. She found herself in a broken down old shack, rusty metal gear and broken wood everywhere. "Do do do do do do do do do do do do do, do do."

She spotted an open window above a dresser, and she hopped over. She saw a huge patch of moss leading her down a tall hill with jungle-like low trees, bushes, and weird animals from tiny lizards to tall blue birds. She jumped through, skidding along the moss like a surfer riding a wave.

Prepare for Vocal Solo

Second Part

Oh, for crying out loud! She came upon the bottom of the hill, tossing around the grass like a rag doll. She found herself sitting below a set of huge, low-drooping trees. She stood back upwards, holding the mic over her head.

"High blood drumming on your skin. It's so tight," she sang. Her eyes flung all aross the jungle, seeing no Rio and no other ponies besides, and she hopped over some old tree trunks twoards a river. "You feel my heat. I'm just a moment behind." She sped downstream right alongside the river, trying not to trip on any of the vines, rocks, or old branches all about. "Do do do do do do do do do do do do do, do do!"

I can't stand it. I just can't stand it. Is there a point? I'm just running through some kind of hallucination or simulation or something. She slowed down, listing to the water rushing besides her.

*Smash!*

A tree slammed into the river right in front of her. She felt her heart starting to race, and she leaned back. Rio leapt over from another tree right into the river, eyes locked right at Applebloom. The mare's face seemed to be all teeth, grinning deviously.

"In touch with the ground," Rio sang, slinking clover, "I'm on the hunt I'm after you. "

Applebloom turned tail and ran, heading over the opposite direction along the river. She heard the wolf-pony bouncing around behind her. Rio's moans and noises brought a empty, dark pit into Applebloom's stomach.

"I smell like I sound," Rio sang. "I'm lost and I'm found. And I'm hungry like the wolf." She chased Applebloom along over to a cliff, seemingly trapping the filly. "Strut on a line. It's discord and rhyme. I howl and I whine. I'm after you." Rio wagged her tail and licked her lips as Applebloom froze, unable to dash from side to side with Rio grabbing her but having a wall of water raining down behind her. "Mouth is alive with juices like wine. And I'm hungry like the wolf."

"No!" Applebloom threw herself into the waterfull. She suddenly saw an empty cave behind it, just narrow enough for her to fit but too big for Rio.

*Wham!*

The wolf-pony smashed her head against the solid rock. She staggered backwards, redness covering her dark blue head as she screamed out a low, deep whine. Applebloom smiled.

The filly looked around, hunting for another way out. She tripped on a set of pebbles and laid back against the ground. She blinked, taking in a deep breath. Please! She spotted a bright light coming from around the ceiling. She held her hooves against the wall. Despite first glance, the wall seemed to be a low enough angle for her to climb.

She scurried up the wall, hearing the song going into a long instrumental improvisitation all around her in the cave. She bumped her head against something hard and flat. She felt upwards, feeling a very loose wooden plank with light pouring all around. She took a gulp, and she pressed upwards. She found herself bathed by light, getting lifted by strong hooves around her body.

To Be Continued...

I Choose You

"Put me down!" Applebloom squealed, kicking helplessly. She felt herself getting picked up and placed somewhere. She could hardly see a thing, eyes so used to the darkness of the cave. She blinked. "Oh, Celestia, no!"

She found herself locked in a crate with real rabbits, the poor fluffy things jumping up around her back and nudging their cute noses onto her hooves, with a latch clanking right on top of her. She felt around the tight bars, letting out a low moan. Seriously? Now, this? She saw fashion ponies strutting around once more, with her trapped back on another upper class boat. She did a double-take as he looked down at where she had climbed up, seeing that hole now leading to a small storeroom crammed full of champagne. Does time and space mean anything anymore in this stupid world?

She heard a low electronic hum, and she looked out to see the same blasted screen that had followed her around flashing back into place. She jiggled the bars, bunnies climbing up atop her shoulders. She grit her teeth.

You: Hungry like the wolf

Partner: Hungry like the wolf

You: Hungry like the wolf

"Hungry like the wolf," she slowly sang, seeing her familiar mic pop up from in between her rabbit suit ears. She kicked and kicked against the walls of the crate to no avail. I can't believe it! I have to get out of here before that monster shows up! Think!

"Hungry like the wolf," sang Rio, walking somewhere from way off in the distance.

Ugh! She stared at her microphone. Wait a minute... how am I using this again? Earth pony magic, or so that monster said. But I don't have magic. She leaned forwards and sang. She saw the mic lighting up with a red glow. "Hungry like the wolf!" Of course, this freaky world outside of time and space from normal Equestria doesn't have the same rules. It's like playing a game. You get special abilities as a character. I got magic!

As a bubby electronic solo began, she stuck her face against the bars and glared at the outside latch. She immediately saw a red aura coming over it. Yes! She panted, trying to concentrate. It just seemed to give her a headache. Meanwhile, those horribly obnoxious fashion ponies cavorted around the deck of the ship, tossing big beach balls to each other while they poured and drank champagne.

