THE GALLOPING GALA HORROR SHOW (THE MIND-WARP)
THE GALLOPING GALA HORROR SHOW (MIND-WARP)
It was that time again in Canterlot, the most prestigious and sought after social event of the year on the Equestrian Calender. The Grand Galloping Gala!
And it was an extra special occasion than usual, as this was the first time it would be attended none other than Princess Celestia’s younger sibling. Princess Luna.
Luna normally shunned these sorts of engagements, it wasn’t really her thing. However, with the gratitude shown by her subjects with the Winter Moon Festival, a newly royally decreed holiday thrown in her honour, she thought she’d try and lighten and open up a bit more, and try to make more social appearances when she could. She also really had the chance to dress up, and felt really pretty with beautiful silk white gown she was wrapped in.
Who knows? She might actually like it. Actually…. It was everything she worried she thought it was going to be. Dull, drab, and uninteresting. She was right; it wasn’t her kind of thing.
Although she made an improvement in leaps and bounds since her return as Nightmare Moon, she never considered herself to be prim and proper like her sister Celestia. She may be a princess, but she was a rebel, a misfit, a free spirit, a weirdo. A non-conformist if you will.
‘And you know what? I still am, and I wouldn’t want it any other way’ she thought to herself. In fact she had been those things longer than she had been a princess.
When she was just a little filly, she always quite the mischievous little prankster, setting up trapdoors and making secret corridors to play pranks back in her and Celestia’s old home the Castle of the Two Sisters.
‘And what better night to get up to mischief then tonight!’ she thought to herself, suppressing a giggle by placing a newly polished cuffed hoof to her mouth. And she had just the guest to help her. He wouldn’t be too far away now!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, seven familiar faces had just arrived, and were standing just outside the Palace Entrance.
There was a purple baby dragon (named Spike).
Two earth ponies, one with dark yellow coat, blonde mane tied in a pony tail, and a brown cowgirl hat, and the other with a pink coat and pink curly fuchsia mane (named Applejack and Pinkie Pie).
Two pegusi, one with a light yellow coat and a pretty pink mane parted to her left side of her face partially covering a pretty jewel-blue eye (named Fluttershy). The other pegasus had an electric cyan coat, and equally striking rainbow mane (named Rainbow Dash). The two mares were absolute stark contrasts to each other in terms of personality.
There was a startlingly beautiful unicorn with a silk-white coat (named Rarity), and a lovely curled purple mane parted to her right, which she couldn’t help to flick from her dark-blue eye at every given opportunity. Her eyes were adorned with the most glamourous eyelashes anypony had ever seen (albeit they were false, but no else but those who knew her best had to know that)
And there was the one and only Purple Alicorn Princess whose heroics had earned her and her friends admiration across Equestria. Princess Twilight Sparkle.
All six mares were all dressed resplendently in there glittering Gala gowns, and Spike looked pretty sharp himself too.
However there was a new face amongst the recognisable crew, that nopony had seen before. She just kind of shuffling behind and looking down at the ground, trying not to make eye contact with anypony.
“Come on Starlight!” called out Twilight to the magenta unicorn.
Starlight Glimmer looked up, and broke herself form her wandering mind. She had heard of the Grand Galloping Gala before, but was never really fussed by it… for all the wrong reasons.
Her oppression of cutie marks in her old home town made her waste all her energy and focus into blind revenge. She had a lot of ground to cover, and she knew it. She thought the idea of attending the Gala for the first time would the best way to get best hoof forward toward the Magic of Friendship. However she also felt way over head and completely out of her depth in attending. She took a deep breath, and trotted over to her seven newly made friends. She had to admit, she felt like a new pony with her elegant Gala gown, and her beautifully done up mane. She had never felt so glamourous.
“Sorry Twilight” she apologised with a sigh. “Things have been weighing on my mind leading up to this. I just feel like I don’t belong here.”
“Rubbish!” admonished Rarity. “You have as much right to be here as anypony else. Besides,” she went on, “You look absolutely divine in that gown. You just absolutely glow! I wouldn’t be surprised with you’ll be turning heads tonight”.
Starlight blushed, and looked at her hooves. “Thank you Rarity,” smiled Starlight, turning to Rarity and overcoming her initial shyness. “You really did nice job on this gown, it would’ve been ungrateful for me not to come”.
“And just relax,” joined in Rainbow Dash. “There’s nothing to these shindigs. All you really do here is just stand around and talk to everypony you meet. You never know who you might bump into, like the Wonderbolts for example”
“She’s right sugarcube,” comforted Applejack. “Just enjoy yourself”.
