My Little Pony: Once in A Lifetime

Chapters

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Maring is Caring
Part 3: Face Hoof Turn
Part 4: Heist of the Horses

Part 1: Introduction

Author's Note

So here is a fic I started in 2012 and dusted off this year to release on here, finishing it according to how I intended on finishing it when I started it years ago. I fixed typos and any other anomalies. Note that this is the fic Runaway, Houses, City, Clouds is a remake of. However, the differences are staggering.

Part 1: Introduction

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Day 1

Twilight Sparkle put on a saddle with 2 bags on the sides, filled with blankets and snack foods.
"Are you ready girls?" She turned to the other five ponies: Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who were ready as well.
"Princess Celestia sent me a letter, but this one was different than the others. We have to journey somewhere we've never been before- somewhere out of Equestria!"

"Wh-What?!?"
"Where could that be?"
"I don't understand."
"It's in another universe!"
"What exactly are we going there for?" Rarity asked.

"To explore our home!" Twilight Sparkle seemed pretty happy at the thought of them being able to live in not one, but TWO universes.
"Princess Luna found a beautiful, unpopulated planet known as, 'Earth'." Twilight readied her horn, flipping through a book.
"We shall explore this place and see if it's all what we imagined! Ready?"
"Ready!" The other five ponies chorused.

"WAIT!"
"What is it Fluttershy??? Can't it wait till we're there??" Rainbow Dash was obviously REALLY impatient to go to this so called Earth.
"B-but what if there are dangerous creatures? Or dangerous terrains? Or what we're kidnapped and kept for testing?!?"
"Silly Fluttershy! Princess Celestia confirmed all that planet had was LOADS of flora!"

Twilight Sparkle cheered.
"Wait...where's Spike?"
"Right here!" Spike ran to his friends.

"Oh there you are! Are you ready?"
"Oh boy! So I AM coming??" Spike's eyes went huge with excitement.
"Well actually you need to take care of the house for me." Twilight Sparkle dropped a pile of scrolls into Spike's arms.
"Oh! That's....uh....." Spike mumbled, dragging his feet to the front door of the library.

"Can we GO NOW?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.
"Yup!" Twilight Sparkle and the other touched hooves as Twilight ejected light from her horn, illuminating the room with an unatural glow.
"WE'RE GOING TO SEE OUR NEW HOME!! YAAYY!!!" Pinkie Pie cheered gleefully, before the Mane Six dissolved to mist, and sped through several galaxies, finally finding the Milky Way.

The six ponies crashed landed in a dumpster in some alley way. Of course the first one to come out was Rarity.
"Ugh! Is there any place that DOESN'T have smelly gar- hey look, I'm the first pony to step on this new world."
The next to hop out was Pinkie Pie, who started bouncing around cheerfully.
"YAY! WE'RE IN OUR NEW HOME!"

Next Rainbow Dash zoomed out into the sky, but crashed into a billboard in the process. She flopped onto the ground. This billboard told the date: November 14, 2013.

Applejack casually climbed out and stretched.
"I thought this teleportation of yers wouldn't have such tough landins'."
Twilight Sparkle poked her head out of the dumpster.

"Anybody seen Fluttershy?"
"She might have landed somewhere else." Rarity suggested.

"I guess that means we wouldn't have to stop every ten seconds from Fluttershy's whining." Rainbow Dash retorted.
"Don't worry, this planet is COMPLETELY unpopulated! The last species was wiped out."
"I think Princess Celestia missed one vital detail," Applejack gulped.
"It IS populated. VERY populated."

Twilight Sparkle was confused. She hopped out of the dumpster and took a peek. Hundreds of humans were crowding the streets, much to Twilight's disappointment.
"WHAT??? These weren't the huge monstrous lizards the Princess mentioned!"
"AWWWW!!!" Pinkie Pie gained a depressing face.
"Looks like something beat us here."

Twilight looked determined.
"Don't worry! There's GOTTA be a place we can live! Let's get searching!"

Day 2

Nick opened his notebook and started taking notes for the lesson.
"Alright class, today we'll be talking about alternate universes."
His students all groaned in dismay.
"Not again...."
"Be realistic for once."
"What's wrong with this teacher?"

"I think this subject is quite interesting." Nick was the only one who liked Mr. White. He usualy covered surreal subjects, and was never afraid to express his beliefs.
"Well, I believe that almost everything we create has its very own universe. In fact-"

Mr. White grabbed a marker and vigorously drew crude drawings of stick figures. He told the story of how the stick figures journeyed across magical lands.
"Now, all this is happening at this very moment!"

"This is very interesting," Nick said.
"Is there any way that world can merge with our world?"
"Possible. But unlikley. We're protected by the fourth wall, so they can't reach us. Some are aware of this invisible force, but some barely notice it at all. For instance? People are probably watching us right now."

The whole class opened their mouths in awe. Some spat out their gum while some girls checked themselves in their mirrors to see if they looked good.

"Wup! Class dismissed. See you tomorrow! Next we learn about the rules of universes emerging!"
Nick limped to Mr. White's desk.
"Hey Nick! How's that leg?"

Nick rubbed the brace that kept his leg from giving up on him. He sighed.
"The doctor said it may never heal. So I'm gonna have to live with it for a long time."
"Well good luck," Mr. White said with sympathy in his eyes.

Nick limped down the stairs of the school to the Old Commons area to find his other five friends: Phoenix, Harry, Jennifer, Amy, and Lucy.

Phoenix was a cocky one, always boasting about how he's better than everybody else. He's been expelled from every school on Whidbey Island, and this high school is the only one that would take him. Small talk said that he's banned in 5 states. And Ireland.

Harry was allergic to apples, according to his parents, who hated them.
Jennifer was thought nothing was right for her, and she always complained.

Amy was VERY timid, but she can beat up anybody who mentioned anything against her beliefs. That is, when she wasn't getting beat up herself.

Then there's Lucy. She's been through a tougher life than everybody in the entire school combined. The only thing keeping her alive is her friends, and despite her obvious depression, she's bullied more than Amy.

Nick is the leader of the group. He is almost never seen outside the classroom or library, or without his friends. He used to run track, but an injury crippled his leg, making him unable to walk properly.

Nick set his lunch down on the table.
"I bet you five bucks I can own you on Call of Duty."

"Is that.....them?" Nick asked with a worried look. Like all schools, this one had bullies. And they were complete monsters. The leader of the pack went by the name of Buck. He and his henchmen loved targeting Nick for some reason.
"Behind you!" Amy cried.

Buck kneed Nick's legbrace. His legbrace collapsed as he felt a jolt of pain, making him fall to the floor.
"Get back up!" Buck demanded. Nick was grasping the edge of the table, using it as an aid.
"I SAID GET BACK UP!!" He pulled Nick back up.
"Don't hurt him!" Amy begged Buck.

