CHAPTER FIVE: Going Ahead

Pinkie felt the voice inside her saying that this was all going to be over soon. And she’d be free to go.

‘Go where?’ thought Pinkie to the voice.

‘Why, to go home, if this works out.’ It said, ‘but if you work against me, then it’ll be limbo for the both of us. Me in you forever, making your non-existence an eternal nightmare. And don’t try to do anything sneaky, I’m in your head, I know you, I know your friends. I know everything you know, they’ll not let you die, so I’ll get back and have Muffins in your body or Twilight’s. With my knowledge and Twilight’s power, I’ll rule not only Equestria, but the world as well.’

‘Why do you want to do this,’ thought Pinkie, ‘I know as well as you you’re not really Shooting Star. You’re some kind of incomplete copy…’

'Stop that!’ commanded the voice, ‘I am Shooting Star, at least I’m his knowledge, his power, his force of will. I will continue. I don’t need any of that compassion or sentiment garbage.

Muffins will love me, the world will beg me to rule them, and I’ll comply to all their requests with the authority and cruelty they so desire.’

‘And they say I’m loco,’ thought Pinkie.

There was a severe pain shoot through pinkie.

‘Wrong thinking will be punished, right thinking will be rewarded,’ said the voice.

Pinkie took the pain and failed to give the voice the pleasure of crying out.

‘You think you’re strong,’ said the voice with a laugh. ‘I’m just toying with you. I can make you scream for me to toss you through the portal before I’m done!’

‘Dashie will save me! Twilight will destroy you!’

‘Your Rainbow Dash could never harm me. She’d be swept away like dust before me on a whim!

Although I’ll try to salvage as much of her as I can. That sex we had with her was quite satisfying. Perhaps I, through Twilight’s body, will show her the power of Unicorn Horn Sex. Yes, she’d be a nice addition to my stable.

And your Twilight Sparkle won’t sparkle as much as she thinks, she’ll find her magic doesn’t work here like in the outside world.

Why do you think we read all those books in the library?’

‘I thought you were trying to bore me to death,’ thought Pinkie.

‘You still try to be funny, even here where I could dispose of you forever.’

‘No you can’t,’ thought Pinkie, ‘without me you’ll never see Muffins again. I don’t think you’ve truly thought this out. I could want to save my friends and just jump through the portal now and save them all.’

‘You wouldn’t!’

Pinkie started to walk in the direction of the portal. The agonizing pain shot through her again. She stumbled on, the pain grew until her knees buckled.

‘I know you can’t do worse to me, you feel it too!’ said Pinkie. Then in a flash of insight, ‘you say you can dispose of me, I can dispose of you. You’ll get tired of the pain as well. We’ll see who’s will is stronger. I’ve the love of my friends and my wife to defend. You only have misguided anger. Who stands to gain more in dying?’

Shooting Star started to worry. Perhaps he’d underestimated this pony. She wasn’t the idiot he thought that’d be easy to control. She had a brand of deep twisted logic he couldn’t even begin to understand. He now, like Pinkie, was hoping that Twilight would get there soon.

Twilight and Rainbow walked on. Without landmarks, it was difficult to tell if they were truly moving. The mist would move past them and they’d get the feeling of forward movement. Then it’d move with them and give the feeling of standing still. The mist would shift and would come from behind and past them giving the perception of going backward.

All the time the ghostly ponies were on the edge of vision.

“I guess with these poor souls around us are still going our way, we must be going in the right direction," said Twilight.

They walked on for a bit. Still glancing at each other, despite coming to terms with what had happened. And the glances were not always in the direction of the others eyes. However, Twilight managed to make sure she didn’t get ahead of Rainbow, even though she was pretty sure Rainbow hadn’t brought any spoons with her.

The floor, if floor it was, was as flat and smooth as polished stone. It was pitch black, that’s why Twilight didn’t see the gaping chasm in front of her. Her fore-hooves stepped down on nothing. She’d totally lost her balance, there was no chance of her rearing up on her hind legs. She felt herself plunging forward and downward.

