My Little Pony: Stone and Metal

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 2: Inside Info
Chapter 3: Sparkling City
Chapter 4: Ashes of the Phoenix
Chapter 5: Trial
Chapter 6: Confrontation
Chapter 1: Ponyville Ghost town

Prologue

The ponies of Equestria had survived many years of fear, war and superstition, and they learned much on both magic and science. It was in those times when Earth Ponies shared their lives with Unicorns, Pegasi and Alicorns. Inside the lands of Equestria, in a town named Ponyville, there stood a castle that seemed to resemble a crystal tree. This was the home of the legendary princess of friendship, Twilight Sparkle. There isn't much to be said about her, or her five best friends; while she has earned her place in royalty, she's still like any normal pony who lived in Ponyville. Everyone who knew Twilight knows she was once a unicorn before she gained wings, and even then, she loved reading. Her castle had an entire library, almost twice as big as the Golden Oaks library that was destroyed by Lord Tirek. Now, Twilight and her friends were in some pretty unique adventures, their most amazing adventure yet began inside a dark cave where they awoke one day and had absolutely no clue as to how they got there in the first place. They were yet to learn what nightmares they are soon to face.

Twilight Sparkle was the first to wake up, but it didn't take long before the others followed. "Is everypony okay?" She asked. They all nodded as to say "yes". "So, where do you think we are?" asked Rainbow Dash, as her wing bones popped while she stretched. "I don't know," Twilight replied, "but there should be no harm in finding out." She took a step forward, but then felt something poke her hoof. "Oh!" she gasped, "What have we got here?" The six ponies had just now noticed what looked like 6 crystals. Each having a specific color; magenta, red, sky blue, indigo, green, and yellow. "You know," Twilight decided, "these look really pretty. I'm sure everyone at home will want to see these crystals... if we ever get home." Using telekinesis, Twilight held onto the 6 crystals and led everyone out of the cave.

Outside, they noticed what looked like a golem. It carried an axe where its right hand should be, and on its left hand, a gauntlet that fires arcane bolts. "My word," said Rarity, "What kind of creature is that?" "How am I supposed to know?" answered Twilight, "We just woke up, remember?"

They decided to follow the beast, taking care not to get to close. At the moment it stopped, Twilight was starting to wonder if it knew who was behind it. "Maybe he can help us...?" Twilight pondered, "Fluttershy, could you ask him?" "I can," the shy yellow Pegasus answered. She flew towards the creature and tapped on its shoulder. "Pardon us, sir," Fluttershy told it, "but we're kinda lost, and We were just wondering if you could tell us where we are now, if it's not too much trouble." "This can't end nicely," Applejack said, worried. Looking a bit confused, the creature replied to them, "So it was you who were following me." Twilight felt a little dumbfounded that this beast could speak, let alone notice them. "I seem to have misplaced the High Pygon Emperor's elite soldiers. You look so strange. What are you?" None of the six ponies replied. "Perhaps you broke the Pygon Emperor's military elite? This all seems peculiar." "WHAT?" Twilight yelped, "No, we couldn't have broken anyone, I swear!" "Panicky, Thy name is Twilight," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Oh! She got you, Twilight," Pinkie Pie laughed. "Maybe the Pygon High Council can help sort this out," said the Pygon, "They can fix you if you are broken." "I don't feel broken," said Fluttershy. "You might be inside out," said the Pygon, "That's easy to fix." "Uh, do we seriously look inside out?" asked Applejack, looking at her hide, "You still look like a cowgirl to me," said Pinkie. "It would be best," the Pygon decided, "if I took you to see the Pygon High Council so they can examine you six. You will come with me." "Stay away from her!" Rainbow Dash yelled, quickly kicking the Pygon's head so hard it flew straight from it's body, which in turn, followed said head. All of that lead to a long hour of silence.

"...Holy crud," Twilight said, surprised, "That was just brutal." "What the hay did you expect me to do, Twilight," Rainbow Dash asked, "just let that guy take our friend away and let these 'Pygon' things do Celestia knows what to her?" Twilight just giggled. "Well," she said, "at least we're safe now. Let's keep going." Later on, they found a tree that had windows and a door like a house would have. From it's branches hung bottles and vials, and above the door was a mask. "Say, isn't that Zecora's house?" asked Pinkie Pie. Twilight examined the treehouse, and quickly realized where they were. "This place must be the Everfree Forest," she decided, "It looks the same, and yet it feels different." Soon, they heard a noise. It sounded like a giant was walking towards them. They decided to keep moving, hoping they wouldn't come across whatever it was who was making those large sounds.