"Shut the hell up," Buck said before pushing Amy down.
"Stop saying that!"
"I can say whatever I want! Go pray in your little corner!"

Phoenix sprang up.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"
"What are YOU going to do?"
"Kick your ass, that's what!"

The bully grabbed Amy; his two minions held Phoenix.
Buck tightened his fist, ready to jab Amy's jaw.
"HEY!"

Mr. White waved to the brawl.
"What's going on?"

Buck smiled and patted Amy on the back. She gave off a faint yelp.
"THAT'S how you push, Amy! Now none of those dumb bullies will harm you!" he said in a playful way.

Mr. White narrowed his eyes and slowly walked away.
When Mr. White was out of earshot, Buck pushed Amy aside and ran off.
Nick helped Amy up.
"Are you alright?"
Amy rubbed the tears from her eyes and nodded.

Day 3

Twilight Sparkle used her horn to navigate the dark forest of Whidbey Island.
"I do hope Fluttershy's okay,"
Rarity thought aloud.
"I'm sure she is," Twilight answered.
"She's probably getting along nicely with the wild animals."

A wolf howled.
"GHOST!" Pinkie Pie yelled before hiding in a tree knot.
"Ew, it's sticky in here!" her voice echoed.
"Y'all here that?" Applejack interrupted.

The sound of footsteps covered the forest's eerie soundtrack.
"I'll see what it is," Rainbow Dash offered. But instead of checking, she flew straight into the noise.
"RAINBOW DASH! NO!" Twilight Sparkle cried.

Nick was kicking rocks through the woods, thinking about today's incident. He was wondering how he could keep his friends from going through this misery. Without warning, his eyesight doubled and he felt a strong force go through him. For a second he thought he got shot, but he found himself on the ground with Rainbow Dash standing over him.
"It's just another stupid human!" Rainbow Dash yelled back.

"TALKING PONY?!?"
"TALKING HUMAN?!?"

Both Nick and Rainbow Dash recoiled. Then the other ponies showed themselves.
Nick felt like fainting, but he forced consciousness.
"I-I guess that was a bullet, and I'm going through a dying dream..."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Looks like the first human we communicated with is a stupid one, just like all the others."
"Stop it Rainbow Dash!"
"It's true!"

"What do you mean, 'like everybody else?'"
"We've been chased down by several of your kind," Twilight responded casually.
"One even tried to shoot Rainbow Dash. You're the first human to stay sane."
Nick passed out.

Nick woke up in a pile of leaves.
"We were so close to finding help."
One of the ponies said.
"It's final- humans are stupid."

Nick raised his head, and his eyes widened as he saw the ponies again.
"Oh look, he's awake! Can you bring us to your leader?"
Nick passed out again.
"Human.........human..........HUMAN!!!!!!!!!"

Nick jumped and saw the rainbow colored pony.
Nick sighed.
"Let's get his over with. It's no use. Who are you, first of all?"

Twilight sighed with relief.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle. This is Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. There was a Fluttershy, but she's gone."
"And we need shelter!" Rarity complained.
"The last thing I need is getting covered in dirt from ANOTHER UNIVERSE."

Nick cocked an eyebrow.
"I'll see what I can do."

Nick lead the ponies to his home. His parents were heavy, heavy sleepers, so Nick has minimal trouble with the sound of the ponies' hooves tapping the wooden floor.
Nick brought the ponies to his room.
"Stay here, alright? I need to find out what's going on here."

Nick phoned his friends.
"What is it Nick?" Phoenix asked drowsily. "It's almost midnight."
"There are cartoonish ponies in my room right now and I want to know what the heck they're doing here!"

"Cartoonish.....ponies? You're kidding. Nice one. Goodnight."
"Wait! I'm serious! There are cartoonish ponies in my room! Here, I'll prove it to you......"

Nick shoved the phone in front of Rarity.
"What is this fancy gizmo you're speaking int-"
"See Phoenix?!"

Someone knocked on the door.
Nick opened the door. Phoenix darted into the room and saw the ponies waiting patiently.

"They ARE real!" Phoenix squealed in Nick's ear.
"What are you talking about?"
"My Little Pony!"
"What?"

"You never heard of My Little Pony???? What universe were YOU in? My Little Pony is the BEST SHOW EVER!"
"You like a show....for little girls?"
"No. It's not for little girls. It's for EVERYBODY. Can I take one home, PLEEEEAASE?????"
"Fine, one less pony to take care of."

Phoenix sped to the room and relaxed. He tried to act cool.
"So.....I find you guys awesome."
Twilight Sparkle looked flattered.

"Um...thanks."
"Nick, my bud here, is too lazy to take care of you guys, so I'm gonna take one of you with me. Rainbow Dash!"
"What?? How do you know my name???"
"Doesn't matter. I want you to come home with me."

Rainbow Dash smiled.
"People love me already!" she boasted.
"Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna be out chillin with this kid."

"Ever heard of Sonic Youth?" Phoenix asked Rainbow Dash as they left.
"What now, Nick?" Twilight asked.
"I'll call the others. They'll all take you guys home. I have to find out what's going on here."

Day 4

Nick's friends sat in a field in Clinton they hang out in often.
"What do you need us for?" Jennifer wondered.
Nick sighed and announced, "Behold! Free ponies for all of you!"
The four remaining ponies trotted in front of him.
"There's MORE??" Pinkie Pie looked surprised.

Jennifer, Amy and Harry screamed in pure joy.
They ran and hugged and mingled with their favorite characters.
"It's so nice to meet you Applejack!" Harry had tears in his eyes. "You are my hero!"
"Nice to meet you too!" Applejack said with a chuckle.

Jennifer pet Rarity's mane, complimenting on how soft it was. Amy was mingling with Pinkie Pie. Lucy sat alone. Pinkie Pie took notice.
"Are you okay?" She kindly asked.
"No. Who the hell are you?"
Lucy, like Nick, was not a brony, so she didn't know who the ponies were.
"I'm Pinkie Pie! You don't seem very happy."
"I'm fine, really."
"I don't think so. I think you should hang out with me. I know how to brighten up your day!"

Lucy stood up.
"Just stop being annoying."
"Annoying? I'm not being annoying. I'm being Pinkie Pie!"
Lucy sighed.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Nick.
"Nick.....why doesn't Lucy know about us, but the others do?"
Nick couldn't let the ponies know that they're a television show, so he made up a lie.
"I told everybody but Lucy. She doesn't have a phone."
"But you didn't know our names unti-"

"ALRIGHT GUYS!"
Nick didn't want to discuss this to Twilight.
"All of you guys satisfied?"
His friends nodded.

"Then you will be with one pony each. I guess I'm stuck with Twilight."
"But Nick. I don't have a pony to-"
Nick couldn't hear Amy's objection.
"Um, Nick...." Twilight Sparkle nudged Nick.
"What is it?"

