Author's Note

Thanks for waiting for so long! It's been a bit tedious but I finally finished this chapter! I'm sorry it took so much time but my part-time job kept me busy and I needed to edit out some stuff that didn't sound right throughout this chapter. As always, thanks for all the support for this story and I hope you will keep supporting me and those who have continuously provided me with more ideas and inspiration for this story! I'm talking to you, Leux! Enjoy, everypony, and sayonara till the next chapter!

Welcome to Ponyville, Equestria: Wait, What's He Doing Here?!

After Dragonok left after dropping off the Cutie Mark Crusaders at the Golden Oaks Library a week ago, Twilight had been busy reading the pages of the monolithic manual that had mysteriously appeared after his departure.

She knew she shouldn’t read a book that was likely given to her by an enemy but the prospect of reading a new book had always grabbed her fascination to examine its contents. Such a process would either lead to satisfaction over finishing a good book or lead to a disappointed sigh followed by shelving the book so that others may read it. After all, just because one book doesn’t interest one pony doesn’t mean it won’t fascinate another pony.

She still hadn’t even finished reading Chaoswielders 101 despite the fact she had been poring over it nonstop for over a week. It seemed that regardless of how many pages she turned, there would always be more to claim their place which she knew to be a practical improbability. There had to be a limit to the amount of pages a single book could hold; after all, it would be impossible to produce a book with an infinite amount of pages even with the usage of advanced magecraft.

But then again, there was Pinkie with her Pinkie Sense. She didn’t want to believe the existence of such a concept at the time but Trotham’s Shears did state that if one did not find a flaw after collecting a massive amount of data, then one should accept the hypothesis that has the fewest assumptions regardless of one’s beliefs on the matter.

That and she really, really, didn’t want to repeat the events that had led her to a massive hospital bill along with another bundle of trauma caused by a life-threatening situation like the time the hydra chased her and her friends through Froggy Bog Bottom.

She had instead been busy in taking notes for every little detail that caught her eye. Whether or not it had an infinite amount of pages, the book does possess a fascinating hoard of stories and information that never failed to catch her attention whether it was legends about faraway worlds or a method on how to detect the presence of neophyte Chaoswielders. Fascinated by the literary trove lying before her, she felt as if she could go on reading this book for all of eternity without taking a break.

On the contrary, however, she now resided on her bed in a comatose slumber with drool dripping out of her mouth. Even fanatic bibliophiles require rest after reading nonstop for about a week or so.

Spike, who had ensured that Twilight survive through her herculean task without fail this past week, gently nudged her. “Twilight,” he whispered, “wake up! I’ve got a letter from Celestia for you.”

“Whuh…” she groggily replied as she arose with a tangled bed-mane following pursuit. “What did you say, Spike? I didn’t hear you. Just let me get some coffee first.” She yawned as she walked downstairs to grab a cup of coffee before she resumed her quest to read the tome without collapsing in her eagerness to do so.

Knowing better than to interrupt Twilight in her task to acquire the steamy brew, Spike patiently waited as he watched Twilight prepare some coffee inside a coffee machine. Once it dinged, Twilight removed the glass container from the machine’s grasp before pouring in the bitter concoction into a mug. She then poured in a couple dashes of milk followed by dumping a few teaspoons of sugar into the mix. She slowly stirred the black liquid with a spoon held with magic until the milk and sugar changed its appearance to resemble that of chocolate milk.

Without any hesitation, she lifted the mug to her lips and chugged it down in one go. The scalding liquid jolted her awake as the caffeine and sugar rushed to her brain.

“Ah…” she sighed with relief as the pain faded away as her mind finally stirred into full performance. “That hit the spot. Now, what did you say earlier, Spike?”

Spike pulled out a scroll from behind him and waved it in front of Twilight. “I just got a letter from Celestia.”

Twilight gave a perplexed glare towards the unexpected letter. “That’s odd. She rarely sends a letter this early unless it’s important. Let’s see what it says.” She levitated the letter from Spike’s hand and unfurled it so she could read its contents. “‘Dear Twilight, I have something important to tell you. Dragonok will be arriving in Ponyville…’”

Spike watched as Twilight became stiff as a board as all color drained from her face. “Um… Twilight? Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not alright! Dragonok’s coming here! To Ponyville! What do we do?!” Twilight began to hyperventilate as images of the possible horrors Dragonok might commit seeped into her brain. “Who knows what might happen the moment he arrives here? What if he changes everypony in Ponyville into hideous monstrosities and forces them to do his bidding?

“Twilight…”

“And he marches throughout all of Equestria with a gigantic army of slaves and topples Princess Celestia and Luna from their thrones in a maniac attempt to convert everypony to his rule…”

“Twilight…”

“And then I have to form an underground rebellion in a fruitless attempt to prevent him from conquering all of Equus!”

With a sigh followed by an eyeroll, Spike pinched two of his claws together and blew between them. The resulting whistle forced Twilight to stop ranting and slap her hooves over her ears to prevent the screeching sound from further damaging her ears. “Twilight, you need to snap out of it!” Spike admonished once certain that her attention was focused on him. “I know that Dragonok’s a bad guy but you can’t just panic like that. You need to face him with a calm head. He may be powerful and all, but you and the girls defeated Nightmare Moon AND Discord. I know for sure you can beat him without a doubt so long as you believe in the friendship you all share.”

