Prepare to Face the Mighty Millhouse Manastorm!
Gracefully falling like a sack of potatoes, the blacked figure fell from the swirling vortex. Twilight chewed frantically at her hoof as it tumbled from the tear. It could be anything. It could be a deadly raptorsnake, or whatever the other world's version of a raptorsnake was. Maybe it had the skin of a raptorsnake, the eyes of a goat and the legs of a spidermonkey? Maybe it had a straw for a mouth and could suck the magic from ponies while burying into the paper of her books? Maybe it was able to tunnel like termites into the balcony below her before wrapping itself around her hooves and digesting her?
Wait, wait. It didn't have to be bad, did it? It could be some form of kitten, or puppy! It could just be some mundane animal with blueish fur and a white mane, perfectly normal. It could be a bandersnatch for all she knew!
Though... In all fairness... She didn't think that a bandersnatch would have the lungs to scream that loudly.
And by Celestia could this thing scream.
It was worse than Pinkie's screeches, louder than Rarity's 'Worst Possible Wails' (patent pending) and more feminine than even the most posh of Canterlot ponies.
In mere moments it was bouncing from rooftop to rooftop of the Ponyville populace. A thump accompanied each pained groan and whine as it flopped from building to building. After a painful minute of watching and wincing, the thing finally stopped. In Applejack's cart of apples. Utterly destroying the produce and vessel.
The particular pony of produce gawked at the intrusion. Shock graced her features for moments before they changed, going to rage before landing on pity.
"Need any help there?"
The creature bolted up, flipping it's dirtied robe and white mane out of it's face. It was quite the odd creature, though the long white hairs took up most of the image, the large triangle on it's face drew some attention.
"Back foul Demon! You face you're doom! I am the Mighty Mill- GAAH!"
Twilight landed atop the thing after a pop of magic.
"Applejack! Thank goodness! Have you seen it? I know it wouldn't be any bigger than a pony but it fell from the rift! From the looks of it everypony was looking at it and... Is something wrong?" The purple princess tilted her head in confusion.
"Look below you sugarcube. I think you owe him and apology."
A glance told her all she needed as she leapt from the groaning body. A hoof held to her mouth she moved closer, worry plastered on her face.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I was just teleporting here to see if you were alright!"
"Quiet Demon! You will not fool me, the Mighty Millhouse Manastorm, with your trickery! Prepare to face your DO- WAAAGH!"
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my GOSH!" Pink filled Millhouses face, two eyes somehow attached to the sea of fur and smiles. "You must be new! I felt my Pinkie-sense telling me that something really scary would happen today, then the big hole in the opened and I was all," the pink pony continued rambling on about how her psychosis managed to detect new beings while the victim attempted his escape. Slowly backing away while casting the odd spell to remain alive, and keep his hearing. "and why shouldn't I make a special cake for them? They were down in the dumps and eating a table! This could only be solved by my confectionary skill, no other would satisfy this time! It was me, or him!"
"Enough!"
"Awww, but Twiliiiight I was expositioning!"
"It doesn't matter Pinkie, we need to help our guest. Now, Mister Manastorm was it? I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and I and extremely sorry for falling on you and bringing you to our realm. I hope this wasn't an inconvenience, and don't worry about Applejack's stand, I will have it fixed." A comforting hoof was placed over orange withers. "Can you accept my apology over some tea perhaps?"
The being stood there, eyes squinted and his mouth forming a neat 'o'. "What?"
The ponies recoiled slightly. "I just want to apologize for anything I may have done to-"
"Lies! Fallacy I say! You will not tempt me creature of the arcane! I am the Mighty Millhouse Manastorm! I will be your DOOOOOOM!"
Dark energy gathered around the miniature mage, forming a swirling pool at his shoes. A quick order from Twilight and Applejack and Pinkie were off to find their friends. The princess stood just out of the pool, flaring her wings slightly to the sides.
"Be reasonable! What do you want? If you insist I can bring you to Princess Celestia and we can find a way to get you home!"
"Begone arcane spawn! I am halfway to your destruction!"
"There is no reason for us to fight! I am trying to be hospitable here! You can have a room Canterlot castle if you really want while you stay! You could be a teacher at an arcane school! You could find some friends here and enjoy yourself while we work on getting you home!"
"Here it coooooomes!"
The darkness coalesced around him into threatening bolts of lightning.
She sighed, igniting her horn. In the background she could hear her friends galloping to her aid. "If that's how you're gonna be."