"Amy's asking you something."
"What is it?"
"I don't have a pony."
"That's too bad. There was a Funner Pie-"

"FLUTTERSHY."
"Fluttershy, but she's gone."

Amy groaned.
"But Fluttershy is the best!"
Twilight Sparkle sighed.

Nick felt like he was surrounded by little girls, complete with the one who cries because she doesn't have what the others do. But it was Amy, so Nick kept his mouth shut.
"Amy, she disappeared when we arrived. She can be anywhere on the island."
"Will she be okay?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry."

Nick shivered at the thought of one of those cute ponies dead in the middle of a world of complete monsters. He felt his eyes water.
"You guys can go home now. Come on Twilight,"
Twilight Sparkle left with Nick.

"We're awfully popular for ponies your friends don't know."
"We're.....very welcoming."
Nick kept walking, avoiding Twilight's eye contact.

Nick turned in bed. Twilight woke him up.
"What is it?"

"I'm thirsty."
"There's a hose in our backyard."

Twilight left. Nick fell back to sleep.
"Nick."
Nick woke up.
"Yeah?"

"I'm hungry."
"Fetch some grass from our backyard."

Twilight left. Nick fell asleep.
"Nick."
"Whaaaaat."
"I have to use the restroom."

"Go to the neighbor's backyard."
"You have everything but the kitchen sink in the backyard!"
"Actually I have one of those in the old tool shed next to the water hose."

Twilight groaned and left. Nick fell to sleep.
"Nick."
"Do everything you need WITHOUT waking me up, please!"
"But I can't sleep."

"I can't either with your constant-"
"It's Fluttershy."

Nick looked at Twilight.
"I can't do much about that."

Twilight's voice got a bit shaky.
"I don't want to lose her."

Nick didn't know who Fluttershy was. She sounded nice. But he hoped she wasn't a jerk like Rainbow Dash. Whiny like Rarity, annoying like Pinkie Pie, or overly worried like Twilight. But there's something about the ponies that he liked. He decided to do some research on My Little Pony when Twilight wasn't around.

Part 2: Maring is Caring

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Part 3: Face Hoof Turn

PART 3: FACE HOOF TURN

Day 9

Nick peeked out the window. The van was gone. Nick sighed with relief.
Twilight was fast asleep, and Nick decided to use this to his advantage to watch more Ponies.
He turned on the computer but was welcomed by a booming "You are going to LOVE ME!!!!!"
Twilight jumped and scanned the room.
Nick turned the computer off just in time.
"Fluttershy????? Where did I hear that from?"
"It must be in your head," Nick said with a nervous smile.
"I hope. Fluttershy can't afford to lose herself in this world. Too many people."

Erik woke up.
Fluttershy was still playing Little Big Planet. She was in no good condition.
Her mane was ruffled up, she had bags under her eyes, and she was sweating.
"I--am---going to HELP YOU MY LITTLE SACKBOY, IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!!!!!!"
"Fluttershy! Calm down, it's just a game."

Fluttershy looked back. "But this adorable thing needs my help, and that's what he's getting."
"How long have you been playing?"
"All. Night. Long. I'm on the last level, and I haven't taken a single break."
"You should take a break."

Fluttershy sighed. She got up.
"Here, take a nap," Erik offered.
Fluttershy squirmed into a sleeping bag on the floor. Erik dropped a blanket over her, put on some Everclear on Youtube, and left the room.

Phoenix and Rainbow Dash were taking a walk next to Whidbey High.
"Where are we going, Phoenix?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Is it somewhere awesome?"
"It could be. Your mileage may vary."
The two hiked up a grass hill and stopped next to a small playground.
"A....playground?"

Rainbow Dash seemed upset.
"We didn't come here for that. I want to see you do something."
"Anything for you, Phoenix!"
"Can you do a sonic rainboom?"
"Here? Do you think it'll work?"
"Probably. But be careful, physics are different here."
"Physics smisics!" Rainbow retorted.
"I can do a sonic rainboom on the moon if the oppurtunity comes!"

Rainbow Dash flew straight up into the air.
"WOO! YOU GO RAINBOW DASH!"
"Playing with yourself again, Phoenix?"

Phoenix whipped around and saw Buck and his goons approaching Phoenix.
"Buck, not now, I'm busy. Please."
"What, making out with your imaginary friends? Hate to break it to you, but.....they're not real. Just figments of your imagination. Just pieces of your forever alone self!"
"Just leave me alone Buck!"
"You can't make me, can you? Actually, I'm glad we're here. I've been wanting to do this for a long, long time."

Buck shoved Phoenix.
Phoenix rolled down the grass hill.
He got back up, struggling to get his spinning vision straight.
Unfortunately, Buck beat his vision, and Phoenix felt a sharp pain speed through his jaw. He stumbled back.
"You're outnumbered, Phoenix," Buck taunted. He signaled his friends to hold Phoenix's arms back.
"Rainbow Dash please help me!" Phoenix pleaded.

He took sharp jabs to the stomach.
"How does it feel to be so hated, Phoenix?" Buck punched Phoenix.
Phoenix couldn't breath. His eyes hurt. His mouth was bleeding.

Buck grabbed the back of his head and yanked it down to the floor.
Phoenix grabbed his neck in agony.
"Please.....stop......" Phoenix begged.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you!"
"Please......stop........"
"Say it louder!"

Buck kicked Phoenix, knocking the air out of Phoenix.
Lack of air was the exact reason he couldn't beg louder.
"Please.......stop........."
"LOUDER!!!!!"

Buck kicked Phoenix again with all his might.
Pain spread through his abdomen and a sharp pain jabbed his chest.
He couldn't get back up. He heard his heart pounding. He felt like vomiting.
All he could do is hear his surroundings.
"Phoenix! Are you alright?!?"
"Holy crap! A monster!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIEND?!?!?"
"It's coming after us!!!"
"STAY AWAY!!!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Thud.
"Oh my God. OH MY GOD."
"Let's go before the cops get here!"
Phoenix passed out.

He woke up looking at the night sky.
Phoenix slowly got up to sitting position.
"R-Rainbow Dash?"

He scanned the dark field and saw a lump on the ground a yard away from him.
"Rainbow Dash!"
Phoenix limped to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash was curled up in a pony version of a fetal position, shivering. Blood was flowing from where she was covering herself.
"Rainbow Dash. Let me see your wound."
"No." Rainbow Dash weeped.
"I wont know what I can do to help you if you don't show me your wound."

Rainbow Dash relaxed her legs. Nick maneuvered them and saw a bullet hole in her stomach area.
"Oh no."
"Phoenix?"
"Yeah?"
"Who were those people?"
"Nobody important. I need to get you to safety."