Twilight heaved in a great breath before exhaling as she calmed down from hearing Spike’s pep talk. “You’re right, Spike. We can beat him so long as we work together. But just to be safe, I need to prepare for the worst, but how?”

“Why don’t we just find him and see what he’s up to?”

Twilight spun towards him so fast that he experienced momentary vertigo at witnessing the sight. “That’s it! We’ll analyze his every movement in order to prepare ourselves against whatever plans he has for Equestria. It’s brilliant!”

Spike, who knew that he had to at least try to stop Twilight from spiraling out of control, tried to speak sense out of her before she repeated her mistakes once again. “Um… Twilight, didn’t you do the same thing when you first found out about Pinkie Sense? And didn’t it turn out horribly out of control when the hydra chased after you and the girls as a result of said experiment?”

Twilight simply waved a hoof at him in response. “That’s why I’ll simply observe him from the balcony with my telescope. I do learn from my mistakes, Spike. What kind of student would I be if I didn’t?”

Spike could only sigh as he watched Twilight hatch yet another ridiculous scheme. “This can’t end well,” he murmured. Better start getting the first-aid kit out again…

Mayor Mare had bore witness to a large variety of weirdness throughout her political career in Ponyville. They occurred so often that she began to casually regard them as normal as a Tuesday. Of course, there had been a few bizarre exceptions that even went from mildly bizarre to world-shattering bonkers from time to time.

Having an armor-bound warrior who had fought against Celestia sitting in front of her with a massive bag stuffed with bits and a request to live in Ponyville was definitely one of those exceptions.

“I must say, Mr. Dragonok is it, I see no problems with you living here but I’m afraid there are no available vacancies for you to inhabit here in Ponyville at the moment,” she said as she scanned the signed paperwork he presented along with a letter of recommendation from Princess Celestia of all things. “Would you mind waiting a few weeks until we can construct a proper residence for you to live in?”

“There’s no need for that, Madam Mayor,” Dragonok replied with his head cocked at one side. “I shall construct my own domicile at an uninhabited location within the boundaries of Ponyville. I believe this shall suffice.” He pulled out a portrait of the gigantic tree he and Celestia had inadvertently created during their battle and presented it to Mayor Mare.

She took one glance at the portrait before nodding her consent. “Alright then, I see no problem with that. It doesn’t seem to impede on anypony’s personal space so I guess it could work.” She pulled out a contract from underneath her desk and presented it to Dragonok. “I just need you to sign here and we’ll be done here.”

Dragonok scanned the contract for signs of discrepancy in the terms. He slowly nodded once none were to be found. “Very well.” He signed his consent onto the parchment with one claw-tipped finger before he returned the contract back to Mayor Mare. “Have a good day, Madam Mayor.” He seeped into the shadows and vanished without a trace.

Once certain he was gone, she heaved out a breath she had held back as she slumped in sheer exhaustion. She wearily shook her head as she stared at the signed contract. “I need a drink.”

Dragonok reappeared from the shadow produced by the tree where he would build his new headquarters. Well, that went out better than I had expected. I felt certain she would faint at any given moment but it seems my worries were unfounded. Now, this shouldn’t take too long to construct with a few dozen mimpoles. Let’s get to work. He flexed his palms to spread open their mouths before he let loose.

Fuzzy balls popped out of them in rapid succession and grew as they slammed into the ground to form small craters. The resulting dust soon settled to reveal horned minotaur-sized bipedal moles shaking off the dirt that came into contact with their hides. Eyelids slid open to reveal multi-faceted gems that glared back at Dragonok with expressions bordering from amusement to alertness.

“YEAH!!!” all of the creatures shouted which revealed sets of jagged teeth that could crush boulders with little effort. “LET’S BUILD A MANSION FOR THE BOSS WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!!!”

Dragonok, knowing exactly how these creatures acted without proper supervision, clapped his hands to gather their attention. After all, he didn’t want a repeat of them decimating yet another city to build a ridiculously mountainous statue of him again. Sure, the cities were filled with Corrupted spawn at the time but it still didn’t give the mimpoles a valid reason to idolize their master with another monument dedicated to him. He had enough of that, thank you very much.

“Listen up, workers, and listen hard!” Dragonok shouted in military form which prompted them to line up in a straight line with their chests puffed out. “Here’s the main objective for the day: I want all of you minions to construct a base of operations on the branches of that tree without any unnecessary harm or damage to it. The main theme for this project today is performance and function. That means no gigantic wastes of space that could have been used to build a useful feature like a hot spring or a steam sauna instead. It must possess purpose before beauty and style can be established. Is that understood, minions?!”

“SIR, YES, SIR!!!” the mimpoles exclaimed before they scampered off towards the tree to perform their role.

Dragonok watched them reach towards the base of the tree before ridiculously tiny leathery wings popped out of their backs to allow them to flitter towards the tree’s canopy to begin their project while defying gravity.