Seconds ticked by before anything happened. The gnome had his face in a threatening pose, one eye large and daring while the other was small and deadly. Eyebrows raised. His lower lip pushed out, and his beard flowing with the powerful magicks. The glow on Twilight's horn intensified as she readied a quick strike to incapacitate him. As her friends came into view, charging the square they stood in, the magic around Millhouse Manastorm glowed brightly. This was surely it. The spell was about to go off and she had been distracted by her friends! She managed to change the spell enough to shield her from anything that may come her was before a rough pop, went off.
With shield raised and wings flared the spells were released. Dark energies were released as the mage roared in triumph, before blasting back from his position.
Twilight opened her eyes. Confused and curious she inspected her shield. Not a scuff on it's magical surface. Not even a speck of ash. The thump of a mage hitting the ground drew her attention. Her friends had gather behind her, congratulating her on her prowess. The indent on the building across was not her doing. Manastorm's spell had backfired!
"Girls, I didn't do that! I only put up the shield, and look! Not a scratch on it! His spell went right back in his face."
"It did not! That was meant to happen to, to fake you out! To show you my resilience and strength! I will not be an easy foe to vanquish! I shall be your DOOOOOOOOM I say!"
Once again, magic pooled around him, identical to the last time. This time Twilight went straight for charging a shield spell. This one large enough to protect her friends as well. Since they were across the plaza this time, she would be able to have enough of a chance to retaliate if it came down to it.
"This time, It's for real! I have all of you right where I want you! Prepare for destruction!"
Again the magic surrounded him and glowed. The girls stood their ground. Taking battle stances snarls etched in their faces. Rainbow Dash knocked her hooves together while hovering in the air. Applejack stomped on the ground. Pinkie Pie blew steam from her nose. Rarity held a dignified pose with a hard glare. Fluttershy, while trying to be a part of the endeavor, was hiding behind Pinkie, offering moral support. Twilight raised the shield just as the magic burst forth.
And sent Millhouse back into the same house as before, though this time sending him through the wall and into the living room.
Twilight rolled her eyes and lowered the shield, not finding it useful nor needed.
"Ah, so you, you," He gasped as he clambered through the rubble and dust, hacking a few times before continuing. "You fell for it again! I have, fooled you into wasting your magic on a pointless spell! Who, who is the mastermind now? I am! The Mighty Millhouse Manastorm! Now prepare for your ultimate destruction!"
Twilight was reluctant to fight, but the creature seemed Tartarus-bent on doing so. So once again she raised her shielding spell...
"And now... I... Will turn you... to dust!" Millhouse said again. His threats falling on deaf ears as the ponies continued their picnic.
At this point they were just waiting. He couldn't go on for much longer, and by the time the royal guards arrived he would be harmlessly passed out from the obvious exhaustion he was suffering. Honestly Twilight and the girls wondered why he even kept trying. Nothing new happened. He just kept casting the same spell, over and over again. At this rate he was going to collapse within the hour. Twilight couldn't tell how much mana it took to cast the spell, but this thing didn't have much left. Heck it might just bash itself into another building and knock itself out. If only, they could have been doing something fun by now if only it would stop.
Sadly with this delay, Twilight was both unable to contact the Dalahoof Guild or study the tear to see if it could be closed. It seemed it would have to wait until she could get some peace and quiet. How long must the guard take?
"I... Shall... Be... The, oh my." The gnome finally collapsed. A puff of ash from the blackened ground around him flew into the air, coating his robes further.
"Ugh, finally! I don't see why we couldn't do that for him! He had it coming!"
"Because we are civilized Rainbow! We don't need to stoop to this ruffian's level. Though, I suppose we could have stopped some of the damage to that house..."
"It's alright Rarity. After Millhouse is taken away I'll organize a construction crew. They'll get right on to fixing the house, and offering a few upgrades courtesy of the crown."
They looked down the street to see a group of guards and a chariot rapidly approaching. The girls stood and stretched their legs, relieving some minor numbness.
After a quick exchange of words the guards went to work taking the gnome away in the chariot and to Canterlot.
Twilight sighed, picking up the picnic supplies with her magic and looking into the night sky. The rip caught her attention once or twice but she focused on the intricate designs of stars and colours that she had inadvertently blocked with her experiment.
After she finished the cleanup of the house and got home to her castle, she was exhausted. She had a short conversation with Spike, promising to go into detail in the morning, before flopping down onto her bed. She gladly embraced sleep's hold as she quickly drifted off.
Though some couldn't sleep that night, and were kept awake by the seam in reality. They stared at it in reverent silence or in feverish agitation. Only when the sun was peeking over the horizon did they notice it shift. They saw it convulse and grow as another form made it's way out.
The only rest they received that night was when they fainted at the sight.