Nick attenped to life Rainbow Dash's body, but failed.
Rainbow Dash slowly got up and Nick put her front leg over his shoulder.
"Come on, let's get out of here before something creepy pops out."

Amy heard knocking on her door. She answered and gasped.
"Oh my gosh!"
Phoenix and Rainbow Dash limped into the house.
Phoenix flopped on the sofa and Rainbow Dash just dropped on the carpet.
"Oh no...." Amy gasped.

"My parents will kill me when they find those stains on the furniture."
"Furniture is all you care about? I need you to tell me if Rainbow Dash will live!"
"What happened to her?"
"She was shot."
"OH MY GOSH!"

Amy darted to her room and pulled out a medical book.
Phoenix examined the wound.
"What do we do? It's not like we can take the bullet out the wound."
"Are you kidding me?!? That thing hurts like crazy!!!" Rainbow Dash objected.
"That bullet is the only thing keeping you from dying. The least we can do is let you rest. Amy will check you out and see what we can do to help."

"It'll only take a while," Amy assured.
"At least she'll get some rest," Phoenix replied.
Amy nodded with a smile.

Fluttershy flew up the stairs.
"What happened----Rainbow Dash?!?"
Fluttershy sped to Rainbow Dash.
"What happened to her?"
"Bad things. But she'll be alright."
Amy said with a smile.

Nick woke up from watching television only to hear the inevitable.
He heard the My Little Pony theme song from downstairs.
It wasn't the normal one either. It was a horridly parodied version of it.
Nick ran downstairs as fast as his leg brace would.
His blood ran cold when he saw Twilight gaping at Apples.mov.

Twilight quickly took notice of Nick's presence.
"What is this?" Twilight asked sternly.
Nick was speechless.
"Answer me Nick. What is this?"
"It's......it's a long story......"
"Long story?!? So that explains all the videos of me and the others in your browsing history????"

Nick cursed at himself in his mind. He forgot to erase his browsing history, assuming Twilight would never bother looking on the computer.
"Not only that, but people are editing those videos and making us do the worst things!!! WHY ARE THERE VIDEOS OF ME ON YOUR COMPUTER????"
Nick sighed.
"Because......"
"Because WHAT?"

"You're a.......cartoon."
"A what?"
"A cartoon, Twilight! You're just a character one person thought up of and drew on a piece of paper! You are just a drawing that is animated for little kids to watch on television....."
"I'm not......real?"

Twilight looked down, hiding the pain in her eyes.
"No! You're just a cartoon version of a pony! You barely look like a real pony!"
Nick cracked. He lost himself. He couldn't help the outbursts he's been holding back for days.

But he regretted everything he said when he saw Twilight Sparkle crying.
"I thought I could trust you," she said with a quaky voice.
"I thought we were friends. But you were just keeping me here because I'm some pony that millions of people dream of meeting."

Without warning, Twilight galloped past Nick.
"Twilight!" Nick called.
He tried to run as fast as he could, but his legbrace gave up on him.

Twilight magically opened the front door and she ran out.
Everything was quiet after that.
Nick slammed his fist on the wall.
"What have I done?" He muttered.

Fluttershy trotted out through the backdoor.
She laid out some lettuce on the soil in front of a deer.
"It's alright, little deer," she smiled.
"I won't hurt you."
"This will."

Twilight Sparkle emerged from the bushes.
The deer panicked and ran.
She was holding some pictures in her jaws.
"Oh Twilight! It's so lovely to see you!" Fluttershy had an adorable smile with light in her eyes. But those change to complete shock when Twilight set the pictures in front of her.

"Oh....my. That's........so..... wrong......" Fluttershy gasped.
"I know Fluttershy, but Nick's been keeping things from me. From all of us."
Fluttershy shivered.
"You mean there's more where........THIS came from?"

"Sadly, yes. It's a long story. I'll explain to you on our way to warn the others."
"You mean we're going out there?"
"Yes. Don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time."
"Alright......and please get rid of those pictures. Except for this one, whoever drew this was a great artist."

Pinkie Pie snuck into Lucy's room.
But Lucy was completely aware.
"PINKIE PIE GET OUT."
"But I came here to apologize."

"I don't want an apology."
"But I just came to apologize about all the trouble I caused you!"
"All you're doing is ruining any chance of me forgiving you. AT ALL."
"But I thought maybe we could start over-"

"Oh yes, I'd love to start over."
"Wonderful!"
"Back to the part where I don't take you home with me. And instead of letting you come home, I'd ditch you so you'd get lost and be brutally murdered by a bear!"

Pinkie Pie gasped.
"I don't even think you're 'fun' or 'funny'. Not even cute. All you are is a cartoon depiction of a real life pony. I can't deal with you any longer. You ruined the living room-twice- you overused the oven so now it's broken, AND your voice runs through my head ALL NIGHT LONG!"
"So.....does that mean I apoligize?"

"NO! GET OUT! GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO ANNOY UNTIL THEY WANT TO KILL THEMSELVES!"
Pinkie Pie's mane suddenly turned straight, and her color went through a dark transition like day becoming night.
She galloped out, devastated.
"Pinkie?"

Lucy ran out the door.
"Pinkie, I didn't mean----"
Pinkie was gone.

Lucy stood in the middle of the street.
"I forgive you..."

Day 10

*Or, it probably wouldn't be a day, since it's actually dawn, but I'd figure nobody cares.*

Nick knocked on Amy's door.
When Amy opened it, Nick fell over.
Amy gasped.
"Nick! What happened? Where's Twilight?"
"She ran away. She's who the heck knows where and I can't do anything about it."

"That's strange....Fluttershy's gone too."
"Is anypony else gone?" Nick said struggling to catch his breath.
"I don't think so. Lucy called, saying that she made a big mistake, and that Pinkie Pie ran away. Henry and Jennifer are alright, and Rainbow Dash is right here."

Rainbow Dash limped near Amy.
"What's going on?" She asked worridely. But she could tell what happened by the look in Amy's eyes.
"Where are my friends?" She demanded.
"We don't know."

"It's all my fault," Nick said.
"I should have deleted my browsing history."
"What did you look up?"
"Ponies. But the internet's a sick, sick place."

"Where could they be?"
"If my worst nightmares are true.......they may be taken hostage. Or worse.......dead......."
Erik climbed up the stairs, listening.
"I think I know where they are," he chimed in.
"How do you know?"
"Hoofprints. In the soil."

Nick, Amy, Phoenix and Erik followed the hoof-prints with flashlights. They lead to the forest, but stopped.
Nick kneeled down and felt the marks.
"Ugh," he grimaced.
"There's something sticky on my hand."
"What is it?" Erik asked.
"I don't know. The flashlight won't take it well."

The sun slowly rose, preparing the kids for a surprise.
"Blood!" Amy gasped.
"It's blood," Nick touched it again.
"I sure hope it isn't Fluttershy's blood."
"Looks like the sun....." Erik put on his sunglasses.
"Put a little light on the subject."