“Well after what I’ve done, I’m surprised the Princesses would even let me come”, said Starlight Glimmer with disbelief.
“Pffft… are you kidding me?!” scoffed Twilight with an inward laugh. “If the princesses didn’t want you to come, they would’ve made there feeling known about. Heck, they sent me an invitation with your name on it to give to you!”
“Yeah! Rarely does Princess Celestia snub anypony, if ever,” agreed Rainbow Dash. “She even let Discord into joint”.
Rarity shivered and cringed at that reminder. That one outing she wanted to erase from the memory bank quickly. She could still feel the ooze of the Smooze clinging to her fur.
“And he became an even better draconequus afterwards”, quipped Fluttershy with a smile.
“I wonder if he got invited for tonight?” wondered Applejack.
“I hope so,” replied Pinkie Pie. “And I hope he brings the Smooze with to! Those two are such the life’s blood of the party!” she said with a spring and a bounce. “And that’s saying something, coming from me!”
“I’d rather hope he doesn’t”, said Spike gravely.
“Well whatever happens, let’s just try and enjoy ourselves no matter what”, spoke Twilight. “Come on girls… and Spike. The Gala awaits us!”
And with that, the two earth ponies, the two pegasi and the two unicorns were lead into Canterlot Castle by the Purple Alicorn Princess, and her childhood dragon friend. This night was certainly going to be something!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Good Evening Princess Celestia. Princess Luna!” said Twilight Sparkle with a bow.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” exclaimed Celestia. “It’s always a pleasure to see you and your friends. And I see you have a new face amongst the usual group.
“Princesses, it is my upmost honour to introduce to you our newest friend; Starlight Glimmer”, announced Twilight to her fellow princesses.
Starlight forgot to be shy, and was now absolutely beaming at her introduction.
“It’s my honour to finally meet you, Princesses”, she said with a bow. “Twilight has told me so much about you.”
“I’m sure she has”, smiled Celestia. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you too Starlight Glimmer. In fact, Twilight has told me a lot about you too. You have really come a long way already. Attending the Gala is definitely a step in the right direction. Oh and by the way, you’re not alone. It’s Luna’s first Gala too.” Luna smiled.
“Just be sure to have fun tonight”, Luna added. “Because honestly, the ponies at this event don’t seem to know how to”, she finished with a whisper.
“I’ll be sure to do so Princess”, replied Starlight with a laugh. She already began to relax.
Just then, a loud whistle then echoed through the Palace. It was the kind of whistle that Applejack used to get her farm dog, Winona’s attention. Only the whistle didn’t come from Applejack’s mouth. She in turn looked over to where the whistle came from.
“Oh if you’re looking for fun, you don’t have to look any further than to me!” It was none other than now reformed, often goofy, yet always obnoxious draconequus, Discord. Dressed dapperly in an orange tux, and matching top hat. He was smartly leaning on his cane.
His appearance wasn’t met with fear and discourtesy, largely thanks to his contribution to the Ponyville Players Spring Musical. However it was met by some apprehension amongst the pony guests, especially after what he pulled last year at the Gala.
“Discord!” exclaimed Fluttershy, she flew over to him and gave her biggest Fluttershy hug she could give to him (which gentle at best).
“Well hello to you too Fluttershy”, replied Discord hugging in return. “And how is my favourite pegasus pal?” he asked brushing her parted mane from her eye.
“Just swell Discord, just swell!”
“Ummm… no Smooze with you today?” asked Rarity hopefully.
“Oh no he’s just outside. BRR-ING OUT THE SMOOZE!” he called out rolling his R’s.
Rarity was about to dive somewhere to hide, but then she saw two guard ponies pushing out the Smooze out in a Smooze-sized box with a top hat on top of it.
Everypony just stared silently at the anomaly.
Rainbow Dash then flew over the Smooze in the Box.
“Umm… Are you sure he can breathe in there?” she asked cocking her head pointing at the box with her hoof.
“Oh yes, he just fine. Smoozes always breathe inside their ooze. I just thought I’d some precautions after last years debacle”.
“Well he certainly looks happy,” added Twilight, the Smooze smiled happily in his box. “Hi Smooze!” Twilight waved at him.
While that was going on, Discord then looked over to where Luna was. Luna gave him a wink, and that was all that was needed to begin the escapades of the night.
“Now Discord, I would like you to meet our newest friend, Starlight…”
“Yes, yes I will in a bit Twilight. But right now there a some certain… changes that need to be made to the Gala”
Then suddenly, Discord snapped his claws and the strings and bows of the violin and cello playing ponies suddenly snapped with a twang! The string section, including an extremely miffed Octavia Melody, all held out the instruments in dismay of what caused it. They didn’t have to look too far.