Daemon’s head popped out of the shadows alongside Dragonok to glare at the progress being made towards their new home away from home before turning her attention towards him. “Master, I’m hungry,” she whined. “When can we go get some apples?”

Dragonok watched the mimpoles busy in building his new lair for a moment before he turned towards Daemon. “In that case, why don’t we go to Ponyville Plaza to buy some from the fair Applejack in person? It’s about time we meet the citizens of Ponyville face to face in any case.”

Daemon glared at her master in barely veiled amusement. It seems that, regardless of the eons they spent together, he would always charge in towards anything rather than simply avoid it unlike every being she met throughout the multiverses. “Alright then, master, let’s get some apples!”

Before either could shadowstride towards Ponyville Plaza, they became overwhelmed by a startling amount of pinkness that invaded every inch of their sight.

“Hiya, Draggy! Hiya, Daemmi!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It’s so fantabulous to see you both so much! Sorry I can’t stay; I have so much to plan for. But first.” She instantly vanished before their eyes before reappearing seconds later with a blue-and-pink-decorated cart that would have been the love child between a piano, a gramophone, and a cannon. She turned a crank attached to the contraption which began to play a carnival tune as she began to sing to welcome them to Ponyville.

Welcome welcome welcome to you and you, hooray!

I’m so very glad you’re really come here to stay

So let’s throw a big party to cheer that you’re here!

When you’re in Ponyville, you’ll be grinning ear to ear

We’ll drink sarsaparilla and eat mountains of cake

As everypony parties around ‘til daybreak

We’re so very glad you can join us here and play!

Welcome welcome welcome to Ponyville TODAY!

Pinkie hopped into the air with a flourish as a shower of confetti burst out from behind her the moment the final note arrived. Dragonok and Daemon, impressed, were about to applaud towards her performance when the machine’s cannon turned towards them and shot out a stream of cake frosting towards them.

“Mmm… vanilla,” said one of the whipped cream piles before Daemon’s head popped out of it before licking her entire face with her prehensile tongue. “Could use a bit more sugar if you ask me.”

Pinkie’s smile stretched from side to side until it surpassed the geometrically impossible. “I know, right! Everything’s better with sugar. Without sugar, there wouldn’t be any delicious goodies to snack on; and if there aren’t any delicious goodies to snack on, then there would be no smiles from anypony; and if there aren’t any smiles from anypony, then the Sugar-Free Depression-Apocalypse is neigh!” Her eyes widened in fear at the thought before she absentmindedly shoved a rainbow-frosted cupcake into her mouth. The tension she had built up melted away in an instant as she smiled in delight. “Mmm… that hit the spot. Where was I? Oh yeah! And then-”

Before she could resume chatting into infinity, the other whipped cream hill vanished in an instant as the fluffy mass became absorbed into Dragonok’s hands as he freed himself from the sugary prison. “Well, that went well. Where were-”

“OMIGOSH! I want some of those on my hooves! Do you know how much easier it would be with more mouths to eat more sugary-sweet goodness with?!” She stretched her forelimbs wide to emphasize the exact amount of food she could consume in one go.

What surprised Dragonok was the way her limbs seemed to stretch forever without them even snapping apart. Even advanced Chaosmancers couldn’t even come close to Pinkie’s cartoonish capabilities besides cartoons of course. I’ll have to check up on her when I have some time to spare.

“You can check on me later, Draggy,” Pinkie interrupted without warning as she somehow managed to sneak up and relax between his head and his right pauldron. “Right now, let’s go to Sugarcube Corner later! Up, up, and away!” She immediately bounced off him and somehow flew towards Ponyville with balloons attached on her.

Dragonok wasn’t even surprised anymore at this point.

He didn’t question how she managed to read his inner monologue. He didn’t question how she managed to get onto his shoulder without him knowing. He didn’t question how she even managed to tie balloons to herself in such a short amount of time or how she even managed to whip up the balloons to begin with. He just accepted the randomness of Pinkie Pie and continued on his task of acquiring apples for Daemon.

It was either that or to repeat the cycle of mistakes Necrow once made with Jestin’ Sane that one time. That still sent shudders to his mind as he recalled the havoc the crow-masked assassin caused during his “research” to find out how exactly the chaotic jester knew about literally everything whether it be simple trivia from another universe or hidden knowledge buried deep within the Void that involved the multiverses at large. That was certainly one experience he himself didn’t want to repeat with this world’s version of Jestin’ Sane.

Daemon, on the other hand, had sparkles in her eyes as she watched Pinkie fly away. “That was amazing!”

Applejack wiped the sweat off her brow as she and Big Macintosh finally unloaded the last barrel of apples right next to their stand. “Whoo whee! That’s the last of them. Ah’ll take care of the first shift, Big Mac. Yah’ll just go out and relax, yah hear.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied before trotting off to who knows where in Ponyville.

Applejack settled into her role as apple salespony just as a certain wall-eyed pegasus walked up towards her booth. “Howdy, Derpy! Usual order of Golden Delicious and Honeycrisps, Ah take it?”