Applebloom tried reaching up with her hoof, using it to focus her concretation. She stared at it for a few seconds, and then her eyes flashed right on the latch. The metal claws wiggled and finally swung to the sides. "Yeah!"

*Splash!*

Applebloom saw Rio bursting out of the water besides the boat, hooves curling around the side railings. Applebloom leaped straight upwards and grabbed onto a rope drooping down from atop the boat's mast. She watched as Rio shook, the mare's eyes turning into narrow, black slits. "Burning the ground! I break from the crowd!" Rio sang, putting a lot of emotion into every last word. "I'm on the hunt! I'm after you!"

Applebloom scurried up the rope. She suddenly slipped a little, throwing herself back onto the cold, hard roof atop the captain's room. "I smell like I sound," she sang, speeding over the side to another rope, this one abruptly swinging over to the side. She found herself flung over the cold water, holding on tight. "I'm lost and I'm found!" No! I can't swim in the bunny suit-- I'll just get soaked and quick! I can't get the mic wet either!

She hurled through the air over to a large slab of metal next to another flag, looking something like a crow's nest. I have to time this! She gasped as she let go. She swung over besides the slab, kicking over a bucket onto the deck and pissing off some of the fashion ponies, and she gripped the sides, panting hard.

"And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Applebloom screamed. Her hind hooves, kicking helplessly for a split-second, fumbled into a ladder nearby. She made her way up atop the metal slab, leaning back against the flag behind her and feeling ill at how high up she had gotten.

"Strut on a line. It's discord and rhyme," sang Rio from well-beneath her. Applebloom peeked out, seeing the tall mare climbing up the ladder and heading right for her. "I'm on the hunt. I'm after you."

How long is this bucking song? It feels like an eternity! Rio made it right below the slab, sticking out a hoof and stabbing it over in Applebloom's direction. Applebloom shivered. No! I have to be strong! I have to make it out of this song-- for Scootaloo! She felt a sudden wave of strength, standing up with a fierce look on her face.

Rio's hoof brushed up against Applebloom's behind. She spun around and pounced on Rio's hoof. She bit down. Hard.

"Aaaaaaaah!" Rio called out, trying to get out of Applebloom's grip-- with the filly still sinking her teeth inside. Applebloom spun to the side and looked upon the massive flag behind her. I got it! This is my one chance!

As the music built up, Applebloom concentrated. She jumped straight up, feeling the flag come off of its clasps and fly over to her. She gripped the sides, holding it up magically like a parachute, and she kicked off into the air.

She sailed past Rio as the tall mare reached out. Rio just missed her by a matter of inches. Applebloom stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry as she sailed down. She spotted a pier somewhat off in the distance and aimed straight for it.

She focused, seeing that familiar electronic screen floating up in the air above her. She made out some more lyrics. "And I'm hungry like the wolf!" Applebloom triumphantly sang.

Suddenly, a gigantic eruption of cheers and applause rained out from all around her. She blinked, feeling herself flying about in the air. She heard Rio chuckling somewhere far below her.

*Ka-boom!*

Applebloom couldn't help but let go. Jitters ran through the air as enermous explosions of fireworks went up. Streams of electric-looking energy curled all around her. She screamed.

She blinked, kicking against the air. She felt hooves going around her once again, and she turned over in that direction. She couldn't see a think, light sparkling all around, but she bucked with full force. She heard an 'oof', and she slid backwards across something.

Applebloom stood straight upwards. She found herself back around that same familiar stage, surrounded by a massive crowd. Fab Factory laid down way off on the other side of the stage, screaming at some of the ponies in the band's corner. Applebloom took in the scene, and she threw her head back.

"Sweet victory!" She pumped a hoof into the air. She saw a ton of griffons, dragons, ponies, and other creatures in the audience doing the same. She smiled as she threw some sweat off of her brow. She didn't see the bunny suit around, yet several rabbits danced about the stage several years behind her, oddly enough. She then saw the electronic screen coming over from behind the animals.

Song Complete!

Congratulations!

Vocal Ability: B+

Stage Appeal: A

Energy: A+

Overall: A

"Alright!" She moved over to the edge of the stage, staring out and hunting for Scootaloo.

You're just about ready for the encore!

You now have the ability to pick a friend from the audience to help you sing!

Are you ready!

"Scootaloo!" Applebloom screamed. She thought that she had never called out in such a loud voice in all her life. "I choose you!"

The crowd had gotten really pumped. Ponies thrust their bodies into the air, hooves jolting upwards as they shouted. They had to have an encore. They didn't just demanded it. They needed it. Scootaloo, eyes still flashing with that horrible green magic but still looking really happy and excited, found herself grabbed by a pack of tall, fat griffons and getting crowd-surfed over to the stage.

Applebloom laid down, trying to concentrate. As Scootaloo came closer, waving her hooves and giggling with her wings fully jutted out, Applebloom felt a tingling going all around her body. She focused her eye as Scootaloo got close. She coughed, feeling a weight getting dropped right onto her back.