"Erik! Now's not the time for your stupid sunglasses jokes!" Amy scolded.
"What? The sun hurts my eyes. I need these!"
"Not now guys!" Nick interupted.
"We have to find these ponies!"
"What's the use?!?" Phoenix complained.
"We'll never find them! There's not enough evidence to pro- oh look a yellow feather."

Phoenix picked up the yellow feather. He showed it to the others and then sniffed it.
"Mmm.....daisies."
"Why in the world are you sniffing that?"
"Because there's only one place that makes daisies smell this sweet."

Nick looked up the flower company on Amy's computer.
"Sniffma Flowers? What kind of company name is that?"
They heard a knock on the door.
It was Henry and Applejack. Jennifer and Rarity. And Lucy. They were going to plan a heist.
"Alright guys," Nick started.

"Smellma Flowers was shut down ten years ago, but the building itself hasn't been knocked down or anything, though people have reported seeing exotic animals entering the building.....and never returning."
"Now who'd do that?" Applejack wondered aloud.
"Surely people with no sense of good shelter," Rarity retorted.
"Do you not see the spiderwebs and dust?"

"We need more backup!" Amy said.
"Eh-hem! Mind if I share my idea?"
Rarity barged in.
"Twilight taught me a spell to bring objects from other universes to our presence. So, therefore, I will try it."

Rarity strained. A small spark came out of her horn, and three figures appeared.
"What? Where are we?"
"What is this place?"
"Why is Rarity here?"
Amy frowned.
"Out of all figures, you summoned.....the Cutie Mark Crusaders????"

"I meant to summon Big Mac, but, I'm too tired to do it again."
"I was thinking you should've summoned Nathan Drake," Erik snapped.
"Twilight did say the spell has its backfires...."
"Well, at least she got something WORTH helping us!"
"Hey! You aren't challenging us are you?" Scootaloo objected.
Nick shrugged.
"We'll just have to ask around."

Nick walked into the police station.
"May I help you?" the person at the reception asked.
"Um, yes, but don't laugh. I wanna ask you if you've seen this."
Nick put down a paper.
"Deen's Nuts?"

Nick turned the paper around, embarrasssed.
"A.....cartoon pony?"
"Yes!"
"Are you on drugs?"
"No!"
"Tell you what. If you can prove that you're right and don't have the need for speed, then I'll believe you. Hit me."

Nick signaled Henry
to approach the officer with a suitcase.
The officer set his hand on his gun.
Henry opened the suitcase and out came Scootaloo.
"That human is HUGE!" she commented.

"And that's how we got this-" Nick showed Amy a map to the Smellma Flowers location.
"So we go here?"
Amy asked.
"Eeyup."
"But we can't just barge in. We'll get shot at."
"We'll prepare."
"How?"

Phoenix grabbed a pellet gun and mounted it on his back.
Lucy grabbed a machete.
Henry grabbed a baseball bat.
Nick equipped himself with a ultra strong flashlight.
Jennifer supplied herself with a butcher knife.
Erik grabbed dual BB guns.
Amy grabbed a picnic knife.

"What are we doing, killing people?"
"If we must."
"Fine by me."
"I'm not lettin' those crooks hurt my friends!"

"I MUST have brought my camo hat!"
"I know how to get our cutie marks!"
"Friend savers!"
"CUTIE MARK FRIEND SAVERS!!!"

Nick put on his sunglasses.
"WAIT!"
Rainbow Dash limped up the stairs.
"You're going without me?"
"Rainbow Dash....you have to heal. I'm sorry."
Rainbow Dash's ears dropped and she limped back down the stairs.

Nick exited the front lawn.
"Guys, get on your bicycles. We're riding to the Heist of the Horses!

Part 4: Heist of the Horses

PART 4: HEIST OF THE HORSES

Day 11

"Guys, it's one AM. Can't we just rest? My hooves are covered in dirt and some wierd sticky stuff I got caught in on our way here."
"Rarity-we're here."
"Oh."

Nick passed out the corresponding weapons.
"Alright. We sneak in, find the ponies, and get out. Avoid battles."
They busted through the door. The room was filled with dusty pots and angel statues.

Phoenix made the I'm watching you gesture on and waltzed right into a suffed bear.
He let out a girl scream as the bear fell on top of him.
The bear's head tore off, and cotton poured out.
"Aw man! That's gonna haunt me in my dreams," Phoenix complained.
"Anybody know the way in the secret lair is?"

Rarity reversed, parkouring every dead mouse on the floor. Her rear pressed against a pot, and the pot flew backward, bring her with it.
There was a mechanism underneath it, and a door flung open.
"Hey look, I solved a puzzle too! This will earn me some bragging rights back in Ponyville."
The rescuers snuck in the door and found themselves in a room filled with cages containing flamingoes, toucans, kangaroos, tigers, penguins, and zebras.

But none of them had ponies, let alone ponies from saturday morning cartoons.
"Let's search," Nick ordered.
The kids split up through different halls.
Nick peeked around a corner with with pellet gun at the ready.
Two guards walked straight past him, unaware of his lurking in the shadows.
"There are MORE?"

Mike was reading a magazine. Dr. Drew barged in.
"What's the matter?"
"It's those kids, sir!"

Erik hid in a trash can.
A guard turned his radio on.
"We have some kids roaming around. They're not just any kids, either. They're smart masses that are after those ponies. If you see one of them, shoot. Ask questions later."
"Aw crap," Erik cried.
"No they're shooting at us?!?"

"I don't think we should do this," Amy told her brother.
"You, shut up and follow me."
The two stopped at a corner. They saw a guard, with yelping coming from inside the door.
"They must have Fluttershy. Or they're watching Twilight."
"What are we going to do?"
"If Max Payne taught me anything, it's that if you're going to save something, then you'll do it in style."

Erik leaped to the side and showered the guard in pellets.
But not one of them scored.
The guard seemed ticked.
But Erik shot at the guard first, knocking him out.
"I probably shouldn't do that."
"You don't say?"

They waited out the door and listened to the conversation.
"Eh, what should we do with them ponies?"
"I didn't want to be here. I just wanted to go to Gamestop to get Vice City until that creep brought me here."
"Well, what do ya think? Should we kill em? I think it's a good idea."
"Actually I think it's kinda cute."
"It won't be once I get ma hands on dat piece of gawbage."

Erik kicked the door open. It swung open, and the doorknob hit one of the guards' backs. The guard fell foward, while the other guard tripped and slammed his head on the countertip.
The two rushed in and untied Fluttershy. She instantly glomped both of them.
"It's so nice to see you! You won't believe what Twilight showed me!"
Fluttershy flashed the pictures.