“Uh huh,” Derpy replied. “I also need some Red Galas. Pinkie wants me to bring them over. Will these bits suffice?” She pulled out some bits from a satchel attached to her saddle and placed them on the counter.

Applejack counted the bits before she gave Derpy the bundle of apples. “Ah reckon that’ll do just fine, Derpy. What’s the special occasion, anywho?”

Derpy shrugged in response toward Applejack’s inquiry before moving them into another satchel. “I dunno. All she said was that there are some new ponies in town and that one of them is really fond of apples. All I can guess is that she’s gonna throw a party for the newcomers. I just hope she has enough time to bake muffins along with whatever recipe she’s going to make with those Red Galas.” At that, she shudders in delight as she imagines chomping on that doughy piece of heaven before shaking her head to stay on task. “I gotta go now. Thanks for the apples!” And with those words, she took flight towards Sugarcube Corner.

“Don’t mention it, pardner!” Applejack shot back. Once Derpy had vanished from her line of sight, Applejack resumed standing guard over her apples as she oversaw the stall. “Ah wonder who the newcomers might be. Ah sure hope they have a good impression of Ponyville so far.”

“Thanks, we have!” Daemon said as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Her sudden presence startled Applejack who leapt into the air upon seeing the kagekirin.

“GAHHHHH!” Applejack exclaimed. “WHERE IN TARNATION DID YAH COME FROM?!” She immediately stiffened as she recognized the nightmarish mare standing before her. “Wait a consarned minute, yer the one that stole some of mah apples and ate them during that fight! What are yah doing here?!”

“Ah, do not mind young Daemon here,” Dragonok replied as he appeared from the shadows which startled the farmpony once again. “She merely desired to acquire some of your fine wares once again; after she buys them, of course. I do hope the monetary compensation for her… theft was sufficient enough as an apology.”

Applejack sighed as she readjusted her Stetson hat back into place before she glared at Dragonok. “Now look here. Ah appreciate yer trying to make up for her misdeed but simply paying bits to cover her flank ain’t gonna make her a better person in the long run. She’s gotta learn not to do this sort of thing without anypony trying tah yank her flank out of the messes she makes.”

“Then what would you have her do exactly to make amends for her mistake?” Dragonok curiously inquired.

“Ah suggest she do some manual labor over the farm a few times until the lesson gets nailed through her noggin. That way, she ain’t gonna repeat those kinds of shenanigans again.”

Dragonok crossed his arms as he considered the wisdom behind Applejack’s knowledge before he turned towards Daemon. “She does pose a valid point, Daemon. Perhaps it would be best if you joined Applejack in taking care of some of their labors for a period of time in exchange for your little theft.”

Daemon, knowing that her relaxation time was at risk, gave her master the hurt puppy glare complete with sparkles as she asked, “Do I have to, master?” in a heartwarming way that would lead to several heart attacks from all the cuteness she emanated at that very moment.

Dragonok just chuckled as his hand mussed Daemon’s mane. “I’m afraid not, little one. Perhaps you’ll think better of the consequences before you go apple-picking again. You best take care of it beginning on the morrow.”

“Aw…” she moaned before she conceded to her master’s request. “Alright, master, if that’s what you want.” She turned towards Applejack before mumbling, “I’ll see you soon,” before sinking into the shadows to pout for a bit.

Applejack, perturbed yet amused by what she had just seen in the last five minutes alone, turned towards Dragonok with a wary gleam in her eye. “Now that that’s taken of, Ah have a question for yah. What in tarnation made yah decide to just stroll into Ponyville after that little stunt yah pulled with the princess?”

Instead of answering Applejack, Dragonok just placed one claw-tipped finger in front of his faceplate. “That, you’ll have to find out on your own,” he replied with a wink. "For now, I would like to buy some apples from your fine establishment. How many apples will you give in exchange for these?” He reached out from behind him to pull out a massive satchel overflowing with bits that clearly totaled about Big Macintosh’s weight if its size was any indication.

“Whoa nelly!” Applejack shouted. “That’s quite a bunch of bits yah got there. Ah’d say there’s enough to buy all of mah stock here and then some.” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as a chilling thought came to her. “Where in tarnation did yah get so many bits, anywho? Didja go and steal a bank or something?”

Instead of seeing any signs of an fruitless attempt to lie, Applejack faced a sudden uproar of laugher from the armor-bound titan that whipped her mane and tail against the blaring wave of noise.

"“I may have committed many acts that may be considered crimes in numerous societies," Dragonok explained once his laughter had subsided, "but to steal from a bank would be considered rather mundane and not worth either any amount of effort or time. Nay, Applejack of the Apple Clan, I would not commit such a deed; after all, what value would any kind of currency have whenever new societies arise to replace every aspect of their predecessors? Regardless of my appearance or reputation, I do have honest means of acquiring Equestrian bits without resorting to such dastardly methods.”

Applejack carefully searched Dragonok for any signs that would scream out a lie in her books and found nothing but sincerity. Still, there was one question she still had in mind. “In that case, why doncha tell me where yah got those bits to start with in the first place then?”