Later on, they found the beheaded Pygon again trying to get its head back. "I'm over here," the head told the body, "Oh, be careful, there's some mud there." Grabbing the branch with the axe hand, the Pygon body pulled it down in an attempt to seise the head. "That's it," the head encouraged the body, "Slowly, and carefully..." Then, before anyone could speak, the Pygon body slipped letting go of the branch. In retaliation, the branch quickly swung upwards catapulting the head into the sky. The body just laid there motionless after. Twilight examined the gauntlet that fell off the body's wrist. She picked it up and slid it on her arm. "Strange little gizmo, isn't it?" Twilight thought to herself. She touched it a bit, playing around with it like a little toy. And then, when she rubbed down the top of the gauntlet, it shot an arcane bolt, making Twilight jump. "I didn't see that coming," Twilight said, blushing. "I'm guessing THAT'S how the thing fires," Rainbow Dash snickered. Then, suddenly, they caught sight of a Pygon that seemed to resemble a tarantula. It looked at them, and quickly came after them as if it had a grudge on them! Twilight ducked down and evaded the Pygon's first attack, and the beast came around for a second bash. "Leave us alone!" Twilight screamed. Then, the Pygon got pricked by the crystal Twilight was carrying, and felt pain. It shrunk down and then fell apart. From the broken remains, there was a body of a pink alicorn. It seemed lifeless at first, but then it snorted. "Stay close to me," Twilight told the others, "If it's alive, then let's hope it's not hostile." Upon getting a closer look, Twilight could see that it was someone she's quite familiar with. "Well, I'll be," Twilight said, utterly amazed, "Princess Cadance, is that you?" Cadance just slowly raised her head as if she was groggy. "Twilight," she said, "Where am I?"

Now, Twilight knew Cadance all too well; She was once her foal-sitter. A caring, gentle pony like Cadance would've have Twilight give her the title of "Greatest foal-sitter in all the history of foal-sitters". Plus, it was pretty rare to see a unicorn simply spread love wherever she goes. And now that she's married to Shining Armor, Twilight's brother, they are sisters-in-law. "So," Cadance asked Twilight, "what happened to all of you?" "We woke up in a cave of some kind," Answered Twilight. "Do you remember anything?" "Well," Cadance admitted, "I think I was just about to nibble on a cookie, that's all I could remember." "You..." Twilight said before losing track of her sentence, "...It's kinda hard to explain this, but you became some sort of monster. You were attacking us, and somehow we freed you. Must be because of these crystals we found." Cadance just smiled and said, "I gotta say, that's very brave of you." "You just pricked yourself on that thing and then you became you again," added Pinkie. "Dark magic isn't my specialty," said Cadance, "but I AM curious; Let's pretend it's true that you freed me from the form of a tartarus-spawn. If you'd same form, how were you able to reach your own freedom?" Twilight thought about it for a minute, and flashbacks began to flood her head. According to these flashbacks, she and her friends were giant creatures entering the cave. Almost like they too were in the form of demons. The sting each of them got during that time was excruciating. Maybe it was the crystal that struck them. Was its magic the very key to setting things right?

After a while, they found the gateway between the forest and Ponyville. But after only 6 steps, Twilight tripped on something and fell down. "Owie..." Twilight moaned. shaking off her pain, she looked back to see what tripped her. It looked like a stone head. "Sorry," Twilight blushed. "Oh, nevermind it," the head said, "But watch where you're going next time." Twilight then looked a bit confused. "How exactly can you live like that? You're a head." "Such is the power of Pygon," the head chuckled, "Life and death are plagues created by the sisters. Pygon can neither live nor die." "You okay, Twi?" Rainbow Dash said. "Of course I am," answered Twilight, as she quickly hid the head away. "Look," said Fluttershy, "There's Ponyville!" "At least it's not completely destroyed," said Twilight. Everypony soon came to glimpse with facts; it turned out that they were awakened from the Pygon curse. The only thing that concerned Twilight, however, was the crystals she and her friends were holding. What enchantments did they possess? And what about the Pygon head? It too had secrets, but what was it hiding?

Chapter 2: Inside Info

Upon entering the castle, Twilight felt comfort in seeing nothing was wrecked. Well, there WAS only many books scattered all over the library floor, but that was pretty much it. "Other than the mess in the library," Twilight said, "I think the interior of this place is unscathed." She managed to find a book that had a topic on magic like this. Research was a hobby that Twilight enjoyed greatly, and it didn't take long before she found a page discussing Pygon magic. "Here it is!" she beamed, "This page should tell us everything we need to know. Too bad it doesn't talk much about how Pygon create more Pygon." "It would be hard for you to understand how it's done," said Gourd, "There's dark magic involved, as well as foul concoctions and nightmarish gadgets applied to a writhing animal opposed to being cured of its flesh curse. Let's just say it's not a pleasant sight for you." "Go any further into detail, and I'll throw up," Twilight groaned. "If it makes you feel better," said Gourd, "You DO get a treat afterward." "Don't even bother telling me what Pygon consider a treat," snapped Twilight.

Reading onwards, Twilight stumbled upon a picture of a strange gate. "What kind of door is this?" she wondered. "I've seen that gate at the entrance to the Crystal Empire," said Cadance. "Oh, yes," Gourd told them, "Those gates require pygon power to open." "Do you know how we can acquire this power?" Twilight asked Gourd. "Yes," the Pygon head answered, "We use that power for our work. We store it in relics we call 'seeds'." "There might be some in our own houses," Twilight said, "We better search them." Each of the friends found a seed in each of their homes; Twilight found hers under her throne. Rainbow Dash found one hidden behind her Daring Do book. In Applejack's house, it was in the stove. Pinkie found a seed under her bed, And Rarity found one in the bathroom(for whatever unknown reason). As for Fluttershy, she manage to find a seed in one of her birdhouses, and yet she found something else in there too: a smaller Pygon. She was a little nervous of what it might do, but much to her confusion and relief, it didn't want to hurt her. Instead, it just hopped up onto Fluttershy's mane and snuggled her. "For a Pygon, you sure are cute," said Fluttershy.