Rarity and Applejack climbed through the airvent. They stared down at two guards patroling the area.
"Alright, I'll do anything as long as it doesn't involve getting my mane ruffled."
"Then we're never gonna get this done! Do you want our friends to be safe, or your mane to stay neat?"
"Well.......maybe we can find a way to do both?"
"It is so hard working ya!"

"Ditto!"
"Wait.....the girls have been pretty quiet......"
"........."
"Apple Bloom?!?"
"Sweetie Belle?!?"

"Do you see anything yet?" Sweetie Bell whispered.
"Nope."
"Good. That means the coast is clear."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders jumped out of the trash can.

"This place is HUGE!"
"How are we ever going to find our friends?"
"We need a map!"
"Yeah!"

Scootaloo walked around a corner.
"I think I see a booth over there! Maybe I can get do it!"
"Alright, but be careful! You don't wanna get caught!" Apple Bloom warned.
"I'm not getting caught!" Scootaloo turned the corner and left Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom waiting.
"She's been fone forever! Where could she be?"
"Let's check."

The two followed Scootaloo's path and gave surprised looks when they were overwhelmed by the shadow of a guard holding Scootaloo and gunpoint.
"Come with me," he smiled.
"Let me show you a fan fiction that you'll love."
"A.......what?"

Pinkie Pie sat in her cage.
"Can I please go?"
"No."
"I can't believe my friend turned on me like that."
"Your friend wasn't your friend. She always hated you. She was using you."
"You're right. She never liked me. Wait......what?!?"

Pinkie Pie's tail twitched violenty.
"Hey, stop that!"
"I can't control it! It's my Pinkie senses!"
"What the hell is that?!?"
"It means something surprising is going to happen!"
"Stop doing that or I'm going to to shoot! You're scaring me!"
"Enough with the guns! I pretty sure whoever is reading this is disgusted by your use of firearms!"

The cieling dropped on the guard. His remains were covered by the tiles of the cieling. Rarity and Applejack were upon the rubble.
"Wow! That IS surprising!"
"Pinkie Pie!" Applejack and Rarity chorused.
"I'm so happy to see you guys! Glad for you to drop by!"
Rarity focused her horn on the padlock.

The padlock exploded, setting Pinkie Dianne Pie free.
"YAY! I'M FREEEEEE!"
"Pinkie Pie, I'm so glad to see you safe!" Rarity sighed.
"More glad than Applejack."
"Hey, I know where we can see the rest of this evil lair!" Pinkie Pie beckoned the others to follow her with her tail.
"Follow me!"

Lucy sat down on a chair in the patrol station. She placed her hands in her hands.
"Why am I doing this?" She asked herself.
"I failed them. I failed them all. Especially Pinkie. It's too late to apoligize. It's not like she'll bounce through the door."
Pinkie Pie bounced through the door, and to her dismay, she saw Lucifer.
"Pinkie?"

Pinkie snorted.
"Oh. It's YOU."
"Pinkie Pie, I just wanted to-"
"Make fun of me more? I know. But I'm not letting you! I'm here to help my FRIENDS! And I don't want to talk to YOU!"
She looked at the cameras.

Lucy flopped back down on the chair.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Sorry about what?"
"About being a jerk. I didn't know you were just trying to be my friend. I was just acting stupid."

Pinkie Pie turned around.
"You really mean that?"
"Yes. I would be more than happy to be your friend if you give me one more chance."

Pinkie Pie beamed.
"Of course!"
And for the first time in years, Lucifer smiled.
Pinkie Pie released a freakishly huge grin. Her mane poofed back up, and she cheered.
"Are we going to save our friends?"
"Yes we are!"

Erik and Amy escorted Fluttershy to the restrooms.
Erik sat back and rested, while Amy checked Fluttershy for any injuries.
"I'm fine," Fluttershy assured.
"Are those.....footsteps?" Erik wondered.
Amy gasped and shoved Fluttershy into a stall, jumped in the stall, and pulled Erik in.

A couple of guards walked in.
"Hey, maybe we should just split. I'm tired of this dump."
"Yeah, I agree."
"Wait, why do I smell....daisies?"
"I smell them too."

They kicked open a stall. Nothing.
They kicked open another stall. Nothing.
They kicked open another stall. Amy.

A guard pulled Amy out.
"Hey! Look what I found!"
"Please let go!"
"Hey, it's a girl!"

"You don't want to hurt me!" Amy warned.
"I-I'm not alone!"
"Shut up!" the guard slapped Amy. She landed on her back.
"Say goodbye little girl."

A stall door flew forward and smashed a guard into a mirror.
It was Fluttershy.
Fluttershy bucked the other guard hard enough to make him slide three feet.
"LEAVE. MY. FRIENDS. ALONE!!!! OR I'M GOING TO FINISH YOU!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!!?"
The guard nodded weakly and went limp.

Fluttershy turned to Amy and Erik.
"Amy! Are you alright?"
"I'll live."
She gave a soft smile.

Nick peeked through a door window. He saw Twilight Sparkle sitting with he head bowed, turned against a corner of her cage, with a cut across her leg.
Nick shot the padlock to the door and broke in.
"Nick?"
"Twilight!"

He shot the lock on Twilight's cage and she walked out.
"I can't believe you turned on me like that," she whispered.
"I never did anything."
"You never told me I was a fictional character in this universe. And you look at sick pictures of me."
"Those just showed up. I don't like them in any way whatsoever. Same with those videos."
"Why didn't you just tell me I was a cartoon in the first place?"

Nick was speechless.
But Twilight hugged Nick.
Nick hugged back.
"I thought you'd never come for me."
"Why would you think that?"
"Not now. Our friends are in trouble, and we have to find our way to them!"

Rarity and Applejack trotted through the maze of hallways.
"APPLE BLOOM!!!!"
"SWEETIE BEEEELEEE!"
"There's no hope, Rarity. We searched everywhere!"
"I'mm not giving up my search for my dear sister! You can, but I'm not!"
"There's nowhere else we can look! Every room in these here hallways are the same!"

"Maybe because we've been WALKING IN CIRCLES?!?!?"
"......I was wondering why I've been seeing that candy bar in every trash bin I saw."
Applejack murmered to herself.
"That doesn't matter. All that matters is that we must find our sisters. AND Scootaloo!"

Applejack heard a clang.
Next thing she knew, Rarity was lying on the floor, knocked out.
"Rarity? You alright?"
She turned and saw a huge shadow looming over her.
"Aw Nilly......"

Phoenix slid passed a couple of guards.
"Where did all these people come from?" he asked himself. He dashed to a room where he heard screaming.
He peeked through the window.
"Aw hell no......."
He kicked open the door.
The CMC were ropebound, forced to watch a animated adaption of Sweet Apple Massacre.