Dragonok, instead of answering her question, just wagged a finger at her. “Now that is a secret to be revealed for another time. Now, may I have a few bags of your fine stock? You do have other customers to take care of, after all. ”

“Ah, hold on a sec.” She quickly rummaged through her apples and stored some of each kind into three burgundy bags. She then counted out the appropriate amount of bits from his bag before pushing it along with the bags filled with the mouth-wateringly ripened fruits. “Here are yah apples along with yah change.”

“No, no, no, I insist you keep the change. Think of it as a gift from neighbor to neighbor.” And without another word, he vanished with his newly acquired bounty into the shadows

Applejack, after glaring at the spot where he had vanished, casually collected the gigantic bag of bits, placed it underneath her stall, and resumed selling apples to the sudden influx of customers that had previously accumulated behind the battle-hardened knight.“Whoo whee!” she muttered to herself. “Ah get the feeling things are gonna get a whole lot more interestin’ from here on out!”

As Applejack pondered on the future to come, Daemon had been wandering around Ponyville with a heavy gloom cloaking her with every step she took on the cobblestone pavement. She ignored the curious, and wary, stares pointed towards her direction from Ponyville civilians as she looked around to see anything that might cheer her up.

“Stupid master…” she muttered. “I don’t wanna do chores. I just wanna relax and do nothing but read and play games forever and ever until our next mission arrives from our Fair Lady.” Truth be told, she had been bored being stuck without anything to do for over a thousand years after being sealed inside that constrictive summoning flute. Now that she’s finally free from it, she wanted to just spend her time having fun until they go back to their home multiverse. But how could she do that when she had to take care of some chores to make up for the apples she took from Sweet Apple Acres?

As she continued to ponder on the dilemma on hoof, she didn’t notice a certain pair of pegasi mares walking towards her until it was too late.

“Oof!”

“Ow!”

“Ouch…”

The three equines rubbed their sore heads after the resulting collision had sent the three of them sprawling onto the ground. Daemon and the two ponies took one look at each other before they each instantly recognized the other party.

The prismatic pegasus jumped back onto her hooves as her buttery yellow companion scrambled behind her for protection. “What in Celestia’s mane are you’re doing here?!” she roared as she steadied into a fighting stance with her forehooves poised to strike. “Are you here for another fight or something?! Bring it on!”

Daemon rubbed her temples with her claws before she turned towards Rainbow Dash with confusion etched on her face. “I’m sorry but who are you again?”

“I’m the one and only Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt extraordinaire, that’s who!” she confidently answered. “And you still didn’t answer my question; what the hay are you doing here in Ponyville?!”

“Just looking around for something relaxing to do, that’s all,” Daemon replied with a dismissive wave of her claws. “In any case, what are you and…” She turned towards Rainbow Dash’s companion as she cocked her head to one side. “I’m sorry for asking but who are you, Miss?”

“I’m Fluttershy…” the yellow pegasus quietly whispered as she peeked from behind Rainbow Dash with fear evident in her aquamarine eyes. She squeaked when she saw Daemon and hid behind her childhood friend.

Daemon felt a sudden pang of melancholy upon seeing such an expression on the frightened pony’s face. She had seen its kind many a time throughout her travels with her master as they hop from universe to universe. She could still recall the countless times when such a fear had led to various attacks towards the duo ranging from simple rock-slinging to advanced apocalyptic laser-blasting. She supposed she had to handle it the best way she knew how thanks to those experiences.

“Look, I’m not here for a fight or anything,” Daemon tiredly explained. “I just want a place where I can just relax. If you ponies wanna fight, that’s fine by me but could we do this after I relax at a good resting spot?”

Fluttershy poked once again from her hiding spot. She was still scared of the monstrous mare who matched Celestia in sheer size alone but she couldn’t help but feel sadness emanating from Daemon. Her motherly instinct was what inched her out of her shell to comfort the draconian equine. “Um… we’re going to the day spa,” she nervously said as she shivered with suppressed fear. “You can come with us to relax there, if you don’t mind of course…”

Rainbow Dash stiffened as her friend had casually revealed a secret she had desperately tried to hide from everypony. “Fluttershy, are you nuts?! Don’t say that out loud! I don’t want anypony knowing about me going to the spa of all places! It’ll make me sound fru-fru and stuff!”

“Nah, it’s not that bad,” Daemon countered. A spotlight suddenly shone on her from out of nowhere as she somehow donned a pair of sunglasses complete with a bushy moustache that completely coated the lower half of her face. “Salons are there to help revitalize and improve their patrons’ aesthetic and physical aspects. Without them, where would athletes go to unwind and release all that pent-up tension from performing on the fields of sport? Where in Equus can anyone go and release their inner beauty for the world to see as the spa’s beauticians help you reach your full potential? They are not simply there to simply make one ‘fru-fru!’ They are there to help release your inner deity; your upmost potential to become a personification of beauty and strength free from the stress of mortal life! That and that alone is the power of a spa treatment! Viva balneario!” Her eyes practically blazed as she immersed herself into her passion.

Rainbow Dash had to close her mouth after witnessing the randomness of the stranger’s exuberant speech. It would be an understatement to say this was the strangest thing she had ever seen. “You know, you have got to be the weirdest villain I’ve ever met, ever,” she noted.