In just a split-second, a red magical sort of gust of wind had smacked into Scootaloo and drove her right onto the stage. Applebloom smiled for a second until she realized that Scootaloo was coming right for her. She gasped and tried to step to the side.

You and your friend are now ready to select your encore song!

Pay close attention!

Scootaloo smashed onto Applebloom, knocking her right over. The two fillies scrambled up. Applebloom felt totally estatic. She reached over and hugged her friend with full strength, letting out a happy sigh.

"I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Oh, hey, hold it!" Scootaloo retorted, moving her hooves around and pushing Applebloom off of her. "I'm super happy that you invited me to the next number. I'm a huge fan of Fab and all of his bandmates. No need to get all touchy-feely."

"Wait..." Applebloom felt an awful, cold cloud going up around her heart.

"But, what do you mean 'see you again'? Do I know you?" Scootaloo asked, making a totally confused facial expression with ears drooping.

No! No! NO! You know me! You bucking know me! What has this awful monster of a pony done to you? Did he scramble your brains just like he did to Gilda? Applebloom shuddered. She opened her mouth to respond, but she suddenly felt Fab's breath pouring out of his mouth onto the back of her head. She heard Fab's hooves dig into the stage, and she steeled herself. She turned around, eyes glaring at the fancy-dressing stallion.

To Be Continued...

Sighted In Sector G

"You know, you haven't been treating me very nice," Fab growled, stepping just a little bit closer. He moved up his hoof, Applebloom's large, ugly bite mark covered with a glowing magical aura.

"Very nice?" Applebloom retorted.

"Hey, uh, what's all this, again?" Scootaloo asked, putting on a very blank facial expression.

"But," Fab said, leaning back and swirling his fancy mane for a moment. He grinned. "I'll forgive you." He ran his head over Applebloom's mane, shooting her hot breath all across her neck. "If, of course, you let me have a little taste. A snack. Just a little taste of your sweet apple flanks."

"No." She scooted to the side, falling over onto her back.

"Just a small, tiny taste." Fab leaned over, putting Applebloom's body below his and sticking his tounge out around her forehead. "Sweet, sweet apples."

"No!"

*Blam!*

Applebloom smashed her bottom hooves in between Fab's legs as she yelled, hearing a crunch as her hooves dug into Fab's flesh. Fab's heart seemed to stop for a split-second. He jumped backwards and made a guttural scream, eyes bulging out. Applebloom leaped up into the air and ran to Scootaloo's side. Fab groaned curses as he rocked around on the floor in place, clutching his hooves around his privates.

"What the hay is going on!" Scootaloo called out, starting to breathe hard. "Why would you do that to Fab?" She looked over at Applebloom as he ears wiggled about.

"Scootaloo!" Applebloom rubbed her hooves along the filly pegasus' shoulders, trying not to cry. "Don't you remember me? You have to remember."

"Hey, I, uh," Scootaloo muttered, nudging her head to the side, "I think... yes... I know you."

"Yay!" Applebloom felt like her heart had rocketed straight into the stratosphere. She smiled from cheek to cheek.

"You're Fab's keyboardist! You're Apple Bumpkins!" Scootaloo hollered, looking cheery.

"Ugh," Applebloom moaned, putting her face in her hooves.

"It's not going to be that simple, you prissy little slut," Fab muttered, standing up once again. He took a deep breath, still keeping some distance from Applebloom. "You need to finish Scootaloo's Puzzle."

"Forget you! Forget your stupid puzzles!"

Fab's eyes narrowed into tiny, beady orbs, glaring at the filly. He bucked back on his hind hooves, moaning. He braced himself, and he opened his mouth to start on a nice, long rant.

"Hey, uh... Fab..."

Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Fab all stared as the bassist pony stepped closer. He had a very sheepish look on his face. Applebloom blinked, and a green flash went across the musicians' body. The bassist turned from a generic grey and brown stallion into a tall, yellow pegasus with weird black stripes going across his sides.

Stupid changeling things! Applebloom moved to the side, getting between Fab and Scootaloo with the filly pegasus sitting behind her. I can't belive it... it... Applebloom took a little breath, hooves knocking against the floor. I can't believe it's taken me so long to really get it. Those band boys are the same things that crashed Cadence's wedding. I knew at first-- I always knew it. But now, know that I've seen them change and I know for sure-- what should I do about it? Do those things have any weaknesses? Shoot, even the whole six elements of harmony had trouble with them!

"It's her," said the bassist, shuffling his hooves evasively. "She's made it into the... into our place."

"It's what?" Fab asked.

"The Princess of the morning is here, your majesty. She's here. Last sighted in Sector G, heading for Sector H."

"That chunky flanked whore! She's breaking into my house? My place? Ruining my plans? Ugh!" Fab smashed his hooves into the ground, forcing them down so hard that he left dents in the metal. The bassist took a gulp.