A once happy guard sped towards the angry Phoenix.
You could probably guess who won.
Phoenix untied the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They all embraced him, which teary eyes and huge pupils.
Phoenix hugged back.
"Phoenix,"

Apple Bloom looked her cutest.
"Ma big brother wouldn't do that to us......would he?"
A single tear escaped Phoenix's eye.
"No. No he wouldn't. That's just to scare little fillies like you. Come on, let's find your siblings."
Phoenix let the Cutie Mark Crusaders out the door.
Phoenix whacked the guard with his baseball bat before leaving the room.

Fluttershy kept a guard down with her hoof placed on his chest.
"Tell me where you're keeping my friends! I mean, if you really want to......"
The guard snapped bavk with an obscene remark.
Fluttershy gasped.
"You are SO rude! I can't believe you even CONSIDERED saying that!"
"I'd rather die than tell you where I'm keeping the others!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened with a threatening look in them.
She was using her infamous stare.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"Listen, if you don't tell us where my friends are, I'll have to make things ugly!"

"Fine! They're in every corner of the chamber! But they're all on the loose! They csn be alive or dead it's a fifty-fifty chance! PLEASE LET ME GO!!!!!!"
Fluttershy let the guard go, and he split faster than a bananna.
"Come on guys, nobody's getting my friends! Pony OR human!"
Fluttershy galloped through the halls.
Erik and Amy shared glances, shrugged, and ran off.

Nick and Twilight heard screaming from the roof of the shelter.
"Applejack! Rarity!"
Twilight cried.
"Come on Nick, we have to go!"
"But.....my legbrace."
"What are we going to do with that?"

Nick was considering riding her, but she was barely as big as a small bear. He would break her back.
Twilight got an idea.
"Hold on!"
Nick grabbed Twilight, and they both vanished.

Phoenix, Henry and the CMC pelted through the halls.
"Do you hear that?" Henry asked Phoenix.
"Screaming!"
"Let's move!"

Erik and Amy ran through all the doors Fluttershy rammed down.
"Looks like somebody's going on a killing spree," Erik commented to Amy.

Lucy and Pinkie Pie focused on the cameras, struggling to keep track of the others.
But she saw the inevitable on the roof. She turned the lights off and turned on the lights to the roof access.

Nick and Twilight climbed up the stairs.
Mike was waiting there, saying something to Applejack and Rarity, who were hanging over the fifty foot high roof, with Drew holding them up.
"Mike! Let them go!" Nick demanded.
"Aw, looks like somebody actually likes you!" Mike taunted.
"Why are you doing this?"

"Why not? It's fun, and it'll make me RICH! When I show those scientists these bones, they'll want more, so I'll give them the surviving ponies! How fun will that be?"
"You're killing innocent animals!"
"For millions of dollars!"
"It's all about the money, isn't it?"
"Yup."

Twilight gritted her teeth, holding back an unnamable insult.
Nick stepped closer, but Mike stopped him.
"One step, and these ponies go bye-bye."
"What do you want?"
"I want the others. If you give me the other ponies and leave, I'll PROBABLY let them live. But don't count on that."
"That doesn't help at all, Mike!"
"Who cares? You're going to lose either way."

Without warning, Fluttershy burst up the stairs with Erik and Amy.
Fluttershy lost the manic mood when she saw Applejack and Rarity.
"Oh no!"
Drew grabbed a lighter and lit it.
"If I burn this rope, these two ponies will drop."

Appljack and Rarity slowly opened their eyes, and went in a huge panic.
Phoenix, Henry and the CMC caught up.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were just as terrified as their sisters.
"Let our sisters go!"

Sweetie Belle demanded.
"Yeah! Or we'll get 'em ourselves!" Apple Bloom joined in.
"Ugh. There's more?!?" Mike groaned.
Lucy and Pinkie Pie made it to te party.
"What? This is isn't a party. This is a tense situation! I know parties, and this isn't one!"

Mike laughed.
"Who are you talking to?"
The moment was tense.
Lucy, Nick, Amy, Henry, Jennifer, Phoenix, Erik, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom stood frozen in place, anticipating Mike's next move.

"Wait..........." Drew broke the silence.
"Why are we threatening to kill the ponies if they try to stop us.......if we're going to kill them anyway?"
"Drew! Shut the hell up! Just go with it........."

Rarity silently called out to Drew.
"Shut up, animal."
"But Drew! I need to talk to you!"
Drew rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?"
"I feel quite......uncomfortable......in these ropes. Perhaps, instead of letting us fall to our deaths, um, maybe you can let us go....."
"Not a chance."
"I know you're doing this for money, but, what I can do to you will actually last. A looong time......."

Rarity winked at Drew, who untied the two ponies.
Almost instantly, Rarity bucked Drew's head.
Drew fell foward, hitting the ground with a huge thud.
"I TOLD you it would last a long time,"

Rarity brushed Drew off, but succumbed at the sight of Mike's gun.
"I didn't need him anyway," he shrugged.
"I don't need you either."

Rarity and Applejack backed into the crowd.
Mike smiled.
"Isn't it funny? You guys came to rescue these ponies, but ended up bringing them to me! It's hilarious!"
"I don't find it very funny."
"Shut up Pinkie Pie!"

Guards ran up the stairs and stood on the roof.
"Oh PLEASE!!!!!!!" Nick complained.
"What do we do, Nick?" Twilight asked.
"We fight?"
Without warning the whole roof went into a rumble. Fists were flying along with metal bars used with magic.

Among the chaos Twilight got whacked with a metal bar. She gasped and toppled over. She flippedjkj around and dodged Mike's axe hit just in time.
A guard tripped over Twilight and fell off the roof.
Twilight ignored the event and kept backing away from Mike's slashes.
"You're going to be mine, whether you like it or not," he growled.
"I'm going home, thank you." Twilight used magic to hold a piece of wood as a shield to the slashes. She tried to whack Mike with the bar, but his swift moves ultimately destroyed the wood.

Guards continued tripping over Twilight, but she could barely feel it over the tension. Eventually she stopped at the edge.
Twilight cursed.
Mike advanced on her.
"You really ticked me off now!"

Mike swung his axe at Twilight, who let out a startled scream as she fell back and dropped off the edge.
She fell about four feet until she slammed against a pipe and used it to keep her up.
She tried her best to think up of something to save herself with, but the pipe had other plans; it bent ever so slightly, and Twilight started sliding.

Phoenix peeked over the edge.
"Twilight!!!!!" he yelled.
"Phoenix!!!!!"
"GRAB MY HAND!!!!!!!"
Twilight stretched her hoof out at Phoenix's hand. Twilight successfully grasped his hand. Phoenix pulled
"No!"

Twilight slid faster and faster as guards kept keeping Nick from coming to the rescue.
She accepted her fate and let go. She plummeted down the tall building, dissapearing in the darkness.

Nick pulled from the guards' grasp and saw Twilight's last second in the light. The guards pulled him back and propped him up. Mike approached him in a dry matter, a dry look.