“Ahhhh! Discord!” gasped Fluttershy. “Why on earth did you just do that?”
“Oh come on Fluttershy!” exclaimed Discord. “You call this party music?”
Fluttershy stared hard and stern at Discord’s face.
“Okay then fine!” he relented and snapped his fingers again, and the instruments were immediately repaired. Only this time when the ponies tried to play them again, no music came from them.
“What have you done this time?” demanded Fluttershy
“Well you see dear Fluttershy…” he then looked over to Princess Luna, who nodded her head in turn. She then emitted some magic from her horn, which then grafted over to a hidden speaker under one of the tables. A three-chord rock riff then began playing.
“AHHHH! I LOVE THIS SONG!!!! YES, YES, YES!!!” Pinkie Pie shrieked with a gasp all of a sudden, and the bounced away.
“…I and the dear Princess Luna would like to add a bit of pizzazz to this dull and dreary affair. Because…”
(DISCORD)
…It’s astounding
Life is fleeting
Chaos begins to unfold.
So watch closely…
(LUNA)
Not for very much longer.
(DISCORD)
We’re about to lose control.
I remember doing the mind-warp
Drinking those minutes when
The Boredom would hit me
(LUNA)
And everypony would be calling…
And as most of the pony guest knew what to do, they all began singing and dancing in unison, right on queue!
(PONIES)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It’s just a jump to the left.
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(BIG MACINTOSH)
…Eeyup!
(ALL)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(LUNA)
When you’re dreaming, the fantasy frees me
I make sure, you can’t see me, but that’s not all.
In the dreaming dimension,
with voyeuristic intension.
Well secluded, I see all.
(DISCORD)
With a bit of a back flip
(LUNA)
You’re into the mind slip!
(DISCORD)
And you can’t ever rack it around your brain.
(LUNA)
It’s quite the sensation.
(DISCORD)
Like a Riff-Raff sedation!
(ALL)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PINKIE PIE)
Well I was bouncing down the street, all pretty and pink
When this Discord guy, gave me a real sly wink.
He shook it off, threw away his evil guise
He said “Look Up”, and then to my surprise.
He snapped his claw, and the weather changed
Time meant nothing, now there was; CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!
(ALL)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It…
(CELESTIA)
No, no! Wait, wait please!
Twilight Sparkle then gave a sigh of relief. Princess Celestia would soon put a stop to this madness, and bring the gala back to its respectable occasion.
I want to join in! Can I do the next bit please? Can I, Can I, Can I!?
Twilight then cocked her head, and eye brow to what she thought she heard. And something she never thought she’d hear come out of the Princess’s mouth!
(PONY NARRATOR)
*sigh* … Very Well.
(CELESTIA)
OH THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Ahem… So let’s see… It’s, just a jump to the left.
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(PINKIE PIE)
Oakey-Doakey-Loaky!
(ALL… INCLUDING PRINCESS CELESTIA, LEADING AT THE FRONT!)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
PINKIE-PIE TAP-DANCING HOOF SOLO
While Pinkie was putting on a tap dancing frenzy, Princess Luna saw the glass box in which the Smooze was safely kept. A smirk formed on her face, as wicked idea flew into her ear. ‘It’s too good of an opportunity NOT to do it’. With all the dancing going on she went over the Smooze box, and emitted some more magic from her horn. Unnoticed. She flew up above with the Smooze. Meanwhile…
(ALL)
…Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It’s just a jump to the left.
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(DERPY)
…Muffin?!
(ALL)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
The music died but the chaos wasn’t over yet. As Princess Celestia finished her final note and dance sequence, unknown to her, Princess Luna snuck up behind her and opened the Smooze box.
Before she knew what was going on, Princess Luna then suddenly tipped the box over and dumped the once safely kept Smooze all over Celestia!
The regal, majestic and respectable Alicorn Princess was now covered horn-to-hoof in green ooze. Her once elegantly flowing multi-coloured mane was now slime green, and it covered her eyes as it ran down her face.
Twilight Sparkle was mortified!!! She gasped in silent shock. She thought Princess Luna had gone too far. She was about to find the voice to say something when…
“LUNA!?”. Although her eyes were covered with smooze, she knew who the culprit was as she looked up to her. However the way she said wasn’t how anypony thought she’d say. It spoken in a mock tone of outrage, and there was an open smile on her face. “Why am I not surprised?”