"So, uh, what are we supposed to do about it?"

"Leave 'Celly' to me." Fab murmured, making a suddenly devious expression. Applebloom fantasized about bucking some of those dagger-like teeth right out of Fab's mouth. Fab's body lit up with flaming green magic.

"What about the... the... whatever their names are?" asked the bassist, "Your screw-toys?

I'm not somepony's bucking 'screw-toy'! Applebloom's face burned with rage. She found Scootaloo going into a weird mental zone behind her, the filly's eyes glazed over, and she shook. She could barely keep from fighting that monster right then and there.

"Well... whatever!" Fab turned to Applebloom. "Alright, listen missy and listen good." He raised a hoof in the air, making a side to side motion. "I had this whole spiel planned. I was going to ask you math problems. You'd solve the size of the crowd. Probability games. Yadda Yadda Yadda. You know what? Screw Scootaloo's Puzzle. I'm leaving."

"What!"

Circle upon circle of black and green energy ran across Fab's body, a trail of sparkles shooting from atop his head. He glared at Applebloom, and he went on, "Sing. Sing the bucking encore. Do whatever thing that you need to jog Scootaloo's memory. I doubt you can really do it-- you sing in way that a represents the same kind of love that you have for her. Then, when you're done, you get to pick who goes bounced home. The end. No stupid complications or anything."

"What? What!"

Fab disappeared. He winked a second before his magic went over him, Applebloom getting a nice picture of the monster's true form. Applebloom couldn't make out much more than the pony's jagged black horn, but that was more than enough.

"Ugh!" Applebloom moaned. She turned around slowly, eyes going up Scootaloo from her bottom hooves to her blank, emotionless face. The poor pegasus filly's eyes seemed to have a thick green crust building up around them, pupils all dialted. Appleboom put her hooves around Scootaloo's eyes. "Please! Wake up! Shake it off! That changling monster is away from us now, and it's just you and me!" She hugged her, feeling herself almost starting to cry.

"Encore! Encore!" The crowd shouted out.

I guess it's not just you and me. Applebloom broke the hug, making a frustrated sigh, and she magically lifted up her microphone. She did a double-take as she saw it suddenly split into two, a black and red flash going over the metal. What! In just a matter of seconds, she found herself standing in the middle of the stage with two identical mics. She hovered one over besides Scootaloo's face, hoping that it might trigger something. Oh, please!

"Well, Princess Celestia is around." Somewhere! There's a 'Sector G'? And I'm in the sector before or after that? Where in the hay am I, anyways! She took a gulp. Okay. It's all up to me. I know... well, I've long known that it's that horrible changeling queen that's been tormenting us. I just didn't know for sure until I saw her changing right in front of my eyes. How does knowing that help me? I suppose that just means that, like she said, I have to find a song that represents our... our love.

Here are your new song choices!

You don't have much time! The crowd looks pretty restless!

Now, pick a tune that will knock them flat on their backs, a song that will blast the whole arena into paradise!

Please select your song menu:

==]Best of Arena Rock[==
==] Best of Power Pop [==
==] Best of Synth Pop [==

"Let's have a look at arena rock, please!" Applebloom commented. She took a determined breath, steeling herself. She turned over to Scootaloo. Cadence defeated that horrible leader of those bugs. What did she do, again? She didn't really do anything! She just showed her love. Is that all it takes? I just have to sing about our love, our friendship, to get Scootaloo free? She glanced at her microphone, trying to concentrate and activate her magic.

*Flash!*

"I love that rollickin' hard rock!" Scootaloo suddenly yelled.

"Oh my gosh! You're okay!" The filly's eyes, although still looking pale from that despicable green magic, had the horrible crusty residue wiped off of them. A red aura tingled across Scootaloo's body, something like electricity sparkling from her hooves to her wingtips and all in between.

"I wasn't okay?" Scootaloo asked, looking totally confused. Her eyes darted across the stage. "Hey, what happened to Fab?"

"Oh, he's not coming back! I hope..." Applebloom replied. Scootaloo's face turned into a big frown. Applebloom turned back to the electronic screen, grinning. Well, I guess my magic in this world is a lot better than I thought. If only I could find a tune that we both remember! A song from our pasts, one that she loves and that singing to her would... would jog her memory...

Enjoy this selection of twenty live, hard rockin' tunes! Live your dreams!