Daemon bowed with a grin etched on her snout. “Thank you, I try my best. With that aside, to the spa!"

Rarity had faced many trials throughout her life. Whether it was pulling several all-nighters to finish producing a new line of clothing or trying to save Equestria from the forces of evil, she and her friends had always came face to face with the challenges at hoof and persevered in doing so.

Because of all of that, the stress she had accumulated from such encounters had led her to acquire the spa services provided by Aloe and Lotus Blossom whenever she had free time. When it comes to beautification and relaxation, those girls clearly had it hooves down. She couldn’t wait for a good massage followed by a lovely dip in the jacuzzi filled with rich mineral water to acquire that youthful glow one receives from such treatments. There was no possible way going to the spa would lead to anything out of the ordinary besides obtaining monumental bliss that was out of this world.

She had been proven wrong before.

“The usual, please,” she requested to Aloe and Lotus Blossom with two of her friends plus one unexpected companion. “And could you please place these three on my guest list today?”

“No problem, Miss Rarity,” both spa ponies replied in complete sync with smiles plastered on their faces. They didn’t even react when they saw a nightmarish parody of an alicorn straight out of a supernatural horror flick set claw into their spa. They lived in Ponyville after all; the town where the unusual have come to reside and interact with its citizens on a daily basis. “We’re always happy to oblige. Just give us a moment and we shall retrieve you momentarily.”

Once Aloe and Lotus Blossom left to prepare for their patrons’ spa treatment, Rarity turned towards her friends. “Now, I really must insist as to why neither of you have so much as batted an eyebrow when you’re both right next to this… fascinating individual.”

“Yeah, so here’s the thing,” Rainbow Dash began, “she just bumped into us and Fluttershy decided to invite her to a spa treatment to relax for a while. By the way, I still can’t believe you’re willing to pay extra for her to get in when it turned out she doesn’t have a bit to her name.”

Daemon moped on the floor as a depressive gloom surrounded her. “You don’t have to put it like that. Master’s the one in charge of finances and all. I’m sorry in advance if I can’t pay you back.”

Rarity shook her head. “Oh, don’t worry about it. This one’s on the house, I insist.”

Before Rarity knew what just happened, she became bound in one of the most excruciatingly painful bear hugs she had ever received (the number one spot was reserved for Pinkie. How she had that much strength despite consuming so many sweets, she’ll never know). “HAH, REALLY?! THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME! I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU! JUST NAME IT!”

“Well for starters, darling,” Rarity choked out as she struggled to be free of the strangulating vise, “I would sincerely appreciate it if you let me go before I faint…”

Daemon immediately released the fashionista from her vise-hug. “Whoops!” she said as she released an awkward chuckle. “I’m really sorry about that. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Don’t worry,” Rarity reassured her. “I’ve had worse. It’s certainly nothing a good spa day can’t fix.” She then turned an analytical eye towards Daemon’s physique. “I must say, you’re more than meets the eye. Why, I would have pegged you for a supermodel with your slender curves and imposing stature despite your… unusual characteristics.”

Daemon performed an eyeroll towards Rarity’s hesitance. “You don’t have to beat about the bush for my sake,” she chided. “You can say that I look like an eldritch abomination that dragged itself straight out of the bowels of Tartarus. I don’t mind.”

An intense fire suddenly roared to life in Rarity’s eyes. Daemon gulped as she recognized that particular look. She had seen it on the faces of those prepared to do anything and everything to achieve their goals regardless of how stacked the odds were against them.

It was that of determination.

“No, no, no, I won’t let such a travesty stand!” she proclaimed with overwhelming passion. “You may be different from everypony else but that doesn’t mean you’re hideous; far from it! As a matter of fact, you possess unique traits that will help enhance your beauty to new heights if properly utilized to their fullest potential, and I’ll be the pony to help you achieve that! When I’m done with you, you’ll be so fabulous nopony will be able to keep their hooves off you! But first, I'll need some assistance.”

She turned to focus on the two ponies she knew could help her on such a task. “Oh Aloe and Lotus Blossom, would you both mind coming here for a few moments of your time?”

“Is there something you need, Miss Rarity?” Aloe asked as she and her sister trotted over to Rarity.

“Oh no, it’s nothing I personally need at the moment but I do have a favor to ask both of you. Would you both be so kind as to prepare the royal treatment for this young mare here? I would be ever so grateful.”

“Ooh, it is no problem, Mademoiselle Rarity,” Lotus Blossom said. “We shall prepare this very instant.” She and Aloe instantly sped away and returned with a bundle of beauty supplies ranging from exotic shampoos to exquisite nail polishes.

“Um, do I have a say in this?” Daemon tentatively asked.

Rarity tsked as she pulled out a pair of red-rimmed designer’s glasses from her purse and perched them onto her nose. “Now, now, darling, you promised you would do anything for me. What better way to do that than to allow me and the girls to give you a chance to achieve your hidden potential? This way, you’ll gain the opportunity to gain some self- confidence as well as the chance to become even more beautiful without having to lift a single claw.”