Unable to contain herself any longer, Princess Luna then burst out in a fit of laughter. She couldn’t help it; her sister just looked so silly. Celestia then joined in with the laughter too. It was just like Luna to pull something like this. It was just like when they were fillies. The Smooze’s ooze felt icky as it stuck to her gown stuck and fur, but it felt so funny. And she knew looked funny too. Then the Palace began to quietly laugh along with the hysterical laughter on the two alicorn sisters.
“Phpleh!... You and Discord had this set from beginning didn’t you?” she smiled as she cleared her lips of smooze, and blinked her eyes open.
“Hmmm… Maybe?” she played innocently, looking up and rolling her eyes to the ceiling.
“HmHm! I know you did”, she snickered. “I’m so glad you did come. This is the most fun I’ve had at the Gala… EVER!!!”
Luna beamed. She knew how to have fun at a party.
“Oh… and Luna.”
“Yes Celie?”
A burst of magic from Celestia’s horn, a spurt of green and Luna gave a playful shriek as smooze splatter over the right side of her face covering her eye. She turn away momentarily to avoid anymore smooze, and looked back blinking with her uncovered eye. Only to see Celestia glide over to her and give her mischievous little sibling a great big smooze hug.
Twilight Sparkle just smiled at the scene. It was as if the two majestic alicorn princesses had turned into playful fillies again.
“I guess you can rule out tradition in the Gala these days”, she said.
“I must say the both look pretty in green, don’t they? Which reminds me Twilight you look a little bit out place here, I have to say”.
Twilight then looked up and gave Discord a quizzical look. “What to you mean?”
“Well Twilight, both the princesses are ah… green with envy… where as you seem to be the odd princess out in the scenario”.
Twilight looked over to the laughing alicorn sisters, trying to rack her brain around what Discord was trying to explain to her. But the time she just about had it figured out…
PPLOP!
“Eeewww… Discord!... Phpleh, Phpleh!”
A glob of smooze… courtesy of Discord… had comfortably splattered over Twilight Sparkle’s eyes and her face above her snout.
“Urlgh, I got smooze in my mouth!” she chuckled too at her now current sticky situation. Why not, it wasn’t as if the night could get anymore ridiculous.
“How do I look girls?” she said to her friends, she looked even more funny as smooze began to trickle down her snout.
“Green with envy!” laughed Pinkie Pie.
“Dressed… or should I say… Smoozed like a Princess sugarcube.”
And Rainbow Dash was just laugh hysterically on her back, clutching her stomach with tears coming out from the corner of her eyes.
Twilight decided not to clear eyes just yet, to show her friends her silly, sticky, messy appearance, and started putting a searching hoof and foreleg out to find the smoozer.
She fffffed away some smooze that was dangling at the end of her nose, when her hoof found a scalely body, she gave Discord an embrace.
“Thank you Discord”
“Whatever for Twilight dear?”
“For bringing the fun to the Gala.”
Meanwhile, a much startled Rarity was not to keen on the idea of the Smooze making his Smoozey presence at the Gala again. Now that the Smooze had been released, she felt that she needed to make herself scarce.
Unfortunately for her, Discord (who didn’t really miss much in terms of crating chaos) spotted her. A wicked smirk began to form across his face “Excuse me dear Twilight, but there is somepony else I must attend to.
POP>POP!
“Rarity dearest, leaving so soon?” Discord asked as he teleported from Twilight to the path of Rarity. Twilight cleared her eyes with her hooves, and with an open grin. Whatever was about to happen here, it could not be missed!
“Umm… no not exactly. I’d just though I’d… ah… mingle with some the… the ponies…. On dryer ground.” She finished with a harsh whisper.
“Well that’s good because the Smooze would to start a-new with you.”
“Does he? Well tell him that things between him and me are all good. That the ooze… I mean the water is all under the bridge, and tell him not forget to tip the waitress on the way out”, she finished hastily.
“Well I’m afraid that won’t just cut it Rarity. I have talked it over with the Smooze and he would actually prefer to…. Hug it out with you. Isn’t that right Smooze?”
Rarity was now the one mortified. As she turned around, she found the recently freed Smooze standing… well… blobbing, and smiling right behind her. There were suddenly two big, slimy, outstretched arms that had just moulded from either side of his body. Rarity eyes were as big as the big red ruby Spike gave her.
“Um… maybe some other time!” she was about to go into a gallop, when a green magic aura stopped her in her tracks and levitated her. She was now hovering above the Palace floor. She tried to run, but found she was only running in thin air.
“DISCORD… PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!”
“But it’s not me doing it!”
“TWILIGHT… THIS IS NOT FUNNY!”
“Don’t look at me!”