Later, outside Ponyville Town Hall, Everyone gathered around and showed their seeds. "Yes," said Twilight, "That should be enough." Then, a small audible sneeze could be heard. It came from Fluttershy's hair. "What've you got there, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight. "Well," the yellow pegasus confessed, showing off her little friend, "I may have found a companion of my own." "Fascinating," smiled Twilight. "Oh yes, a Pygoid," Gourd said, almost cringing at the sight. "So you know about these little guys," Smirked Twilight. "You're darn right I do," replied Gourd, "They had appeared recently. There's only one thing I actually LIKE about them; they cannot be plagued with flesh." "They don't have an animal form?" Asked Applejack. "And they don't serve any purpose to Pygon," answered Gourd, "They cannot obey any of the emperor's orders." "I just found this one in my house," said Fluttershy, "He look cute to me." "Yes, of course," Gourd said, "But TRUE Pygon are not cute; that's just a word used to infantilize the subject. These creatures are only another strain of Pygon."

They had to get to the Crystal Empire by train. Fortunately, Twilight managed to buy a few tickets for the train that will take them to the kingdom. By the time they reached Twilight's castle for supplies, They spotted a Pygon twice as tall as any normal one. It started to attack, but Twilight Sparkle stunned it with a magic blast. The monster got enraged by the second magic missile, and rushed forward to strike, but was then giving a full blast of magic from Twilight. The behemoth fell to the ground and then broke apart, just like Cadance's Pygon form. This time, it revealed a Unicorn with a red and yellow mane and tail. She stood up, wobbly and stupefied. Recalling her time in the human dimension, Twilight had already recognized the Amber pony's face. "Having a little trouble getting up there, Sunset Shimmer?" she asked her, jokingly. Sunset giggled at Twilight's little wisecrack, but quickly cowered when she saw what Twilight was carrying. "It's alright," Twilight said, "He won't do much of anything at this state." "Yeah," agreed Rainbow Dash, "It's just a..." "...A Pygon head," Sunset Shimmer finished, "I was worried the curse would come for me." While a little insulted, Gourd kept his cool. "Pygon is not a curse, it is a gift from Father Darkness." "Do me a favor and leave this conversation with the ponies that can walk," Twilight told Gourd with a scowl. "I have a feeling all of Equestria's been infected by the Pygon already," Sunset Shimmer said, feeling much sorrow. "Every creature of flesh and bone," said Gourd, "have had their Pygon glory restored from one coast to the other." Sunset Shimmer told them that another goliath Pygon has seemed to conquer the Crystal Empire.

Twilight and her friends got on the train to the Crystal Empire allowing Princess Cadance and Sunset Shimmer to tend to Ponyville as best they could. Before the train departed, Twilight saw ponies she knew all too well. With the Ponyville Colossus defeated, the Pygon curse has been lifted from everypony who lived in Ponyville. Of course, it was clear to Twilight that confusion would turn to depression should they see what had become of their home. But Twilight still felt happy for them because it too was obvious that one watertight remedy for anguish was hard work and it wouldn't take long for everypony there to set to the task of fixing their town, their entire home built afresh. To the Crystal Empire they would go, their task yet to be done.

Chapter 3: Sparkling City

The train carriage wasn't quite full, but the engine itself was quite functional enough to get them to where the six friends needed to go. Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but feel depressed over these events, as if SHE was the cause of all of it. "What's wrong?" Asked Rainbow Dash. "I feel like this was all my fault," confessed Twilight, "As if I was responsible for this whole thing." "Father Darkness is responsible for Pygon," said Gourd. "I knew those books were trouble," Twilight whimpered. Gourd talked gently to her as if a little bit of sympathy came from whatever form he once was. "I think I get it," he said, "You feel regret due to a transgression that had supposedly led to a present upshot that is causing you guilt." "To tell you the truth," Twilight explained, "Princess Celestia is like a mother to me, and I feel honored to be her most gifted student, but sometimes what I do doesn't feel like it's enough. I felt like there may be more out there." "If I didn't know you any better," Gourd told Twilight, "I'd say you were curious about mysterious spells." Twilight nodded, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "Curiosity killed the cat, Twilight," said Pinkie Pie, trying to comfort her, "Trust me. I tried sour cream once, and it tasted good, but it wasn't like sweet cream. I know now." Everyone just stood silent. "Well," Gourd said, "If you actually managed to lift the curse of flesh from Pygon everywhere, then you have my thanks. You are of no consequence to me if you didn't." "Thank you," said Twilight, "I guess you really do care for our kind." "I don't, really," admitted Gourd, "But I do whatever I can."

Later, the train reached its destination, and everyone got out to find the Pygon gate. It was a red gate that had a ring of sharp teeth growing inward. "Why don't we try the seeds?" Twilight said, presenting them to the gate. The seeds slipped into the holes and the gate disappeared. Now, they can get into the city. "I just hope," said Gourd, "that you don't plan on being sadistic and slaughter every single Pygon you come across." "These are innocent ponies trapped inside demonic forms," said Twilight, "These Pygon are ungodly monsters!" "What?" smirked Gourd, pretending to be insulted, "You call my best friends ungodly? Oh that's REAL polite of you." "You don't HAVE any friends," retorted Rainbow Dash. "Well now, aren't WE sassy?" chuckled Gourd, "Actually, I am blessed with a bountiful, social life of which you all know nothing." Like Ponyville, the Crystal Empire is somewhat clean. Twilight found an translucent instrument on the ground. It had one mouthpiece and lead pipe, and is then split revealing two bells. "Looks like someone dropped their flugelhorn here," Twilight pondered, "Pinkie, can you hold onto this?" "Oh, absolutely," Pinkie Pie said, ecstatically, "I so wanted a flugelhorn every since we first came here." "You ponies defile that instrument by putting your germ-infested lips upon it," said Gourd. "And YOU," Twilight wisecracked, "defile our patience by talking too much."