Her fall was checked as soon as it started. But it felt like forever. Rainbow had caught Twilight’s tail in her mouth. Twilight had been caught like this before, but then had no problem pulling her back, such is the lift strength of Pegasus’ wings. But she could tell Rainbow was struggling.

“Scramble back! Help me!” said the Pegasus through gritted teeth and Twilight’s tail.

They both went back the little distance to safety and collapsed to the floor. Twilight heard and felt Rainbow spit her tail out.

“Putttt! Hey Egg-Head, nice view, got any spoons on you?”

“Right now,” said Twilight, trying to get her breath under control, “if I did, I’d give it to you.”

Twilight got to her feet and crept forward to the edge. On closer examination, she could make out the color of the floor and the edge of the abyss.

Then turning back to Rainbow who was still panting on the floor.

“You were struggling, are you not able to fly well in this atmosphere?”

“It felt like the air could barely support me. I think it was pure panic which allowed me to pull you back.” Said Rainbow, with a wicked smile, “I just kept thinking if I came back without you, Muffins would send me here for real.

Had I known how strong of will and body she really was when she was on the Weather Team, I might’ve been nicer to her.”

Twilight smiled despite the grim situation. Twilight reached out a hoof to help Rainbow back up to her hooves. As Rainbow stood, they were muzzle to muzzle and kissing again before they realized it. Both mares were finding the kiss arousing, something inside themselves was telling them to go the next step. Both realized it wouldn’t be appropriate so they broke the kiss.

Twilight looked around at the ghostly ponies as she got her breathing under control, they were continuing without the aid of a floor.

“I’m worried about something,” said Twilight changing the subject, “Pinkie was reading the book; Dark Magic Of Spirits. I hadn’t read it since I lived in Canterlot. I think I remember it told how normal magic would work differently in the spirit realm, which is where we must be.”

Twilight then looked around on the floor, she saw a small blue downy feather Rainbow must have shed in the exertion. She closed her eyes, visualizing the feather. She attempted the first and easiest spell a Unicorn learns, levitation.

Rainbow saw the purple aura around the feather, it lifted off the about two feet, then Twilight cried out and it floated to the floor.

“It felt like when I lifted the Ursa Minor,” said Twilight.

Rainbow walked over to it and blew, it drifted in the air, just like a feather.

“Do you think you can fly ahead and see how far the chasm stretches?” asked Twilight.

Rainbow beat her wings furiously, she lifted up a couple feet and then went forward. She’d cleared the edge of the pit when her wings simply gave out, with a cry she plummeted down. It was a cry, but not of terror, but of surprise.

“Twi!” said Rainbow, “the pit is only three feet deep. The worse you might’ve gotten was a bloody muzzle had you landed on your face.”

“This is getting weirder and weirder,” said Twilight, “pitfalls only three feet deep, feathers which weigh tons. The best flyer in Ponyville....”

“Equestria,” interjected Rainbow.

“Equestria,” said Twilight with the slightest of chuckles, “who can’t fly ten yards without giving out.”

“It’s like everything is in reverse,” responded Rainbow.

“Everything in reverse?” said Twilight, to nopony in particular.

“Hold still Rainbow,” said Twilight.

A purple aura surrounded Rainbow, She lifted off the floor, and she went away from Twilight then back. It was a little unnerving flying without being in control. She settled down just in front of Twilight.

“What was that for?” asked Rainbow.

“You weigh a lot more than a feather, so I was seeing how hard it was to move you. I would’ve tried something else, but we seem to be short of objects to try, said Twilight. “And it was easier to move you than the feather. Let’s try this, fly ahead about ten yards and back, but barely flap your wings.”

Rainbow nodded and complied, her wings barely moved yet she shot off the floor and ahead overshooting the ten yard mark by a score of yards or more. She then turned and with a little more control, landed by Twilight.

“That’s freaky,” said Rainbow.