Hold On Loosely (Live From Houston) - .38 Special

Back In The Saddle (Live From Austin) - Aerosmith

Lonely Is The Night (Live From Montreal) - Billy Squier

Bad Medicine (Live From St. Louis) - Bon Jovi

More Than A Feeling (Live From Vancouver) - Boston

Summer of '69 (Live From Ottawa) - Bryan Adams

Woman From Tokyo (Live From Manchester) - Deep Purple

Photograph (Live From New York) - Def Leppard

Hot Blooded (Live From Kansas City) - Foreigner

The Power Of Love (Live From Los Angeles) - Huey Lewis & the News

You've Got Another Thing Comin' (Live From Baltimore) - Judas Priest

Symphony of Destruction (Live From Toronto) - Megadeth

Green Tinted Sixties Mind (Live From San Francisco) - Mr. Big

Rock N' Roll Star (Live From Glasgow) - Oasis

Flying High Again (Live From Warsaw) - Ozzy Osbourne

All Right Now (Live From London) - Queen + Paul Rodgers

Talk Dirty To Me (Live From Dallas) - Poison

Round And Round (Live From San Diego) - Ratt

Rock You Like A Hurricane (Live From Moscow) - Scorpions

Dance The Night Away (Live From Edmonton) - Van Halen

"Buck it!" Applebloom hollered. Once again! I don't know any of the stupid tunes! And where the hay are these weird places, anyways? 'Houston'? 'Moscow'? 'Toronto'? She looked over at Scootaloo, who simply hopped up and down from taking in the crowd's almost never-ending excitement. Applebloom looked over the list one more time.

Hey, wait... one of these sounds familar. She strained to think back, picturing that moment way back with DJ Pon-3. She had played around with the mare's fancy equipment along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Pinkie had come in, asking how the party's music plans were going. The pink mare had brought in this large, weird looking record.

Applebloom starined to remember more. That record had odd white and grey streaks coupled with a ton of scratchy nubs on the top of it, looking as if it had been burned with some kind of strange energy or electricity or radiation or something. Pinkie had said something about feeling so proud, about finally trying out some "brand spankin' new jams". Applebloom just sat by and listening. Scootaloo didn't like most of the songs, but one of them got to her. Scootaloo even teared up. Sweetie seemed to love them all.

What was that blasted first song? I think it know it. It went 'I took her home, in my place, watching every move on her face'. And then it went 'I said hey, what is this, maybe she's in need of a kiss'. And they repeated these three words over and over again. Scootaloo couldn't stand it-- it was too blasted repetitive for her. Applebloom glanced down the list again. "Oasis sung that. Ozzy sang that. No... ugh..."

She suddenly stopped.

It's all right now.

She started to shiver from pure excitement. She took sputtered breaths, going down to her bottom hooves and dropping her mic. She gasped.

Baby, it's all right now.

"I know that bucking song! I actually know that song! I know it! I know it!" She hopped around, twirling about the stage just like Pinkie Pie would. "I know it! Pinkie played it-- that was the going away party! The one where Pokey Pierce left for Hoofington! She said that she had gotten that weird record of strange, obscure tunes from--" Applebloom cleared her throat, trying to mimic the pink mare's particular fluffy voice. "I got it from my friends from the other side of the screen, you silly pickle!"

What the hay did she mean by 'friends from the other side of the screen'? What screen? Pinkie, why do you have to be so bucking weird! She paused, speeding over to Scootaloo's side. Well, that doesn't matter. Scootaloo didn't like that one song. But she loved, loved, loved that other song. It was connected to! It was another song that had something to do with Queens or a Queen or something.

Applebloom reached out and pulled the screen closer. She flicked over it, her hoof rubbing up against the oddly sticky-feeling plastic. Blast it! It doesn't help. I know that if I sang a song that Scootaloo remembered, then she'll start to wake up for real this time. But It's not in any of these 'Best Of' selections.

"I wish I could just search for a another song or something..." Applebloom muttered. She stopped once again. "Hey, wait a moment..." She glared at the screen. "Activate search!"

This user does not have permission to access additional songs. Please locate the individual in charger of the user marked 'administrator'.

"Rats!" Applebloom paced around the stage for a moment.

"So, when are we picking our next song, Apple Bumpkins?" Scootaloo asked, totally oblivious.

"Just pick up your mic and--" Applebloom stopped mid-sentence, seeing herself magically lift Scootaloo's mic in the air. Her red aura glowed all over it. Oh, what a ninny I've been! I should stop playing by that changeling Queen's rules! She reached out with a hoof against the screen, and she concentrated.

*Beeeeeeeep*

The screen turned into a checkered black and white pattern, her red aura flowing all over it. "Come on, come on," Applebloom whispered. She pictured an image marked 'search' in her mind. She felt energy coursing through her body, and she knew that she could re-work the karaoke machine. She pictured all of these wires and transistors dotted about inside, and she felt her magic sinking into the workings.

Pepared to search...

_______________

Please enter search term.

Applebloom let out a happy squeal. "Songs about love and friendship, please."

Error: too many search terms given.

Please restate.

"Okie-dokie," Applebloom said, rubbing her hooves, "How about-- songs featuring the word 'friend'. Just 'friend'."

Calculating...

Applebloom took a deep breath. Scootaloo had wandered off into the edge of the crowd and started talking to a pack of griffons. Those griffons had the same soulless, dead eyes as the dragons Applebloom had seen earlier. I wonder how many of these guests are fake and how many are poor creatures made into slaves by changeling magic. She shuddered.