They kept walking, studying the palace that was a glorious as the tales spoke now empty of living creatures. The six managed to quickly duck to a safe hiding place at the site of two Pygon. One resembling a gorilla, the other a four legged fire-breather. "Keep your eyes open," The first Pygon told the second, "If we catch the ponies who bring forth the curse of flesh, the High Pygon Emperor will reward us greatly." They snuck past the two golems without making a sound. Later, They were on the way towards the Crystal Castle. In the distance, Twilight could see what looked like a serpentine beast that had wings; a wyrm Pygon. "Hey," Twilight called out, "If you can hear me, we came here to help you!" The wyrm looked down, eyes targeted at the six ponies, and it swooped quickly towards them as they duck down. Twilight realized that negotiations were pointless here, so she opened her wings ready to fly up and do she DARE not know what. "Have you gone utterly MAD?" Gourd gasped.

Twilight flew into the air flapping her wings and followed the beast to the high chamber in the Crystal Castle. This was the chamber that held the Crystal Heart, but it seemed like the Pygon was trying to destroy it! Twilight wasn't going to stand for that, no, she had to do something. She was quick enough to climb onto the beast's back, clamber up, and found a turquoise marking on his head. "That must be his weak spot," Twilight thought. Judging her aim, she quickly jabbed the crystal straight into the marking. The beast then wriggled on the floor in agonizing pain. Soon, a blast of white light enveloped the room! The blurred vision began to clear, and Twilight could then see another serpentine creature. It had the head of a horse, the body of a snake, and the limbs of many other creatures. It was too obvious who it was. "Discord," Twilight said, "Is that you?" "I'm the only draconequus in this room now," Discord smiled. Once one of Twilight's greatest enemies, Discord has been reformed by Fluttershy, and is now a close friend. Still, being a creature of chaos, he can still cause mischief. "The curse I saved you from," Said Twilight, "It must be lifted from Equestria permanently." "Yes," said Discord, "I know of the Pygon curse." At a split-second, the draconequus flashed out in a bright light then quickly teleported closer to Twilight. "This may come as a surprise to you," He told her, "But it's been a hundred years since we got the Pygon shells. Pygon do not age, you see. They are immortal." "A... hundred years? Impossible!" Twilight squeaked. "I told you it would shock you," Discord joked. "What exactly have the Pygon been doing for so long?" Twilight asked, regaining her sanity. "I have a good feeling that lies are what this thing likes to speak in," Gourd said. "I could lie if I wanted to," Discord told Gourd, "But this is important news." Twilight listened closely. "Pygon," Discord told them, "are here to build something. It is what they do." A look of amusement crossed Twilight's face as Discord turned into a construction worker. "Their purpose in life is to build whatever it is they need to build," Discord ended. That's when Gourd interjected his particular kind of stupidity into the conversation. "I suggest you help us build it," he told Discord, "We WILL build it anyways; The least you could do is earn a bit of credit after it's done." "After what's done?" Twilight asked, "What are you building?" "Isn't it obvious?" answered Gourd, "We're building the door to..." he then paused. Discord couldn't help but find this extremely comical. "It's as they all say," he laughed, "the smartest Pygon of all is still as stupid as the very stone that he was created from."

Twilight felt a little scared of the thought of the Pygon building a door. What would lay behind such a construct? "If they're building a door," said Twilight, "then we need to stop them from building it." "What door?" Gourd said, anxious, "I didn't say anything about any door of the sort! We are NOT building a door at all!" Discord just chuckled. "Whatever the case may be," Gourd said, "odds are the door's almost done at this point." "Oh yes," Said Discord, "Of course the Pygon are almost finished building the door that you just said that they aren't building. That makes plenty of sense, it's TOTALLY not a paradox at all." They all paused. Gourd was so furious that after a minute of silence, all he could say was, "...I like you even LESS than I like the Alicorn I have the displeasure of accompanying!" Twilight still felt confident in her adventure. The Pygon curse should not be permitted to poison Equestria. "You know," Discord advised, "I have a feeling there might be a way to fix all this. How did you lift the curse from Ponyville?" "Well," answered Twilight, "I freed Princess Cadance and Sunset Shimmer." "And as it appears," said Discord, "you saved me from the pygon form I had. This means..." "If I want to free Equestria from the Pygon Curse..." Twilight joined in, "...It stands to reason..." Discord continued, "...That I have to save the two sister Princesses and destroy their Pygon forms!" Twilight finished. "And now, your next stop," beamed Discord, "is the Capital of Equestria." "Onward, then," smiled Twilight, "To Canterlot!" "Hope you're ready to die," Gourd muttered, with a sly evil grin. So far, Twilight Sparkle and her friends have bravely face down nightmares not even the youngest of foals should have ever bare witness to. And yet, THEY were the only ones who would save everypony from this plague. But Twilight was still concerned about Gourd's words; he might be right and her task was primarily in vain. She still kept going to Canterlot. She knew there was no one else there to battle the curse should she or her friends fail.