Mike shrugged.
"This is going to be easier than I thought."
The group all closed their eyes, preparing their final moments.

BANG!

Nick opened an eye.
Mike was gone.

The others opened their eyes and gasped when they saw Mike wrestling no other than Rainbow Dash.

"LOOKS LIKE YOU FORGOT SOMEPONY! AND THAT SOMEPONY ISN'T VERY HAPPY!!"
Rainbow Dash rammed Mike into a wall, then throwning him near the edge of the building.
"You want to rethink that plan of yours?"
Rainbow asked with her eyes narrowed.
Mike swallowed.
"...........fine. I give up."
Rainbow Dash and the others flinched as they heard helicopters from above.
"CRAP!" Nick yelled.
"WE CAN'T LET THEM SEE YOU GUYS!!!!!"

Erik pointed to the trash bins under the roof.
"How about we jump through there?"
"Are you crazy?!?" Rarity yelled back.
"I came in this world covered in garbage and I'm not leaving it covered in garbage! I just got my mane groomed....."
"LEEROOOOY JEEEENNKKIIIINSSSSSSS!!!!!" Phoenix bellowed before cannonballing down the fifty feet and landing in the garbage bins.
The others followed.

Rarity remained at the top, cursing to herself, staring down at the bins.
Mike grabbed her leg.
"If I die----YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!!!!!" Mike cried to Rarity.
Rarity screamed and smacked his head with her hind leg.
"I better get all of Equestria kissing my hooves for doing this!!!!!"
Rarity plummeted into the garbage bins.

Nick opened his eyes. Everybody landed safely in the dumpsters. As he got up he heard a groan. It was Twilight!

Nick quickly jumped up and started looking for her. After a minute or so of searching, he found Twilight sitting against a tree, holding her arm.

"Twilight!!" Nick shouted in relief before running over and hugging her. She winced slightly at the pain in her foreleg, but she wrapped her good arm around Nick's shoulder.
"Twilight, I'm sooooo sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Twilight simply smiled.
"It's fine, Nick. Better than camping in a forest filled with dinosaurs."
"What?"
"Nevermind. Are your friends okay?"

Nick got up. The helicopters were focused on the roof of the building, so they paid no mind to what was going on under. He looked forward and saw his friends crawling out of the dumpster, and checking to see if any of the guards lying on the floor were dead.

"Well, on the bright side, they're all okay, so we won't have blood on our hands or anything like that," Phoenix said.
"But we gotta split before the police see us or the ponies."

Day 12

The kids and ponies rested the entire day, but it wasn't all relaxing.
Nick and Twilight explained the dark secret the kids have been keeping them from the past twelve days.
That they were a Saturday morning cartoon.
The ponies were shown episodes, fandubs, fanfictions (Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both freaked out over Cupcakes and Bittersweet), and finally fan art.
It was pretty awkward, but they managed to do it. When the ponies were satisfied, everybody talked about what they saw, showered, ate, and got ready to leave after Twilight Sparkle got a message from Princess Celestia.
The heroes rode to Castle Park at night, resting on the hill.
They waited patiently, and before they knew it, the princess appeared.
"I want to thank you for protecting my faithful students." Princess Celestia announced.
She knighted the seven kids and backed up.
"If you like, you may say your final goodbyes. You have ten minutes."

The seven bronies said there final goodbyes. But Nick and Twilight had the longest.
"So I guess this is it?" Nick asked.
Twilight lowered her head.
"I'm sorry I brought you into our own fight," Twilight muttered.
Nick sighed.
"It's not your fault. And besides, it was fun, wasn't it? Fighting bad guys, thwarting illegal animal trade......."
Twilight let a tear drop into the grass and form a cartoon puddle in the middle of a realistic patch of grass.
"I'm going to miss you Nick."
Twilight flung her front legs around Nick.
Nick jumped, startled. But he wrapped his arms around Twilight.
Twilight set herself free.
"There's always next time......" Twilight replied with a quaky voice.
Nick smiled.

The six ponies gathered around Princess Celestia.
"Thanks again, children. You went through a lot, and I admire you for doing so."
Celestia raised he head up to the sky and formed a beautiful aura, and they dissapeared. Just like that.

The kids stood there for a moment. They mounted their bikes and went home.

Day 13

The ponies zapped into their home world and into the library.
Twilight Sparkle landed on her bed, along with Applejack and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie landed on a pile of books. Rarity landed on a pile of garbage.
"Ugh! I'm in EQUESTRIA and I can't keep myself from falling into GARBAGE!" Rarity complained.
"Wait," Twilight interrupted.
"What's a pile of trash doing here?"

Spike waltzed into the room and gave a startled scream.
"Oh, I didn't expect you guys to be back so early!" Spike nervously smiled, failing at hiding a big tub of ice cream.
Twilight narrowed her eyes.
"How long have we been gone?"
"Twelve......hours......." Spike ran for the door, but was stopped by Twilight.
"You aren't going anywhere, Spike." Twilight scolded.
"You, are going to clean up this mess."

Spike groaned and grabbed a mop.
Twilight smiled and looked up at the night sky.
"I'll see you again. Soon........."

Day 14

Nick, Jennifer, Amy, Lucy, Phoenix and Henry all sat at the lunch tables at school.
Buck approached the table and pulled Amy up.
"Hey sweetheart," he harassed.
"Wanna give me money?"
Phoenix got up.
"You leave her alone!"
"Shut up or I'll beat you again!" Buck threatened before punching his stomach.

Amy gasped at Phoenix buckling to his knees. Now she was angry.
"You shouldn't have done that!" Amy scolded.
"What you gonna do about it? Cry on me?" Buck laughed.
Amy thrust her fists into Buck's stomach.
He bent down and Amy knees his face.
Amy then pushed Bucked into a garbage bin.
"You do NOT HURT MY FRIENDS!!!!" Amy yelled.

The other five kids watched in awe at Buck getting pwned by the pwned. He apparently got arrested a couple hours later for the shooting.

Henry finished the apple pie Applejack and he baked. He loved apples.

Phoenix halted his fighting habits and brought them out by playing Bully and Grand Theft Auto. Though he's still anticipating the moment he has to use them.

Lucy got out of the shower and dried her hair. When she took the towel off her face, she saw her reflection in the mirror. She wondered why she was so depressed in the first place. Pinkie Pie practically saved her. She smiled, a tear dropping into the sink.

Nick looked up at the stars. He recalled every moment with Twilight. Meeting her, losing her, and reuniting with her. Nick knew Twilight was looking at the stars too, and he learned that he, out of seven billion people, was given these opportunities that were only dreamed of and shown in movies. And he was lucky enough. He was lucky enough to learn that he should cherish these moments, for they may only happen once. Only once. Once in a lifetime.

The End