“I think somepony is counting on us not to know these things,” said Twilight. “When confronted, we’ll need to feign ignorance until it’s absolutely necessary. Let’s get going, we need to find Pinkie, and I’ve no idea how long we have been at this or how much longer we can go on."

With that the two ponies trotted off in the direction the ghostly ponies were headed. It was hard to tell how long they were going. Time didn’t appear to matter here, but exertion did take a toll on a pony.

After a while, Rainbow noticed Twilight was having a little trouble walking, she’d falter on some steps. Her eyes were glazed and drooping. Rainbow realized Twilight, being a Unicorn, didn’t have a Pegasus’ stamina. After all it took a lot more out of a pony to fly than to be an ‘Egg-Head’. But she was putting up a good face, perhaps not wanting to show weakness to her friend.

“Twilight stop,” said Rainbow, “we can’t go on like this if you’re dead on your hooves, no pun intended. I think we can afford a short rest. It’ll not do Pinkie any good if we have to fight and we’re already worn out.”

Twilight started to argue, but she conceded to the logic.

“You lay down,” said Rainbow, “I’ll watch for a while.”

Twilight lay down on her side. As she lay there she started to shiver and toss and turn, obviously the floor was uncomfortable and cold.

“Twi,” said Rainbow, sitting down, her hind legs jutting out on front of her, “lay your head on my lap. It’s softer than the floor and perhaps it’ll keep you a little warmer.”

Twilight, too tired to argue, did as she was told. Rainbow could tell her friend was asleep in no time. With out knowing why Rainbow started to slowly and gently stroke Twilight’s mane. It was soft and soothing to the touch.

The memories of earlier started to come back to her. Here’s a pony that she will be in love with. Perhaps to a point has been in love with at a certain level since she first met her. The thoughts of how awesome sex was or will be with this mare was making her wet. Pinkie was a freak in the sack. But thoughts of the intense level of love and passion Twilight delivered was more than anything Rainbow had ever experienced.

And she was right there for the taking.

Twilight hadn’t fought the kisses, perhaps it’d be as easy as that. Perhaps the same argument would work, it was she that initiated it and Twilight was taken unaware.

She looked over at Twilight’s flanks, her tail twitching that way tails twitch when the pony is content. The sight of those flanks so often denied, were there. Round and smooth, her cutie mark appeared to be pointing the way. It was making her own marehood tingle.

‘Go ahead, take her!' said a voice in her head. ‘You know she didn’t admit it but you know that she wants you as much as you want her. Maybe she’s one of those mares that likes to be taken aggressively. You know of what I’m saying.’

‘I can’t do that,’ thought Rainbow, ‘she’s my best friend, she was and is willing to give her life to save me and Pinkie. How can I represent the Element of Loyalty and be unfaithful to Pinkie. Not to mention my relationship with Twilight, Muffins and the rest of my friends?

‘You think they’d ever know?’ asked the voice. ‘You don’t know if you’ll ever make it back. This might be all that’s left to you. You might be gone at any moment now. To die without ever tasting the forbidden fruit…

Literally.’

‘I better wake Twilight up before I give into my carnal impulses.’ Thought Rainbow, almost in a panic.

‘Before you do that, let me sweeten the deal,’ there was a pause.

To Rainbow’s surprise, Twilight turned over, her muzzle was brushing up against Rainbow’s sensitive nipples, they erected instantly. Twilight lay there just inches from her marehood. She could feel Twilight’s breath against it and it was about to drive her wild!

‘You’ll come to the end of the tunnel soon and you’ll find Pinkie and myself,’ said the voice.

Rainbow almost panicked when she realized that it was a strange pony’s voice she was hearing and not just her inner self.

‘When you do, aid me. If you deliver Twilight to me, then you can have her anytime you want, along with Pinkie, Muffins and any other mare or stallion you want, and at any time. With my knowledge and Twilight’s power, I’ll rule the whole world and you’ll be my queen! If you don’t or if you tell Twilight what has transpired here, then I’ll cast Pinkie to limbo, beyond anypony’s ability to retrieve her!’