Chapter 4: Ashes of the Phoenix

Twilight Sparkle knew the city of Canterlot well; she was a former resident there. Before she became a princess, she was a student under the gentle eye of Princess Celestia. According to Rarity, Canterlot was a glamorous, sophisticated metropolis. The six friends all looked around the city. there were only some buildings toppled down, but the rest of the city was perfectly fine. Before long, however, they were stopped by two Pygon. They looked identical, but with one difference: One was golden, the other a shade of blue. The Pygon seem to resemble horses. "What have we got here?" said the golden Pygon, in a slithering, conniving tone that a snake would have(if one can talk.). "Looks like we've got six ponies here," answered the second Pygon, just as sly and bloodcurdling, "But didn't we convert all of them?" "We probably missed a few." "Why don't we go ahead and take care of these ponies now?" "Good idea, sister," replied the golden Pygon, "Looks like you lot are coming with us!" Before they could do anything, a beam of light shot from each of the six ponies' pygite crystals, three on the golden Pygon, and three focused on the blue Pygon. In a flash, the Pygon carapaces broke apart revealing two Alicorn princesses.

Twilight was utterly speechless; there in front of them all, plain as day, were Celestia and Luna, the two very Princesses of Equestria. Now, Celestia, the oldest sister, brings forth the rising light of the sun every morning. Her younger sister, Luna, had the responsibility of raising the moon that would bring forth the night. Twilight and Celestia both hugged, eyes watering. "I don't understand it," said Rainbow Dash, "If THEY were the Pygon rulers, then why isn't the curse lifted?" This new puzzle seemed mind-boggling to everypony. And the worst of it was that Gourd was quick to specify. "They weren't the Pygon Emperors," he told them, "But they were pretty close." "I wasn't aware," Luna jested, "that stones could talk." "What cheek?!" Gourd barked, "I'm no stone, I am Pygon." "Maybe he knows something about the Pygon emperor," Celestia said. Gourd had traveled as far as Twilight and her friends did, and his goal was very much the same. However, both he and the six ponies harbored disparate hopes as to what will occur when they reach it. In any case, Gourd understood that the princess needed an answer, so he decided to give it to her. "The only place a sovereign would reside," he said, "is in a castle." "He must be in THE castle of Canterlot," Luna decided, "It rankles to hear that the Pygon Emperor has taken my sister's throne." "We'll do it," announced Twilight, "We'll enter the castle, find the emperor, and take care of this once and for all." "You are truly a brave pony," smiled Celestia, "When you see the emperor, let him know he's met his match."

The gate to the castle appeared to be open. They entered the castle, but no one was there to greet them. "I think it's best if we split up," suggested Twilight, "We'll have to look in each area of the castle and see if the emperor is around. He can't be sitting in the throne ALL the time." Pinkie Pie whipped out a blue cannon with flower stickers on each of the wheels. This was what she calls her Party Cannon. "Can't be too careful," she said. And with that, they all dispersed in search of the High Pygon Emperor. Rarity looked around the ballroom. It didn't suffer any damage, but was quite lonely. "Too bad Fancy Pants isn't here," Rarity told herself, "This always was the perfect place to dance until dawn." Rainbow Dash checked the cellar. It was a room that stores cider. She got a bit thirsty from looking in there, but because she knew the urgency of their task, she decided not to drink from the cider barrels. In the gardens, Fluttershy was scanning the area. All SHE felt was shame. it was too easy for her to remember how she lost her sanity that night of the Grand Galloping Gala when the animals wouldn't get near her. Then again, the Grand Galloping Gala was always a terrible and boring occasion. Pinkie Pie and Applejack looked in each of the Princesses bedrooms. Pinkie Pie looked in Luna's, and Applejack in Celestia's. "I think I found something," Pinkie Pie said, and she showed it off to her friend; it was the infamous treat known as a PheNOMNOMenon. Pinkie Pie always considered this as her "food nemesis", however, she never expected the Princesses to actually enjoy something just as delicious as this. "Pinkie," Applejack said, "All you found in that room.... WAS A DANG SNACK CAKE?!?!" "Oh come on," Pinkie Pie giggled, "I had no clue Luna had a sweet tooth. YOU didn't know that either, for that matter." Applejack could only reply to that comment with an annoyed scowl, adding in a raised eyebrow. Meanwhile, Twilight checked the archives. Looking around carefully, she spotted the Star Swirl wing. "Well, what do you know," she smirked, "I didn't miss it that time." She opened the gate, which swung open easily, and examined the room. There were only books and scrolls inside this room, but one of the scrolls she looked in did provide information as to how Pygon can convert a creature of flesh and blood.