Songs located!

Result number one=

You're My Best Friend - Queen

"That's it!" Applebloom called out, shooting right up into the air with pure happiness. "That's the tune! Pinkie played that in her album!" That was what I remembered about 'Queen'. It was like a... a... I guess the horrible changeling queen was fond of that artist named after her, or maybe she was named after them, or whatever. She ended up putting at least one song by them into the 'Best of' selections. She was so vain that she ended up making that fatal mistake.

Notice: Given the 'encore' status of this performance, that song-- tagged with the description as 'slow, emotional piano rock'-- cannot be selected by itself. It can be peformed as part of a 'medley' of different tunes by the same artist.

Queen Medley has been selected.

Song One: All Right Now (Live From London) - Queen + Paul Rodgers

Song Two: Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

Song Three [Climax]: You're My Best Friend - Queen

Would you like to begin playing this option?

I can't handle three songs in a row like that! It would be too much! Applebloom opened her mouth, trying to talk the machine into just letting her play their own special song-- the "best friend" song. "I would like--"

"Yes! I'm bored! Let's finally sing already!" Scootaloo called out, speeding over to Applebloom's side and interrupting her.

Queen Medley has been selected.

"Well, here we go..." Applebloom gazed over at her brainwashed friend, hoping that she had the power to get through these two new songs before she could try and jog the filly's memory.

Applebloom took a deep breath.

To Be Continued...

I'm A 'Gamer'

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville...

Princess Celestia paced around in Twilight's library, her face locked in a cold stare at nopony in particular. The three friends standing around her just waited. They hadn't seen Celestia look this genuinely scared, even though the monarch tried to hide it, and they felt deeply overwhelmed. Fluttershy cared for Sweetie Belle as Rainbow Dash scouted across the Everfree, trying to find Zecora and look for clues.

"Why did Applebloom pick that spell? How did she even manage to make the spell work?" Celestia repeated for the umpteenth time, talking to nopony in particularly.

Twilight pulled up book after book, trying to remember the volume that contained this one particular reference, something about "darklands" created by ponies' own inner thoughts. She paused, leaning up against a wide bookshelf, and she let out a whistle. "I know, I've read that. And I just read it last week. How in the hay am I forgetting where I read it?" she murmured. Her eyes slanted from bookshelf to bookshelf, pausing at a very thin and very old book titled Interpretations of Dreams: A New Scientific Analysis. "Maybe..."

"Rarity," Celestia said, staring straight at the floor.

"Yes, your majesty!" Rarity replied, standing up at full attention.

"Are you sure that Sweetie Belle hasn't had problems sleeping recently?" the alicorn asked, sitting down upon a stack of pillows and locking eyes with the worried big sister. Rarity felt taken aback at how tender and concerning Celestia looked.

"Why, no, I'm very sure of that."

"Did she keep some kind of a 'dream journal' or one of those personal type diaries?" Celestia leaned back, gears turning in her mind. "Maybe she had issues that she didn't want to talk to you about, feeling embarrassed."

Rarity shifted her head to the side, wiggling her mane around her back. "She just has a sort of 'promise keeper'-type diary. She's showed it to me a few times. Nothing in there at all that would have anything to do with the changeling queen or some kind of 'netherworld', goodness no." She paused, and she chuckled. "She writes about feeling weird at herself for maybe-kind-of falling for Snails, about her favorite type of cake frosting, about how she's improved so much at bowling, and... all that stuff..." Rarity trailed off as Celestia made an angry sigh.

"Same thing for Scootaloo as well," Celestia said, partly to the other ponies but mostly to herself. "It doesn't make sense. It just doesn't." She walks over to the window, watching as the rain streaks down the glass. "The cultists that made that spell, those old world extremist ponies expelled from the Canterlot Mystical Society centuries ago, wrote about servitude. They described their nightmares in great detail, turning those horrible thoughts into concrete spells, and they claimed that the 'negation of the illusion of free will' came in embracing one's dreams. They wanted to turn one's dreams into reality in order to be 'happy slaves' to the primordial 'force', like an aether, going through the whole universe."

"Religious extremist stuff that I've herd before, jes' only from long-bearded loonies on big city corners," Applejack commented. She slanted back and collapsed into a chair, motioning for the tall glass of water behind her.

"It should be just a mouthful of nonsense," Celestia replied. She stopped. She started to feel angry, clearly, as her ears perked up and her breaths becoming short. She knew that she absolutely could not make a scene in front of those ponies, especially Rarity given the poor mare's emotional rollercoaster. She felt her heart burning.

"Yes, Scootaloo hasn't had any problems sleeping. No nightmares. No reason for her to be particularly interested in this spell or receptive to a kind of thing that would turn her darkest mental desires into a reality," Twilight commented, combing through the book in front of her.

Celestia wanted to just smash the bookshelves against the floor in frustration. "Foals in danger," she whispered to herself, so quiet that she couldn't even hear herself. "Thousands of years can go on, and I'll never be able to stand it. To take it. Seeing these-- these-- sick, twisted monsters-- hurting foals." She felt like a second-mother to each new generation that she oversaw.