Rainbow felt the presence leave her but she wasn’t sure it was gone.

Rainbow gently roused Twilight who was delighted to have Rainbow’s nipples in front of her muzzle. Twilight moved forward and started to suck them, stimulating the tip with her tongue. Twilight was determined to continue on down, but she stopped herself when she realized what was going on because she had been dreaming of just this.

Rainbow shuddered at the feeling of Twilight on her nipples, she was about to lay back and allow Twilight to go on. But Twilight stopped as she realized what she was doing and sat up quickly.

“Twilight!” said Rainbow with a pleading look in her eyes.

“I know,” said Twilight, “it’s so hard not to let you take me, like I want to take you.”

The two grabbed each other and kissed deeper than they had up to this point. They lay on their sides and their hooves started to explore the other, it felt so awesome. They broke the kiss and their heads were resting against the other.

“I don’t want to stop Rainbow,” said Twilight, her voice shaking, “but if we don’t stop, I don’t know how I could ever look at Muffins again. I love her so much, but I love you too.”

Rainbow kissed Twilight again, not as deep.

“I love Pinkie but I love you too Twilight,” said Rainbow, “I don’t want to stop either but you’re right, we have to.”

Reluctantly, they removed their hooves from the other’s marehood. Rainbow actually tasted her hoof, Twilight followed Rainbow’s example. It didn’t help any in their desire to stop this.

“I want to taste you for real, and so badly,” said Rainbow.

“I do too,” said Twilight, “I would let you but I don’t know if I could stop anything else.”

“I’m sorry Twilight,” said Rainbow, “you may hate me forever, but I just can’t stop.”

Rainbow rolled Twilight on her back, Twilight didn’t fight it, she was overcome with desire. Rainbow started kissing Twilight again. She worked her way down Twilight’s chest to Twilight’s nipples. These were as pleasant as she had imagined. Twilight turned herself so she was in the same position as Rainbow. She hadn’t been able to get the Pegasus’ breasts off her mind since she awoke to them. After a time, Rainbow started to work her way to Twilight’s marehood. It was right before her, totally relaxed and glistening with the dampness of pure desire. Rainbow tried the last bit of restraint, worried what Twilight would say. That is until Twilight’s tongue entered Rainbow’s own love organ.

That was it, neither could stop they worked each other good. The climax was better than either expected. They didn’t stop there, they went on to the scissor position. Again the climax was magnificent. The two lay back and caught their breath. Then they sat back up and embraced.

Twilight was crying.

“Oh Twilight,” said Rainbow, “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop myself. I know I’ve just destroyed our relationship.”

Rainbow started to cry as well. Twilight gently kissed Rainbow.

“No Rainbow,” said Twilight, “we’re both to blame. I could’ve said no, but I didn’t want to. I still want you so bad. But I love and want Muffins as well. And I know this sounds weird, but I am finding that I love and want Pinkie too.”

“I feel the same about Pinkie, you and Muffins as well.”

They kissed again, but not as wildly.

“We have to go on and save Pinkie,” said Twilight, stroking Rainbows body.

“I know,” said Rainbow. “Let’s take care of that and worry about the rest later.”

They kissed a simple kiss and got up.

“How long do you think we were ‘doing it’?” asked Twilight.

“I want to say, not long enough, but who knows. In this place we may’ve been here for days or seconds. The sooner we get out of here the better,” answered Rainbow, trying not to let herself feel disappointed at Twilight and herself stopping.

She so much wanted to tell Twilight what had transpired, but she feared the threat of losing Pinkie.

The chanting and drumming had been going nonstop for thirty-six hours. Muffins would doze from time to time but she was too worried to sleep. She could now tell neither Zecora or Apple Bloom could continue much longer.

Knowing that she couldn’t talk to Zecora, Muffins addressed Apple Bloom;

“Isn’t there anything I can do to help?”

“Do you think you could repeat Zecora’s chant accurately?” asked the little filly.