Fluttershy who watched this unfold turned to Rainbow Dash. “Um… do you think we should help her?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, she’ll be totally fine. It's better to just wait in the sauna until they finish whatever it is they’re doing. It shouldn’t take long.” She swiveled her head towards the door to make sure there weren’t any ponies nearby who would catch wind of her doing such a fru-fru activity before she nodded in satisfaction. “Hey, Rarity, we’ll go on without you for a bit. You okay with that?”

“Alright, darlings,” Rarity absentmindedly replied as she dedicated all of her attention towards Daemon. “Now, we should probably take your measurements before we begin. After all, I do need to whip up some fabulous clothes while Aloe and Lotus take care of you. I’m just glad I brought this with me just in case.” She pulled out some measuring tape which she brandished with glee. “Now just hold still.”

Daemon sweatdropped as Rarity and the spa sisters inched closer and closer to her with every step. She wanted to escape but their piercing stares pinned her down as the promise she so foolishly made a few moments before weakened her to their whim. She had no choice but to endure what was to come until the bare minimum of her promise has been fulfilled. “Help,” she squeaked.

As the day drew to a close, the golden sun descended into the horizon as the silver moon arose from her slumber to greet all who bathe in her gentle glow. A massive ebony fortress shaped into the facsimile of a dragon’s skull grasped by a lich’s spindly fingers stood proud as it nestled within the center of the tree’s massive canopy. The mimpoles responsible for its construction now sleep within cocoons dotting around the mighty structure’s perimeter to await the arrival of hostile intruders as a good excuse to pop out of their cocoons and gorge on the intruders’ flesh and marrow.

Dragonok, with a critical eye, scanned every inch of the fortress before he began a series of tests to see if the mimpoles had built a sturdy defense this time. He didn’t want a repeat of that incident when they focused on only crafting a fortress in the shape of a massive eyeball with tentacles that did practically nothing in terms of defense and offense.

The continuous barrage of hentai references flung afterward until he had finished his mission and departed from the universe it was constructed at didn’t help either.

He first walked up to its snout and tapped on it only to receive a deafening roar as crimson flames sparked to life within the dragon skull’s eye sockets. It rumbled before it released a rushing torrent of searing-white plasma that enveloped Dragonok and burst the branches in its path into ashes in a split second. Once the fortress finished its attack, Dragonok, unharmed by the flames, snapped his fingers and changed the ashes back to living wood.

He then focused enough power in his right fist to shatter a entire mountain range into dust before he attempted to do the same to the fortress. The fortress, however, changed its hardened composition into that of a springier texture which absorbed all the kinetic energy released upon impact before it released it back at Dragonok as electricity. Dragonok just casually spread his palms wide and absorbed it all without even a flinch.

Satisfied with the fortress’s basic defensive capabilities, Dragonok released a relieved sigh. “Well, these will last quite well against intruders for at least a while. Now that that’s over, I should probably check on the interior to see whether or not they designed the rooms to my general specifications or if they just decorated every room with useless statues of me again.”

He hummed as he summoned forth a doorway with the dragon skull’s maw and walked right through it only to be suddenly blasted with confetti and the blare of noisemakers.

“SURPRISE!!!”

What stood before him was a massive ballroom filled with what seemed to be everypony from Ponyville standing before him. Streamers and balloons shaded in buttermilk yellow, cotton candy pink, and sky blue, festoon every part of the ballroom from its alabaster ceilings to its marble columns. One particular pink party pony greeted Dragonok with an enormous smile stretching from side to side.

“Hiya, Draggy, and welcome to your first ever Welcome to Ponyville Slash Housewarming Party!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I bet you were so surprised to see me and everypony in Ponyville here inside your super-awesome castle! Everypony thought it would be really difficult to get in but I persuaded the mimpoles and the castle to let everypony inside and build this awesome ballroom with some cupcakes! Here, try one!”

She pulled out Dragonok’s hand and shoved a chocolate cupcake coated with what appears to be vanilla icing dusted with red sprinkles on top into its mouth. The moment Dragonok swallowed it whole, his armor changed from its ebony hue to that of a scorched red.

“Hmm… it’s not bad,” Dragonok casually noted as flames suddenly erupted from every orifice in his helm. “The chocolatey texture of the cupcake’s soft texture compliments the blistering agony provided by the ghost pepper flakes mixed in with the icing. I’ve had more painful cuisine but this has to be the most delectable by far. However did you produce such a pastry?”

Pinkie giggled. “Oh silly, that’s easy. I just mix and match ingredients together until something positively yummy pops out. I’ve got so many delicious recipes like the chimmicherrychanga, the rainberrybow pie, the peppermint chainsaw, and over a few dozen thousand other recipes shoved inside my head.” She pulled out a gigantic chocolate cupcake sprinkled with ghost pepper flakes the size of her head from out of nowhere, unhinged her jaws, and swallowed it whole with little effort. “Mmm… this reminds of the time Twilight first came to Ponyville and drank some delicious hot sauce at her Welcome to Ponyville Party. You should have seen the look on her face; she was so happy she shed tears of joy.”