"Wait 'jes a cotton-pickin' moment," Applejack suddenly called out.

All eyes aimed at her. Celestia, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie-- staying uncharacteristically silent through this whole time-- waited for the next world. Applejack blushed a tiny bit at the attention.

"Applebloom did have some... well, it's hard to explain. Ya'll know what nightmares are. Ya'll know what regular dreams are," Applejack went on, walking over and grabbing another glass of water. "I guess I just should spit it out."

"Yes," Twilight said, walking over to Applejack's side.

"She had super good dreams recently," Applejack said. "Especially in the last couple weeks."

"Super-de-dooper good?" Pinkie chimed in.

"It's like, well, she's wanted to sleep more than do anything else, almost from that." Applejack stroked her chin. "She said that her dreams felt like real-life. They even seemed 'more real than real-life', even thought that don't make a lick o' sense. She became a conquerin' warrior gettin' to be queen, became a ship captain defeatin' a sea monster, became a champion flyer beatin' the Wonderbolts, a super genius talkin' fancy with the Canterlot high society folk, and much more." She took a little breath. "She kept on bragging about her dream life that Big Mac and I couldn't keep from rollin' our eyes, every mornin'. She insisted that it felt so weirdly good, that she remembered every single event like real memories."

"Fascinating," Celestia replied. She felt her anger fading, and she tried to think back. So much of her classical education had told her that dreams meant nothing, as useful as crust along one's eyes, and yet so many top advisers over the years had found otherwise. She made for another glass of water herself.

"I didn't speak 'bout that earlier," Applejack commented. "I 'jes heard ya'll talkin' 'bout 'nightmares', when Applebloom's the exact opposite sort. I suppose I should've talked' 'bout that before."

"Your highness?" Twilight suddenly asked. She pulled up too thin, freshly printed books from the far side of the bookshelves. She made a happy squeak as she recognized the titles.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever played video games?"

"Why," Celestia began, and she wondered just how to answer the question, "yes. I'm not what one would normally label as a 'gamer', but I enjoy character-driven experiences where one solves puzzles." She makes a soft chuckle. "I've had a particular fondness for Silent Canterlot, playing as the young stallion thrust into a frigid ice world as he seeks his older sister." She paused. "Okay, I admit that I'm a 'gamer'."

"In video games, the player has this sort of special ability-- let's call it 'user power'. They can't really get killed. They always restart somewhere. They can see past corners where in game non-player characters can't," Twilight said, ripping through the first book, which featured a fancy, glossy red cover.

"Darling, I have no clue where you're going with this," Rarity commented, coming up behind the unicorn.

"Applebloom has magic in this netherworld! Even as she stays an earth pony!" Twilight called out, turning around and magically holding up the second book. "If it's supposed to be a nightmare world, then why the hay would she have magic? If she's truly being kept prisoner, then it makes no sense."

"Twilight," Celestia said, "I understand, but what does any of that mean?"

"Applebloom is stronger," Twilight said, feeling so overcome with emotion that she trembled. "She has the user power. It's her game. It's her dream. That's why she was the one that picked this spell in her little cutie mark ability test, that's why she actually activated the spell, even though she didn't understand it all consciously."

"Twilight!" Pinkie interrupted, hopping over out of nowhere with another tray of snacks for the group. "I think they want you to get to the point."

"We had it backwards," Twilight replied, "The changeling queen needs Applebloom and not the other way around. She's used the power of her dreams and this old, horrible spell in order to break into this underworld. But it's not an inherently evil underworld, or at least that's what Strong's Commentaries on Dissident Magic seems to indicate--" She magically threw over a battered and torn old book from the corner of the floor over to her side, speeding through the pages to a bookmarked section. "Right!"

"Right!" Rarity repeated, still rather confused about Twilight's discovery. She lowered her voice. "At least she's excited about whatever she read."

"The queen feeds from love. Applebloom's dream state had enough love, love for herself and for adventure with her dream friends, to keep her somewhat alive. But the queen couldn't do much with that. Thus, she subtly, subconsciously influenced Applebloom to get the whole Crusaders to do this spell and do it right. That whole thing with the doors?"

Rarity took a deep breath, recalling how horrified Sweetie had been when talking about her entrapment. She felt so happy that Mr. and Mrs. Cake had welcomed the now peacefully safe and sleeping Sweetie, both of them telling Rarity to "kick the sorry flanks" of the "monster that would do that to a filly" when Celestia arrived in Ponyville. She sat down, trying to take in Twilight's monologue.

"It would make sense if the queen put Sweetie and Scootaloo in danger, maybe making tests puzzles for Applebloom to complete in order to save her friends. Then, this netherworld ends up working as a sort of video game platform!" Twilight said. "The queen feasts from Applebloom's love, and she manages to use the place as well as a re-arming place at the same time. She could re-amass her army on the sidelines. Just think about how Sweetie desribed the water area. Doesn't that seem like an area from Silent Canterlot or some other new release for the Pony-Box?"