The six met at the throne room. "Did anyone find any clues?" Twilight asked. "Well, we did find out that Luna had a sweet tooth," answered Applejack, her skunk eye directed towards a sheepish Pinkie. Before Twilight could say what she found, they all heard the sound of marching feet. They quickly went into hiding as they saw Pygon guards marching towards them. Twilight felt relief as they haven't spotted them yet, but it wasn't like that for long. "Oh, there you are," Gourd called out to the guards, "If you're looking for us, here we are." Twilight was rooted to the spot. After all this time, after EVERYTHING they went through, Gourd had to up and double-cross her and her friends here in this very stronghold that housed all of his Pygon allies. They swiftly grabbed the six ponies dragged them off. "Well, it has been fun, hasn't it?" teased Gourd, as one of the Pygon took him from Twilight. "Something tells me that we'll see each other again VERY soon." With that, poor Twilight Sparkle who seemed fit to cry was taken away. She, and her friends, knew that they're soon to face whatever it is that Pygon consider retribution. As for Gourd, he was carried off to most likely have his body restored. What will happen to them? What sort of vile, terrifying act would Pygon call justice? The six friends are yet to find out.

Chapter 5: Trial

The Pygons kept the six ponies inside the caverns under Canterlot. This was an area that housed greedy, pirating ponies who would like nothing more but to claim the crystals that remained within. This seemed like the perfect jail for the ponies in the Pygon's eyes. They were kept there until their fate was decided. "You can't trust a Pygon, can you?" said Applejack. Ironically, Twilight seemed calm about the whole thing. Upon seeing this, Rainbow Dash took this as an opportunity to criticize. "Are you KIDDING ME, TWILIGHT?! We're fixing to be put to sleep and you're acting like it's a normal day for you?!" "I know Gourd betrayed us," Twilight said, "But I'm just grateful that I could spend this adventure, and many other adventures before, with my best friends." "She's right," Fluttershy said, "We're all here together, right?" "If this is our last adventure together," sighed Rarity, "Then it will surely be one to remember." They all huddled around in a good-bye hug knowing this might be their final journey. Suddenly, the door opened, and a Pygon told the six ponies that their trial is about to begin. "Already?" Rarity wisecracked, "But I was just admiring the pretty gems in here." Twilight gave a soft giggle.

They all entered a red room. Before them stood 5 Pygon priests; the one in the middle being the judge, and the surrounding four the jury. "Your name is Twilight Sparkle," asked the Pygon judge, "yes, or no?" "Yes," Twilight answered. "YES," the jury repeated. "You and your friends stand before us today," a member of the jury spoke, "because you are all charged with crimes against the Pygon empire." Twilight showed no fear. Her poker face displayed crystal clear, she stood her ground prepared for whatever what might happen next. "You stand accused of cursing countless Pygon with flesh and fur, feather and scale, as well as bringing forth this plague to ALL Pygon. How plead you?" announced the judge. "We're doing this," Twilight answered, "to save Equestria. It's not just to save you, it's to save EVERYONE." "So," the Pygon judge said, "She admits it. She does not bother to deny anything." "SHE CONFESSES!" Spoke the jury. It seemed hard for Twilight to reason with these sad souls who were captured with unholy shells. "This is supposed to be justified in law?" Twilight said, still keeping her courage, "I am NOT impressed at all." "SILENCE!" barked the Pygon judge. "Explain your reason for doing such a terrible crime," demanded a jury member. "The Pygon curse is a nightmare," confessed Twilight, "from which we seek to awaken you all." She already know what this farce will lead to, and her bravery still remained strong. "You have been condemned by your very words," announced the judge at last, "The only choice this board has now is to find all six of you guilty." "GUILTY!" repeated the tribunal. "We're headed towards A direction, at least," Twilight thought to herself.

The doors opened, and there stood a monster wielding a broadaxe. "This should be quite an honor for you, ponies," sneered the Pygon judge, "for the High Pygon Emperor himself has insisted on taking the privilege of executing you personally." "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" shouted the Pygon jury. The emperor stepped into the light revealing a face that seemed familiar. "Well, Gourd," Twilight spoke, "I think that body looks nice on you." "I shall NEVER be called that again," the emperor said, "You shall refer to me as Emperor Fink. I should've known better then to assign you six as my military elite." "It makes sense..." Twilight said, starting to remember what happened before this whole adventure began. "Pygon have no memory of the days they spent cursed with flesh and bone," Fink intervened. "I remember it all! I remember how it all started," Twilight spoke, proudly. She thought back to the cave the six ponies have woken up in. Within this cave was a tree that held the Elements of Harmony. This tree had enough magic to help Celestia and Luna defeat Discord thousands of years ago. It was known as the Tree of Harmony. "I wanted to see it one last time," confessed Twilight, "and I felt like we needed the Elements of Harmony again. Maybe this curse was all my fault?" "The task I gave you was to destroy that tree," said Gourd, "Not let it touch you." "You wanted us to kill Harmony..." Twilight said, anger slowly consuming her. "...AND NOW YOU SHALL PAY!" Suddenly, her horn glowed brightly as her magic has reached full power. "Don't even think about it," Fink said, before Twilight could fire her magic missile, "Should memory serve, you made your very first rule once. 'All legal civilians of Equestria shall have full protection and security from magical aggression and arcane violence whatsoever'. And guess how many times you broke that rule?" Twilight stood frozen. "In a way," Fink laughed, "we Pygon ARE legal civilians of Equestria." Twilight bowed down her head. There was nothing else left for her or her friends to do now but allow destiny to take its course. They were doomed.