Starlight Glimmer, who was obscuring herself from behind a table, thought she’d might join in in the shenanigans to. It was naughty she thought, but pretty darn funny too. The magic from her horn insured that the Smooze hug would happen
“Well whoever is doing it, is clearly doing it out of the kindness of their heart. Now… let’s hug it out”, smiled Discord as he turned Rarity around in mid-air to face The Smooze.
‘HUG IT OUT! HUG IT OUT!” called out Rainbow Dash
And pretty soon a ‘HUG IT OUT’ chant then cascaded across the Palace.
The Smooze then slid of to Rarity with outstretched arms.
“No! NO!! NOOO-O…” Rarity was soon engulfed, and submerged by the embracing Smooze. As the Smooze kept on sliding, Rarity then re-emerged from the back of the Smooze, and then plopped down on the ground in the trail of freshly made ooze. She to was now covered horn to hoof in Smooze. Cheers and laughter then echoed through the Palace.
Rarity then cleared her eyes and her mouth of Smooze with her hoof, and sighed. She propped the side of head with a slimey hoof.
“Three times I’ve been covered in mess in the half the Galas I’ve been to,” she spoke to herself as she pawed the ooze on the ground with her hoof, making lines, circles and other patterns on the floor. “I give up. I may as well stay home next time and hoof-paint with Sweetie Belle. I would get less messy there.”
As she was mulling it over, and magenta hoof that stepped in front of her. She looked up to find Starlight Glimmer looking down at her smiling.
“Yes! I know! I look sooooooo incredibly hilarious in this messy state!” she said sarcastically.
“No it’s not that”, she said. Although she thought it might be better if she quite tell her, her involvement in the prank right now. “I just want to thank you!”
“What for?” asked Rarity, giving Starlight a side-glace.
“For inviting me to the best night EVER! If every Gala is like this, I’ll make sure I come every year!”
Rarity stared for a second, had a start, and then started giggling putting a hoof to mouth.
Starlight then giggles inturn, and offered a hoof to help Rarity up.
“Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself darling,” she said excepting Starlight’s hoof, letting her up.
“Well the night’s still young, lets party the night away.”
“What a splendid idea! Although I might change out of my frock first, the Smooze look isn’t really for me don’t you think?”
“Actually Rarity” said Twilight joining in the conversation “I think green IS your colour!” the two unicorns laughed. Then Rarity then struck out her best Rarity poses, causing more laughter amongst the three girls. “Maybe you’re right Twilight. Maybe you’re right!”
“Come on everypony!” called out Princess Celestia, still partially covered in green. “Let’s have on more Mind-Warp!” The ponies cheered. And whether the ponies (including Discord and the Smooze) were dancing on clean floor tiles, or the green ooze of the Smooze, they did not care one iota as they all forgot there troubles and danced then night away!
_____________________________________________________________________
MIND-WARP
(ENCORE)
(DISCORD)
…It’s astounding
Life is fleeting
Chaos begins to unfold.
So watch closely…
(LUNA)
Not for very much longer.
(DISCORD)
We’re about to lose control.
I remember doing the mind-warp
Drinking those minutes when
The Boredom would hit me
(LUNA)
And everypony would be calling…
(PONIES)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It’s just a jump to the left.
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(BIG MACINTOSH)
…Eeyup!
(ALL)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(LUNA)
When you’re dreaming, the fantasy frees me
I make sure, you can’t see me, but that’s not all.
In the dreaming dimension,
with voyeuristic intension.
Well secluded, I see all.
(DISCORD)
With a bit of a back flip
(LUNA)
You’re into the mind slip!
(DISCORD)
And you can’t ever rack it around your brain.
(LUNA)
It’s quite the sensation.
(DISCORD)
Like a Riff-Raff sedation!
(ALL)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PINKIE PIE)
Well I was bouncing down the street, all pretty and pink
When this Discord guy, gave me a real sly wink.
He shook it off, threw away his evil guise
He said “Look Up”, and then to my surprise.
He snapped his claw, and the weather changed
Time meant nothing, now there was; CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!
(ALL)
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It’s just a jump to the left
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(PINKIE PIE)
Oakey-Doakey-Loaky!
(ALL)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
PINKIE-PIE TAP-DANCING HOOF SOLO
(ALL)
…Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
(PONY NARRATOR)
It’s just a jump to the left.
(ALL)
And then a step to the right.
(DERPY)
…Muffin?!
(ALL)
You put your hooves in tight.
And then you kick and buck
Then you shake your mane.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
Let’s do the mind-warp again.
_____________________________________________________________________
THE END