“I think after all this time, I’m going to hear it in my sleep, why?”

“You need to go find Scootaloo, bring her back here. I know you don’t want to leave them, but if you don’t we may lose ‘em all,” warned Apple Bloom.

Muffins nodded, went to the door, looked back at her friends and her love. Then she took to the sky.

Muffins wasn’t sure exactly what time it was so she climbed high to get a better view of Ponyville. As it happened, school was letting out. She saw Diamond Tiara, Dinky, Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon walking together being they lived in the same direction from the school, Scootaloo looked as if she was saying good-bye to them. Muffins went into a power dive which would’ve impressed Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t know,” said Sweetie Belle. “Applejack said she’d not heard from her, but if Rainbow Dash needed her, then she was sure she’s safe and they’d hear from her soon.”

“Plus my moms haven’t been seen either.” Said Dinky.

“I do hope they’re all alright,” said Diamond, looking into Sweetie’s eyes. “I’d hate it if something happened to them.”

Sweetie could feel comfort and concern in Diamond’s eyes.

“Like what?” asked Scootaloo, “it isn’t like somepony just swooped down out of the sky and carried them off.”

They all laughed.

That’s until a blue-gray and blonde blur arced past and Scootaloo was gone.

“Scootaloo!” cried Dinky, Diamond, Silver and Sweetie at the same time.

They saw the form of a Pegasus with Scootaloo hanging beneath them. They were headed in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

“I think that was my mom!” said Dinky running in the direction where the pony was headed.

The rest of the friends took off after Dinky. They stopped however when Muffins was out of sight.

Scootaloo almost passed out from the sudden g-forces. When her head cleared, she saw she was already quite high off the ground, it was kind of exhilarating. She then looked up to see it was Muffins Sparkle who’d picked her up.

“Wow, Mrs. Sparkle,” said Scootaloo in awe, “I didn’t know a Pegasus could pick up a load at that speed.”

“We normally can’t,” said Muffins, “I’ve pulled every muscle in my shoulders and forelegs in doing this. The only thing that keeps me from dropping you is concern for your safety. Do as I say, I know you can’t fly yet, but flap your wings and trust me.”

Scootaloo complied with Muffins advice. Scoot started to panic as Muffins dropped her, but Scoot’s wings gave just enough lift to slow her fall. Muffins quickly did a loop and was under Scootaloo who landed on her back.

Along the way, Muffins related what’s going on and that Apple Bloom had asked for her help.

It didn’t take long to get back to Zecora’s, any faster then they might’ve experienced a sonic Rainboom.

Inside, nothing had changed, Muffins could tell the fatigue on Zecora and Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looked up and smiled.

“Scoot, I’m glad to see you, we need your help. Mrs. Sparkle if’n you could, sit by Zecora, and start chantin’ with her. She’ll stop when she’s sure you have it right. After that, you mustn’t stop for nothin’ until Zecora relieves you. Scoot, you need to match my drummin’. Don’t stop for nothin’ or we could lose ’em all. Just pay attention to the chant and keep the rhythm.

The two complied with Apple Bloom’s instructions. After a few moments, Zecora just laid down right there and was asleep in no time, as did Apple Bloom.

The chant became mind numbing, the pain in her shoulders and forelegs was pounding. The only thing kept her going was the thought she could be the cause of her Darling Twilight and her friends not coming back, kept her going. Scootaloo took what she was doing more seriously than she ever had anything in her life. Rainbow was her hero, Twilight was one of her best friend’s mother and who didn’t love Pinkie?

Rainbow and Twilight trudged on, when something odd happened.

“Did the chanting change?” asked Rainbow.

Twilight cocked her head and listened.

“I’d swear that’s Muffins voice,” said Twilight. “I hope that’s not a bad thing. Perhaps we’ve been at this a while and Zecora needed a break.”

“We’d better hurry up, I don’t like this even more.” Said Rainbow.

The two sped up to a trot, afraid to run into another pitfall which might be more than three feet deep, but just as afraid to get to Pinkie too late.