Upon hearing Pinkie mentioning Celestia’s student, a tingling sensation notified Dragonok of someone studying his every move from an unseen location. He had a sneaking suspicion in regards to the spy’s identity but he wanted to make sure before he hastily jumped to conclusions. The last time he did that, it led to a series of embarrassing events involving mystical guns, hot springs, naked femme fatale assassins, and the sudden release of an apocalypse. Now there was an experience he didn’t want to repeat again anytime soon.

“Speaking of young Sparkle, where is she if I may ask?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s over there at the other side of the ballroom near the punch bowl while watching you with a telescope.” Pinkie pointed to said location where Twilight was indeed watching Dragonok from afar while jotting down notes on a notepad. “She said something about finding your weakness so we can prevent you from taking over all of Equestria and turn it into a zombie apocalypse or something like that. As long as it’s not the Sugar-Free Depression-Apocalypse, I can totally handle it.”

Dragonok’s curiosity bubbled upon hearing Twilight’s intentions. How unusual… I wonder if Celly’s letter had reached her and informed her of the current situation behind my stay in Ponyville. If so, then it would make sense if Celestia’s prized pupil would panic upon seeing my name before finishing the letter beforehand. If not, then it would seem Celly’s up to her old tricks again. It would be best for Sparkle to find out the truth on her own either way though; after all, the expression she’ll make will be quite worth the misunderstanding in the end. But first, there’s something I need to clarify. “Excuse me, young Pinkie, but if Twilight wished to discover my weakness, why in Tiamantis would she decide to observe me from such a short distance where I could easily notice her instead of spying on me from a far-off location where she would be less likely to be caught? I thought someone possessing an intellect of her caliber would have thought of such a scenario before making such a bold move to sneak upon the enemy. Do you have any clues on how this could have happened?”

“Well, it all started while I was sending out invitations for your Welcome to Ponyville Slash Housewarming Party when I noticed Twilight at her balcony with a gigantic telescope so I decided to take a look on the other side of the telescope which made her shriek for some reason before she noticed the invitations I was giving out so she asked me whose party I was throwing and I said your name and she was like ‘WHAT?!’ and I was like ‘Uh huh’ and then she tried to convince me not to go since you were supposed to be a bad guy and all and I said it would be a great chance to really know you and then she got that weird gleam in her eyes, you know, the kind that leads to a ‘hohohohohohoh’ kind of moment, before she decided to accept a invitation and get inside your house so she could just stare at you with her telescope from behind the punch bowl on the other side of the ballroom which leads to me explaining to you why Twilight’s here instead of being at her library with Spike, and that pretty much covers it… or does it?” Pinkie tilted her head sideways as she pondered on it before she smiled and shrugged it off. “Nah, I’m pretty sure that’s it. See ya later and don’t forget to say hi to the neophytes for me, Draggy! Whee!”

And with that, she bounced away to partake in the festivities, leaving behind a bemused Dragonok.

“Now how did she know about the neophytes?” Dragonok wondered before he released a heavy sigh. “I suppose I’ll find that out on my own time. But first, I need to take care of this fire.”

Dragonok stretched out his palm and generated a small portal from its mouth. It spat out a glass bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid before it winked out of existence. He removed the cork off the bottle which released a fizzing hiss as a sugary sweet odor escaped from it. He then drank its contents in a single gulp. Within moments, the flames blasting out of his helm vanished as his armor regained its ebony hue. “Ah, nothing beats a good swig of Glacier Bovine Mi-”

Before he could finish what he was about to say, a black blur passed by him as it screamed “SOMEPONY SAVE ME!”

Seconds after what appeared to be Daemon had zoomed by, an ivory unicorn with a purple mane followed suit with a stunning black velvet dress patterned with swirls of ivy attached to miniature roses. Its ruby-red petticoats rustled in the breeze as silver skulls sewn into the hem of the dress jingled with each step she took. What had caught Dragonok’s attention in particular was the steely determination shining in the mare’s eyes. “You can’t escape from me, darling! I will make you become fabulous even if I have to strap you down to make you wear this dress!”

“NOOOOOOO!” Daemon shrieked as she attempted to escape from her pursuer.. “NOT WHEN I’M FINALLY FREE!” Dragonok observed that her usually messy scarlet mane had been styled into twin majestic ringlets that curl to resemble that of massive drills. Her scales now brilliantly glistened with the intensity of clear-cut diamonds basking in the sun. What caught his attention the most, however, was the sheen on her scythe-shaped claws that could only be produced by master beauticians with diamond-encrusted nail files or other such tools.

Dragonok watched Rarity play cat-and-mouse with Daemon until both had vanished into the crowd. “I don’t think I want to know what just happened. I’ll just let things sort themselves out while I slumber in my chambers.”

He walked over to a nearby buffet line and picked up a single doughnut encrusted with sugar before he teleported to his bed. He shoved it all into one of his mouths, chewed with contentment as its sugary-sweet contents dissolved into mush before swallowing, and laid down to sleep in the bed’s enveloping softness. His scarlet eyes flickered for a moment before they faded away to leave behind only pitch-black darkness…