"Too bad that Sweetie didn't have that grappling hook thingy-a-mah-bob like Princess Zedra in that Quest for the Eternal Four Swords game!" Pinkie burst out, hopping around and pretending to shoot ropes from her hooves. "She could just hop from metal grid to metal grid by tapping 'Z'!" She whistles, tapping against the ground. "Z! Snap! Z! Snap!"

"Twilight..." Rarity began, not knowing how to finish.

"And it's so easy now from our side!" Twilight went on. "All we need to do is to all wear items of Applebloom's, maybe all of us putting on one of her matching bows--" She felt around her mane, wondering if she'd look too tacky. "And we just go to that same spot in the Everfree to recite the "system jail-break" counter-spell found in Your Easy Guide to Video Game Cheats by Skanky Flanks Jr." Twilight held up the book she had finally found-- bright shiny icons from the latest Pony-Box releases all across the cover. S.F. Jr.'s author signature, a boot rubbing up a fat red stallion's plot, decorated the lower-right corner. "Then, we arrive right there in the netherworld that she's in."

"Twilight," Celestia said, putting a hoof over on the unicorn's shoulder and rubbing forwards.

Twilight turned a variety of colors. Celestia's motherly, soft attention always melted her heart. Celestia leaned a few inches even closer, making Twilight take a little breath.

"We don't have to do anything," Celestia said. "On the contrary, I feel like the best thing for you and the rest of the elements of harmony to do is to keep Ponyville safe. Sweetie must be protected. And you're all in that monster's sights. I feel like the larger the force we bring into the netherworld, the worse things might become."

"Are you saying--" Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight all said at once.

"I'm not going by myself," Celestia replied. She paused, trying to think of how to word things. She wanted to protect those ponies that she loved so dearly, that felt as much of a part of her as her own hooves, but she couldn't patronize them. "My best guards and I will test Twilight's hypothesis. Another alicorn, or several others, may accompany us as well."

Celestia stepped over to the door. She looked out and saw the rain pounding harder than ever. Even though administrative ponies had planned this minor rainstorm far in advance, the torrents of flowing wanter felt so ominous.

"Your highness," Applejack said, walking right behind Celestia. "I'm gonna have to put my hoof down."

"I knew that you would."

"She's my flesh and blood sister. She's still in danger, maybe even havin' her life threatened 'jes at this moment."

Celestia sighed. She turned around and faced the four ponies in the room. Twilight had a look of pure conviction. Rarity and Pinkie just seemed totally confused. Applejack seemed so sure of herself that she had to go, her eyes focused as her heart beat like a jackhammer.

"Applejack," Celestia said, laying on that motherly tone even thicker than before, "I don't think you understand."

Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but she hesitated. Celestia's face seemed to hold so much emotion.

"Assume that Twilight is correct. This is all wild speculation at this point, but this line of reasoning seems to be all that we have to really go on. Thus, Applebloom's love is being eaten, literally," said the alicorn. "Scootaloo and Sweetie's peril made the changeling leader stronger, even though Applebloom herself is the one who's dream-like state powers this underworld. Now, imagine what would happen if Applebloom were to see her sister, somepony that she loves with every last fiber of her being more than a friend, put in danger in front of her. Would that only make the queen even stronger?"

Applejack understood, nodding.

"The more ponies we send, the more we prolong this game and all the queen more opportunities to feed. This grows worse the emotionally closer those ponies are to Applebloom." Celestia paused, trying to diplomatically phrase what she would say next. "My understanding is that Applebloom does not have particular fondness for myself, for ponies associated with the royal family, or for Twilight." Celestia didn't say one crucial thing. She didn't reveal this one particular thing that she knew about this 'netherworld' that the other ponies couldn't even guess-- she vowed long ago to protect this secret even in the most extreme circumstance.

The three ponies just stared back, not sure even how to take that in.

"Your highness," Twilight meekly interjected.

Celestia nodded.

"I don't know how to put this. So, I'll just say it." She summoned up courage, sitting up tall. "I believe that you're thinking about things totally wrong."

"How so?" she flatly asked back.

"I agree that we shouldn't send a whole army there. I also agree with what you said about Applejack and about the nature of Applebloom's love being eaten. But," Twilight said, "we shouldn't be thinking about defeating the queen at all."

Celestia rose her eyebrows, not expecting to hear that at all.

"The best thing would be a feint."

"Yes..." Celestia muttered, too quiet for them to hear. She wondered if her secret might actually help her out after all.

"And, during our feint," Twilight said, "we wouldn't need to fight the queen. Applebloom can do that. She's the player, and she controls the whole thing. She's stronger. Literally all she needs to do, if all this reasoning is correct, is just to realize that she's stronger."

"And then?" Rarity asked. "What happens."

"Game over."

To Be Continued...