Chapter 6: Confrontation

"ENOUGH!" Everyone heard a voice echoing from the walls, and Twilight then saw Princesses Celestia and Luna. Suddenly, in came Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, and Discord. They disguised themselves as Pygon guards to aid them in this hour of need. "This has gone on for long enough," shouted Luna, in her traditional Canterlot voice. Then Cadance joined in, then Sunset Shimmer, then Discord! "For a hundred years, you have plagued Equestria..." "...and have devastated it's balance." "The world has been cloaked in darkness because of your curse." And then they all spoke at once, "NOW, YOU SHALL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE." "Armed or naked," Fink cackled, "You are no match for me." Fink began to attack, time and again, he swung his weapon at the heroes, but they were quicker. After 12 successful blows, Fink crumbled to his knees. Then, the Pygon priests had joined in and Fink began to take form into a larger Pygon, the largest yet. "You think you could defeat me?" the monster yelled, "You're all just six ponies! None of you know what you do!" Soon, the pygite crystals glowed lighter then they ever had. All of their eyes became white. "You are fools!" the giant Pygon screamed, "You cannot change fate! Pygon shall rule this world FOREVER!" The crystals' glow grew to full power, and Twilight replied to the beast, ".........Wanna bet?" Suddenly, the pygite crystals each delivered their full blasts. The combined rays of magic aimed directly at the monster Pygon and an extremely bright light emitted from the Canterlot castle.

After the light dimmed away, the ponies awoke outside the castle. There, laying down, motionless on the ground, was a light grey unicorn stallion with a light amber mane and a compass rose cutie mark. The Pygon curse was lifted from all of Equestria for good, but to say that this was where the story ended would be a lie. "Blueblood..." panted Celestia, "...My nephew..." "So," Twilight said, "This was all because of YOU." "I... I beg your pardon?" Blueblood spoke, surprised. "In the Everfree forest, when I was visiting the Tree of Harmony," said Twilight, "You were there!" Twilight and her friends, much to their utter amazement, recognized the stallion before them. "You know something?" Rarity said, rage flooding her eyes, "I KNEW he was a royal pain. Boy, am I ever so glad NOT to see you again." "Delusional over the Pygon curse, are we?" Blueblood smirked. "You sound like you know something about the curse," Luna said. "I get it," Pinkie Pie spoke up, "This whole curse was his payback for what happened at the Grand Galloping Gala!" "Lies!" Blueblood spluttered, "All lies." "This has been a long, long day," Princess Celestia said, "I am tired, my head hurts, and I need some tea and a slice of cake. Nephew, I'm begging you, PLEASE give us an explanation for this whole thing." "I'll come clean," the prince said, "I WAS responsible for this strangeness. Those crystals are remnants of an age when Pygon roamed freely. It was VERY tricky to find the crystal, but I did, alright." Everyone paid close attention. "I will admit the memory of the Grand Galloping Gala still pains me. I kept silent when I saw each of you after that night. I found out later that Twilight and her friends were in the forest of Everfree, visiting the Tree of Harmony. That's when I knew the time was right for me to bring forth the Pygon curse."

The very night in the cave in the Everfree forest, it was not because of Twilight trying to retrieve the harmony gems that the tree kept safe that had unleashed the plague of Pygon, Equestria was enveloped in darkness thanks to Prince Blueblood's rage and thirst for revenge. "You all brought this on yourselves, you know," he went on, "Applejack's carnival nourishment was most distasteful. Rainbow Dash had practically destroyed much of the ballroom. Pinkie Pie was just too stupid to comprehend what kind of party the Gala was, And I wouldn't bother mentioning what Fluttershy did because I think we all know." No one else said a word. "And as for YOU," Blueblood spoke to Rarity, "Don't even get me STARTED on your actions. You know I had myself groomed, and yet you just went and messed my hair up as if you didn't give a darn!" When she heard that, Rarity turned red, steaming mad. "That's why I turned you into hideous monsters to begin with," Blueblood ended honestly, "To extract my vengeance. You all humiliated me and made the Grand Galloping Gala an abhorrent night." "Oh sure," giggled Celestia, "Like every single gala ever." "Excuse me?" Asked Blueblood. "What Twilight and her friends did never bothered me once," the Sun princess confessed, "Really, they succeeded in livening things up." The six ponies smiled with pride. "There's a reason for that dark magic to be outlawed," She added, her tone still soft, but now sincere. "Of course, Auntie," said Blueblood, blushing, "But I did not know the disease was contagious. None of this would've happened if we stopped hiding in the shadows. There's still time, you know. If we kept learning new kinds of magic, Equestria could become greater then ever before!" "You're not going to banish him, are you princess?" Asked Twilight, feeling a bit concerned. "No," Answered Celestia, "He IS my nephew, I think that would too strong a punishment." She then thought about it for a second. "Alright," she finally spoke, "How about this: Blueblood, ten months on the Rock farm. That's your punishment." It was by sheer luck that Prince Blueblood kept his head. Much to everyone's disappointment, this did not stop him from pressing said luck to the highest extent. "You just got lucky," he growled, " This isn't over! In ALL magic, there is a power you shall never stand against."

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had many adventures together, and now, the spirits of harmony have saved Equestria from the Pygon curse and have given back its ponies their souls. They knew, of course, that there are still Pygon about; until their souls are freed, there is still danger that the curse will spread again, stronger then ever. And the scariest of it was no one knew EXACTLY how the curse spreads to begin with. The curse was lifted, but Twilight's work was far from over. Even though the task was not finished yet, Twilight and her friends felt a light within their hearts for as they have lifted the curse, they were yet to have more adventures to come. There is much work to be done, but for now, Equestria was at peace once again.

Chapter 1: Ponyville Ghost town

Twilight and her friends looked around the deserted town. Many of the houses were empty, and the roads were quiet. "Hello?" Twilight called, "Is anypony there?" The head that Twilight carried kept silent. This seemed amusing to it that she was calling out to no one in particular, but he didn't want to upset her. "No one's responding," Twilight said at last. "That's because there ISN'T anyone here to hear your cries," the head told Twilight, "There's no one anywhere. No one like you, anyways." The chuckle the Pygon head had sounded like a suffocating stone. Cadance felt freaked out by the fact that Twilight was talking to a thing that isn't really supposed to be alive and that it was actually having a conversation with her. Fortunately, she was sensible enough to keep her composure. "What's that you got there, Twilight?" She asked, almost motherly. "It's a Pygon head," answered Twilight, "I found it at the entrance to Everfree." The other 5 examined the head closely. "I don't really want to say that I don't trust that thing," Rainbow Dash said. "Actually," explained Rarity, "I have absolutely NO problem saying it whatsoever; I don't trust that thing!" "What do they call ya?" Asked Applejack. "Implying I actually WANTED to say my name to the likes of you," insisted the head. "Whatever," giggled Twilight, "You kinda look like a gourd, so I guess that will be your name." "How wonderful," Gourd said, in an obvious sarcastic tone, "Insulted by a fluffy, flexible, purple grotesque. My day just gets better and better."

"This could be the Pygon form of an live creature," said Fluttershy, "I bet it's the Pygon form of a pony, like us." "Could be," agreed Twilight. "PLEASE don't tell me a lot of ponies have turned into... into... into Pygon," Rarity said, almost scared. "A lot?" laughed Gourd, "Goodness, no, I dare not say that." Twilight sighed with relief, "Oh, that's good." "Of course," said Gourd, "That's to say... EVERYONE became Pygon." Though stunned for a second, Twilight refused to believe that everything living in Equestria have become Pygon. There's no way every living creature could turn into ogres made entirely of rock and steel that had no remorse or common sense, they just couldn't have! "It's okay, girls," Twilight soothed the others, "This guy's just joshing us." "I will admit it DID take a long time to remove the plague of flesh and fur from every repugnant animal in the land," Gourd confessed, "The sad truth is that all seven of you have fallen prey to that very plague once again." "I don't think animals are repugnant," whispered Fluttershy. "Fortunately," continued Gourd, "You all can be fixed, your real forms restored." "That's enough," said Twilight, "If this Pygon curse is real, then we're going to undo it, and Gourd will help us." Everyone agreed with Twilight. ...Save Gourd. "Explain why I'd want to help you lot," Gourd said. "Because we'll bash you in if you don't," threatened Rarity. "...Wow. Rarity," Rainbow Dash said, stunned beyond belief. "No, That would be too harsh," said Twilight, "If you're no use to us, Gourd, we can put you in a box and throw it into a river." "You know," said Gourd, "For walking bags of blood, your arguments are quite forceful. I SUPPOSE I can help you."

"What's our objective, boss?" Joked Rainbow Dash. "It's simple," answered Gourd, "You must find the true source of Pygon power. The source you seek just so happens to be the one thing that can grant me a new body. I'm going to help you because you are the only ones that can help me." Twilight suddenly remembered something; the crystal worked on restoring Cadance to her true pony form, maybe it can help undo the Pygon curse. "Say, Gourd," she asked him, "We found these crystals in a cave. What do you know about it?" "Those are Pygite," answered Gourd, "It is Pygon power created manifest." "So THAT'S what we're holding," Twilight thought, "Pygite crystals..." "It flows through all Pygon," Gourd explained, "Making us immune to any force, magic, blunt, or sharp. The magic you possess, pony, is as inconvenient to any Pygon as simple falling snow!" That's when Twilight had an epiphany. "Pinkie Pie," She said, "You remember those rock candy necklaces you made for Maud Pie when she was coming over?" "Yep," said Pinkie, "I sure do." "I think we're going to need the necklace ropes," Twilight told her. "This ought to be worth a good chuckle," smirked Gourd.

Six necklace strings were presented to Twilight, and she got to work. She cut out a hole in each of the crystals, small enough for the string to slink through. Everyone put the necklaces on, and the Pygite began to glow brightly bringing forth a show that Gourd found more terrifying than funny. "That's what you were planning to do with the crystals, Twilight?" wondered Cadance. "With the magic from these pygite," said Twilight, feeling a bit proud, "We might be able to undo the Pygon curse once and for all!" They all admired their fashion accessories. "By the way," Twilight told Gourd, her tone soft at first, but then grimly sour, "May Princess Celestia have mercy upon you if you try anything suspicious on us." "I don't have any use for your Princess Celestia," chuckled Gourd, "nor do I seek her mercy. You wish to find the source of Pygon power, do you not?" Twilight nodded. "And," he added, "Since you wanted my guidance, I have given it to you. Do as you will, but it would be MUCH APPRECIATED if you could put me down somewhere safe!" "Uh... How about no?" insisted Twilight, "Until our task is done and the Pygon curse is lifted for good, no matter where we walk, you are coming with us." "Oh yes," Gourd said, "I DID agree on helping you, didn't I?" "Why don't we check the houses?" said Twilight, "We might be able to find some clues." And so, they began took a look around the deserted town starting with Twilight's castle.